What I plan on writing about today will most likely raise some bones of contention. As the title implies, I will be writing about the caste system in the United States. The caste system, at least as I see it, is not an overt, rigid, system of social structure meant to keep people at a certain level like the old caste system of India once did. Rather, the caste system in the United States is a more fluid one, one where more mobility is possible, yet rarely realized. It is also one that lies underneath the surface, in social perceptions developed over the years, and one that can subconsciously affect individuals. The caste system I speak about is one relating to jobs and careers and the assumptions and pre-conceived notions that go along with a given job or career. Unlike the caste system in India where one was born into a certain level and had to remain in that level throughout their lives, the caste system in the United States is one determined in part by the education one receives and in part by the choices that they make regarding what career or job they want to go into. While individuals in the United States may switch jobs a number of times throughout their lives, most often they switch jobs within a certain level, pertaining either to their education level or what they know and are comfortable with. Most job sectors have certain stigmas that go along with them. A few examples are as follows. Bankers are stuck up snobs who make good money and live in a nice house. Large business owners don't mingle with the rest of society because they have too much money, don't want to share, and don't care what happens to anyone else. A technology person must be a geek, a nerd, or someone who is introverted and in part removed from the people around them. Painters are alcoholics who head straight to the bar once they get out of work. I could go on, but I think you get the point.
Now, the examples I gave are not just personal opinions, but perceptions that I have heard from more than a few people. These assumptions about what people are like are not necessarily true, but as a society, we find it hard to believe otherwise. The only way our perceptions are swayed is if a person in a given industry gives us reason to believe that they are not what we think they are. A good part of the time, our perceptions are wrong, yet they still persist regardless of the changes that people make in their personal lives. I for one know bankers who are personable, do not make tons of money, and are not stuck up snobs. Yet I feel that there is still a good portion of the population who despise bankers and what they do. Part of this is re-enforced by the economic events of the past few years. Conversely, I have also had it said to my face that painters are alcoholics and am I one? The answer would be no. Yet despite what I may be like as a painter, people still have pre-conceived notions of what my career entails. Are their alcoholic painters out there? Absolutely, I have seen them, but are they alcoholics of their own accord, or have social perceptions played a part in their actions? I don't know. And then there is the mobility aspect. It has already been well recorded that as time has progressed to the current day, mobility between "low class", "middle class", and "high class" is at an all time low. Those who make tons of money running enormous conglomerates are most likely not going to take pay cuts in order to become a garbage collector. Those residing in the higher classes perhaps have the most opportunity for mobility, yet rarely exercise it because they are comfortable where they are. On the lower end of the scale, it is also rare that a garbage collector one day decides that he wants to be a banker, gets back into school, and changes his whole position in life. This isn't necessarily because he doesn't want to, but the cost of living, the cost of education, and likelihood of success play a big part in keeping him where he is. The garbage collector may switch jobs, but if he/she does, it will most likely be to a job with a similar pay grade and similar educational requirements. Again, I am not saying that people haven't risen from a lower class to a higher class, I am merely saying that people rarely do. As such, this is the caste system we live with in the United States, one built upon unverified perceptions and lack of mobility.
Will everyone believe in this caste system? No, in fact I am sure that most people would argue that calling what we have in the United States a caste system is being excessively harsh. Some would argue that mobility is still prevalent and that anyone can change jobs and attain whatever level they want. But is this really true? I would challenge the notion that anyone can simply upend their lives and get a better job. I am not saying it isn't possible, I am merely saying it extremely difficult to do so. The difficulty that is associated with changing jobs or careers, "moving up" if you will amongst the classes, is what keeps most people where they are. In providing for families, most people will keep the jobs they have in an effort to provide a steady flow of income for their household. And lets not forget social perceptions of what people are like depending on the job they have. This is probably the most contentious point that I have outlined today, yet I feel that it is one that we need to constantly grapple with if we are to overcome it. There is not much we can do about mobility unless we are dead set on changing or improving our position in life. That is entirely possible, yet with any change we make comes a change in people's perceptions of what we are like. To call these assumptions and pre-conceived notions shallow is an understatement. For people to hold judgements about others without even knowing them is being more than shallow, it is being naive and hurtful. Yet many people can't get themselves out of the cycle of judging others or making assumptions about them without getting to know them first. If we can change our assumptions and pre-conceived notions, then we can at least make a start at eliminating our unspoken caste system in the United States. I have my doubts that most people can do this. I am not being negative here, I am simply being realistic. Feel free to disagree with me, raise your arguments, and show me where I am wrong. This is something that needs discussion if we are to move past it. For my own part, I do my best to approach everyone with an open mind and a willingness to listen and to not judge. We all need to work at eliminating how social perceptions come to play in our own lives and our own views of what people are like and how they act before even meeting them. Just food for thought, but I hope everyone has a great day!
No comments:
Post a Comment