To which social class do you belong?
- upper class
- middle class
- lower class
When asked that question, the vast majority of the U.S. population (around 90%) responds middle class. We see ourselves as “making it,” not poor and not rich. Middle-class seems to be more comfortable, psychologically speaking, for most of us. Perhaps middle class embodies our belief in equality. And in a way, it is the norm. Upper-class and lower-class are more apt to be viewed as socially deviant.
Earlier this year, a statistical report by Oxfam, an international relief organization, painted a picture of extreme economic inequality. The concentration of wealth among the rich is staggering, both in the U.S. and throughout the world. And wealth disparity is growing. As an aside, it is important to distinguish between wealth and income. Wealth includes assets. Therefore, the wealth gap is even greater than the income gap due to the fact that the rich, unlike the poor, have so much of their wealth tied up in assets.
Perhaps, it is not all that surprising that President Obama decided to not even use the term economic or income inequality in his recent State of the Union address. Rather, he focused on opportunity and mobility, which are more palatable to Congress and the public at large. Even in my diversity class, economic inequality evokes raw feelings and intense debate, especially when we discuss reasons for inequality. The question, “Why are the poor poor?” is apt to elicit a wide range of honest and well thought-out responses ranging from an individual’s work ethic to structural reasons, including a changing economy and social barriers. It is as difficult a subject to discuss as any, including those revolving around race and racism, gender and sexism, and issues dealing with the LGBT community. For that reason, it is a subject that my students and I discuss much later in the semester, once we have become familiar with each other.
In much of diversity training, economic inequality is completely or largely ignored, even though it impacts our identities, life chances, and life experiences on a daily basis. Engaging in a productive dialogue on inequality takes courage, honesty, and people who are willing to talk with each other rather than at each other. Indeed, Congress could learn a valuable lesson by listening to my students.