Reply #99: What an interesting discussion,

[tigereye]

dealing with class issues is a touchy business. It is fascinating to see the divisions that appear when various forms of "middle-classness" (I'm sure that there is a better word for it, but can't think of one)are discussed.

I am willing to bet that many here on this board have "working-class" origins, depending on where their ancestors emigrated from. I know that my ancestors moved from Irish mercenaries to railroad workers to government functionaries to lawyers, priests, bankers and even an academic or two. I'm not sure if it has to do with family pressure, desire for different social status or the desire to " move up" financially, although in my experience having more education does not necessarily mean having more money!

I don't think that people have much to say about being born middle class - or any class for that matter; what family you are born into is obviously beyond anyone's control. It is a matter of the choices that you make in terms of being content with your current "social status," or attempting to move to another social structure.

I missed the "middle class" discussion thread and will have to seek that out. I also want to check out the books noted by you folks that deal with working class academics and their perspectives.

What is the most interesting, IMHO, is that people's discomfort with certain aspects of NPR and the subtext of some of their pieces, morphed into a discussion of class "discomfort." BTW, I listen to NPR a lot, but do periodically feel that many of the pieces they air do have a tone of detachment from some aspects of "real-life." The NPR piece noted above had some of that tone, which bothered me. On the other hand, many of NPR's pieces deal with gut-wrenching aspects of war, poverty, mental illness and drug abuse, in a way that few media are willing to entertain.