Social Class

Are there social classes in America? This has been the topic of discussion throughout this week and how it may affect the family structure. Whether or not you want to admit it, there are social classes in America. These divides in our culture may not be clearly defined, but they do have an impact in the people we interact with. I often wonder how a different neighborhood, a different money situation, or the displacement into a different culture completely would have changed my family dynamics. The views of those with a bigger income compared to those with small incomes usually differ greatly. This is not to say one is better than the other in any way. But it's interesting to see how families in these different social classes interact with one another, what values are most important to them, disciplinary actions they take, or how they view and treat other people below or above them on the social class spectrum.

I am grateful for the living situation I was able to grow up in. I was blessed with solid parents who loved me and were deeply committed to God. Growing up in Texas provided many opportunities for physical activity outside and missionary work. As a result, we grew to be a very out-going family and interacted with many others outside our own family. But when we moved to Idaho and into an already tightly knit community of the same religion, our actions slowly changed. It was much colder there, so our main source of entertainment was indoors and usually at home. My sisters and I grew much closer because most of our time was spent indoors together instead of with other neighborhood friends outside. We also lived by many extended family members and became close friends with them. Therefore, we became less out-going to others outside our family. It was much harder to play with friends outside our family and there were less opportunities for missionary work. But our family bonds grew much closer as a result of this societal and environmental change.

I challenge you to think of how your own family would compare given a different social or cultural situation. Would it have been better or worse?