Reponse 6

Brandin Reggio

Response 6

            The “haves” and the “have-nots” is an expression used to describe social class. This phrase means that in our country there are the people who have the social standing and wealth and then there are the individuals who are out of luck and do not have these pivotal things. Two other words to describe this principle are the “proletariat” and the bourgeoisie. In this case, the proletariats are the working class, or “have-nots” and the bourgeoisie are the owning class, or the “haves”. These classes were created by our society and are prevalent in our capitalist nation. The creations of classes are a social norm that we have created and put great emphasis on. I have always known that I was not a bourgeoisie, but the true realization of my social position was when I began working. During high school, most parents provide more so one may not truly grasp how important money and social standing is. Also, some may not realize how crucial it is to deciding where society puts you on the pecking order.

            As I have grown older, I have realized the importance of income. One major event that put things into perspective for me was when I began working at a country club. I am from Newark, and my grandparents came from Portugal. My grandfather and father made their living as heavy labor construction workers, working on roadways and jack hammering bridges. When I got a job at the Basking Ridge country club it was an eye opener. I was working in the catering department and Restaurant and the people that I was serving were much different then myself. The club was a private establishment that where only members can golf. Just by those standards, I was not even aloud to use the facility. I made 8 dollars an hour working there, but the members of the club probably made my years salary in a week. These people were the “top of the top” in tax brackets and social class. And the entire time that I was working there, I could not help but feel like a servant. I was very aware of my social class and where I was from. I would say that this was probably the time in my life that I was most aware of it. In the current job that I work at, I am aware of my social class as well.

 As I am getting older, I am beginning to realize that many of the things that I do not have are things that I want for myself and for my future family. At times, I have experienced this feeling of false consciousness. Sometimes I feel hopeless in my job. I also began to formulate irrational and inaccurate views of why I feel this way towards my position. I want to do more then I am doing, but at times I feel stuck. This is an example of the Marxist view of capitalism, the Iron Cage principle. The Iron Cage principle is defined as the feeling that one cannot change or get around the bureaucracy that capitalism brings. Sometimes, I feel like I have an ascribed position and that I am in this position regardless of my talents. However, the social structure in this country is much more flexible than something like the caste systems. This caste system is best described in the country of India. In this system, you are put into a social class and cannot move out of it regardless of your abilities. Still, these feelings about my social status have driven me to work hard in my job and to pursue a degree in college. This very feeling is what leads me to believe I have been conscious of my class for a long time and have been fighting to move up the ladder.

            Social class, to many, is a prison that suffocates and surrounds a person his or her whole life. It is a constant reminder of what others have that they do not. However, class is not necessarily a permanent thing. Many people have moved from proletariat to bourgeoisie. From the five children of my grandparents, three of them went to college and one of my uncle’s became a successful doctor. I hope to enhance my social status by expanding my knowledge. I believe that this capitalist system does have flaws, but if one works hard they can make something of themselves. I hope to make my grandparents proud also.