"Without a Teacher"

Let me just start by saying that class without a teacher could have gone far worse than it did. We watched the film and had a wonderful discussion full of stories and opinions. For the me, the personal stories that are told in class have a much stronger impact on me than just reading professional writings. Sheila told a story of an experience she had in class as a child that has had a profound influence on her. I could not imagine what it must be like to stuck in a social class without any hopes of getting out. I don't want to ruin the story for anyone who was not there in case Sheila wanted to share the story in class Thursday.
    When Lawrence Mead stated "if poor people behaved rationally, they would seldom be poor for long in the first place" he seems to be assuming that class is based on behavior or a psychological state instead of being based on financial status and other factors like race and gender.  If class was based on behavior it would be easier to move up the "social ladder" . People would just need to learn how to act "properly" and all their problems would be solved. If only it was that easy.
      The film gave a sneak peak into the opinions of some of the social classes out there and how they feel not only about there own class but the class of others around them. For example, the WASP guy (Langhorne Phipps), who drove most of or some of us in the class crazy, had no shame in stating that he enjoys being who he is and doesn't feel that anyone can learn to be like him. You have to be born with a silver spoon in your mouth to be part of this upper class society. Well if Meads quote is accurate this guy would be as low class as they come in my book. He was rude and childish and didn't warrant any good behavior award as far as I am concerned.
     The scene with the upper class young adults that went to a bar in a lower class neighborhood to experience the lower class lifestyle in one of the "dive" bars is another example of upper class people showing poor behavior. They assumed that because they had more money they could go into this bar and and "fit in" with the rest of the crowd. Or maybe they thought they could bring a little class to the bar. They acted like children and patronized the patrons in such a way that it seemed they were making fun of them right in front of their faces and they were too stupid to realize it.
     The saddest of all the stories was Tammy's story. While her low class was due to lack of financial income, her behavior made her high class in my eyes. She went to work everyday and tried to take care of her kids as best as she could and never complained about her living arrangements. She was hurt by her sons embarrassment as any mom would be.
     I also assume that Mead didn't mean just behavior as in how they act in public on a daily basis. I am sure he was also referring to the way they react to their social class. If they want move up a class they need to get an education and get a high paying job which will give them the necessary resources to afford the finer things in life. This sounds easy but it is easier to solve the problem when you feel your not part of the problem. Not all people have access to the same privileges such as education, housing, jobs, and health care. And then when there is a chance for a lower class to receive some instances such as welfare they are seen as trailer trash.
     The film showed a picture of a man in front of screen door to people on the street (or that is what is seemed) and people made comments that he looked lower class and one woman said he was "so pathetic". The picture was of a older gentleman he wasn't behaving in any manor. He was standing. There was no information on his occupation or education level. Same goes for the woman who said she can look at a woman on a beach in a bathing suit and tell if she belongs or not. Really?
      I realize that social classes have existed for centuries, and I am totally convinced that we can ever move past this part of life, but maybe a good place to start would be in the early years when kids are in school. The visit we were taken on through the high school was heart breaking. Kids from different classes were not able to join forces and be friends because of the way they were raised. We need to teach our kids that it is not were you come from, or how much money your parents have that make us who we are. Our class is determined not by our financial status or how we behave in public but in how we feel about ourselves.
     I feel that I should have written this as soon as I got home from school because I had so many things to say that day and now I am at a loss for words. I will say I loved the gnomes and the stone ducks, I'm not sure of that in itself makes me low class trailer trash but so be it if it does. Can't wait to read what everyone else thought about the film. I just wanted to add a thought for class on Thursday......Isn't the Military that defends our freedom based on classes? They higher up the rank you are the more respect you demand? Just a thought.