Income and wages are measurable indicators of how prosperity is distributed amongst social class. Wealth, often determined by an individual's net worth (assets minus liabilities), is another indicator that is used to determine class.
Wealth for working class families is measured by their cars, savings, and home. As people improve their social and economic standing, wealth may include things like stocks and bonds, commercial real estate, and expensive jewelry.Wealth is an important indicator because it spans past, present, and future generations. For example, compare the children of parents who can save money and leave an inheritance with children of parents who economically struggle and have few assets to pass on to the next generation.
Historically, the creation and accumulation of wealth provides evidence of the legacy of racism, sexism, and discrimination and their role in determining class. Black/African Americans, women, and Hispanic/Latinos have historically been denied the means to obtain assets and grow wealth. Consider the impact of chronic marginalization on the Black/African American community's ability to build wealth.
While the income gaps between various ethnic groups may be decreasing, the gap between assets remains wide. Data from the Pew Research center show that the median wealth of Caucasian households is 20 times that of Black/African American households and 18 times that of Hispanic/Latinos households in the U.S. (Pew Research Center, 2011).Class extends beyond wealth and other financial indicators.
Class also includes details like the amount of free time you enjoy (because you are not working three jobs to make ends meet) or feeling like there is a "right" way to speak and act in order to be heard. For this Discussion, analyze how classism has impacted your life.
Post an analysis of how classism has factored into your life. Then, explain a strategy you might use as a social worker to address the impact of class and class differences on the lives of your clients.
APA format use Reference to support your answer
Gamble, M. (2010, February 10). Classism: America's Overlooked Problem.
Please repond to the below:
Classism is more complicated that the upper, middle, and lower class. For instance, for my family; when my mom was ill she was unable to get assistance with any resources because my dad made too much money because he was receiving a pension that paid the mortgage and then he worked 15 hours a week at Home Depot to pay the bills. They were told they made too much however they couldn't afford all their medications. It seems that the more a person/family earns the more costs go up.
When it comes to working with clients there are going to be clients that are above the poverty line, yet they won't be eligible for assistance in which they will need to make hard decisions regarding their care. This could include the medications they take, whether they do any type of therapy, or even whether they keep medical appointments for continuance of care.
There will also be clients that have all the necessary resources to afford what is needed. Some of the clients that fall into each category may fall into a race class that contradicts their financial class.
I say this very cautiously because I personally don't perceive any one race or ethnicity to fit in any certain class however there are others that do and due to their personal opinions, they may or may not see the person and their needs for what they are.
For example, there may be a financially stable Hispanic client that is able to afford the necessary services and medications and they may be treated as if they are of a lower class, only because of their ethnicity.
There may also be a client that may have financial resources that are not available to them such as retirement funds or a nice home that is paid for and yet they are denied assistance because they have too many financial resources. It is concerning that someone is able to work hard for what they have and if they have funds that are allocated for retirement they need to deplete these funds prior to receiving any financial assistance.