Barbara Jensen: "The Invisible Ism" and "Belonging vs. Becoming"

[quotes]  I found the Jensen chapters quite different. I think that she addressed some things in a different way and gave different things to look at. She begins by basically talking about the classes and classism. She agrees that it is hard for us to admit that we have different classes in this country. She goes onto split them into four categories: rich, middle class, working class, and the poor. I think it was interesting when she stated that "economic power, not culture is the spine of class". Now I know she later goes on to talk about how culture does still play a big role but it was interesting to hear that she talked about the main division of the classes boils down to economics.
             She goes on to talk about culture in this chapter and talks about the differences of working class and middle class. Saying the working class culture depends on the region, ethnicity, gender, race, and other factors. I found her story really telling too about the religious "coming of age" party for the two girls. One being from a working class family and the other a middle class family and the differences she encountered. I think it was good to see her paint the picture of the differences for us but without forcing the stereotypes but saying that though each was different they were both good in different ways. The working class family being more about emotional connections and laughter whereas the middle class was less about that but the girl was more educated and connected to why this was all happening. Although I found it interesting when she stated that "each celebration was right to the people who attended it and would feel uncomfortable at the other". I feel like this is why we have these defined lines of class though. If classes were to mix more and traditions and ways of live were to blend we would not need to spread around these ideas of the classes.
           Stating that I also thought her statement on this subject was quite correct. She states, "Classism is destructive, it divides American working class and middle class people from realizing they have much more in common with each other than they do with the upper class". This is entirely correct and it is something that should be addressed more. Working class and middle class should be enjoying more of the common ground that they have with each other because it is much more than they share with the upper class.
             I also found the second chapter interesting. I liked the idea of this sense of "belonging vs. becoming" and Jensen talking about how this is part of the difference between Working Class and Middle Class. Middle Class is centered around "becoming". They believe in working hard, ambition, and essentially survival of the fittest they are always looking to become something and they never just live in the "now". The middle class want this sense of individuality whereas the working class are much happier with a community. They value "belonging" much more than "becoming". They are all about living in the "now" and creating a sense of "us" which really helps because their community tends to span a bigger variety of people in terms of race, gender, ethnicity. I think that Jensen talks a lot about the differences between the two classes but that they do have some common ground that should be used to abolish these class stereotypes.