I hope everyone’s weekend is off to a great start! My Saturday consisted of me waking up and heading to the library where I have been all morning and afternoon. This post is being written to give me a break from filling my brain with information on Theory of Mind. There is large amount of information out there on this topic and it is quite interesting, if any of you are interested.
In my Paideia 450 class (Luther Course), we have been discussing race and class. And I would like to share what I have learned and observed so far in the UK, more specifically Nottingham. Before the course even started, I was informed that the UK does not have racial problems to the extent of the US. At the moment in my head, I was thinking ‘Wow! That pretty impressive for a diverse country’. Now, I don’t think that is the case. As I complete more of my assigned reading for the course, the issues of race and class seem to be a much bigger problem than people let on. In the UK, classism is one of the leading issues affecting the citizens and residences. However, if you look closely at those who occupy the different class levels, you start to see a racial problem intertwined in there as well. As you head higher up the scale, there is less and less individuals of color. Is that just a coincident? I don’t think so. Let’s flush out this issue.
There are arguably 5-6 class levels, ranging from nobility at the top to the lower working class. Here, working class jobs include service jobs, plumbing, construction, etc. So now we have to consider what is affecting the working class individuals. Policies affect them. Who makes the policies? People of nobility or the high upperclass individuals. These people are wealthy and can afford to be educated. If you look at the race demographic of these two classes, they are predominately white. So when budget cuts happens, those in governing positions have to make cuts in their city. So what exact gets cut? Well…libraries, health care, government aid, and more. Budget cuts affect the lower working class individuals more than any other class. Cutting the budget or even reducing it for the libraries for an example, prevent lower class individuals from using the resources to gain an education. Libraries provide free programs, books, and access to computers that otherwise would be too expensive for working class individuals. That’s only one example.
Going back to the issue of race within the large gap in class. Many of the working class is made up of non-white workers. This is due to repeated cycles of lack of resources. Many of the working class parents will push hard for their children to get a good education because that is the only way to break that vicious cycle. That one explanation, but that does answer the big question. That because research is still being done on it. There is no solid answer. There are thoughts and opinions from sociologist, however, there seems to be multiple factors at play. For those individuals who are non-white that has made it out of working class and into middle class, their stories usually include a similar message. That message is: people of color (non-white) have to work twice if not three times are hard to be successful. The mystery is why. That big question, I hope can be answered by the end of my course.
I completely understand that there is a limited amount of money in each country and that resources are limited. However, I think it is important to see where those resources are going. The majority of the working class individuals do not believe their voice is being heard and that they have no say in their own country’s policies. That is a large issue that needs to be addressed. Each nation has their own domestic issues that vary in degree in comparison to other countries. I personally think it was unfair of people to state that the UK doesn’t have as big as a problem when it come to race as the US. It is definitely an issue, but its just more mixed in with the issue of class. It has been really interesting looking at issue within the UK. If I was in the US right now, I would not even know about these issues. That the great benefit of studying abroad.
Nottingham Adventures 