1 Classism English 12 Miano/Cincotta

2 Understanding and experiencing class privilege The social construction of social class in the U.S. is controversial.

3 The definition of classism The institutional, cultural and individual set of practices and beliefs that assign differential value to people according to their socio- economic class, and an economic system that creates inequality and causes basic human needs to go unmet.

4 The wealth of our country is not equally distributed In the last decades of the 20 th Century, production and worker productivity increased dramatically, but real wages for working class people feel, and both income and wealth shifted away from workers to capitalists.

5 The relationship between class and power Analyzing class allows us a better understanding of power. The economic trends reflect shifts in the relative power of workers and their bosses.

6 The family link Children who grow up in privileged families are more likely to become professionals than those raised in a working-class family. However, one point to be made, education still matters.

7 What is classism? Many feel that all of the isms are rooted in classism. Classism is the parent – the common seed.

8 The stereotype of the poor and working class The stereotype of the poor and working class are: unintelligent, inarticulate, and overly emotional.

9 Vocabulary words Direct discrimination: a person who is denied a benefit or treated unfairly b/c of his or her class (or other grounds for discrimination). Indirect or constructive discrimination: a person who experiences a negative impact b/c of a rule or policy impose by an individual or institution. Systemic discrimination: a person who is affected by subtle and unsubtle barriers imposed through the existing structure, policies, and/or practices.

10 Vocabulary Direct discrimination Indirect or constructive discrimination Systemic discrimination Harassment Poisoned environment

11 Culturally not prepared Class markers – even when someone has made it big and moved out of poverty, the class markers remain.