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My first semester at the University of Georgia, I took a postcolonial British Literature
class in which we focused on the issue of class. As many of my classmates may have done, I
perceived class as something which meant more in postcolonial Britain than it did now. While
aware of the categorizations of working, middle, and upper class, I did not recognize how much
class ideology penetrated my day-to-day life. As Pittleman discusses, class is an ideology which
transcends how much money we spend or how hard we work, it has been deeply embedded in
our paradigms and has been expressed through the ways we interact with the world (Pittleman,
2013).
SOCIAL SITUATIONS
There are times I feel intimidated by those I deem as professional or important in their
realms of influence; however, there are also numerous instances in which I feel confident when
speaking in social situations. I feel powerful when I believe I will be valued and recognized.
What truly empowers me to believe I will be received this way? What underlying paradigm
gives me the confidence to speak up? When I went to my interview for one job I had in college, I
was nervous, but confident. My dad gave me his zip-up folder he uses when interacting with
clients for me to carry the resume I slid into a manila folder before leaving. I was wearing what I
thought was appropriate for an interview, my hair was done, I had taken a professional
development class and believed I could enter the situation with poise. I believe I did.
FINANCIAL STATUS
When I go to the bank, I am treated warmly and respectfully by the people that work
there. I have often wondered at how well they treat me as a college student who really doesn’t
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offer them that much. I realized, though, that through helping me invest in my future, they also
are investing in relationship that could benefit them in the future. Rather than just treating me
well now, they are also investing in my human capital and what I may be able to offer them
down the road as a college graduate.
I do not carry all the load of my expenses as a college student, but I do pay for some.
Class privilege has indirectly influenced the HOPE scholarship by enabling me to work less
hours and keep my grades up. While I work a job to pay rent and some other expenses, I know
(my parents have told me) that were I really to get in a sticky situation, I could fall back on my
them.
HEALTH
My smile is the product of two oral surgeries, a pulled tooth, two years of braces, a $200
retainer (make that two – I lost one), and semiannual dentists appointments. While braces were
not covered under insurance, I have amazing grandparents, who graciously paid for mine and my
four younger siblings. One manager once told me that when I walked in the store and smiled, he
knew he had to find a place for me there. I believe he was genuine in saying so, but I also cannot
deny how class influenced all of the places I have worked and the decisions people make about
me. I am someone deeply affected everyday by these privileges. I smile confidently when I
walk into an interview, go to work, and meet new people due in part to interactions like these.
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LEGAL SYSTEM
Three years ago I got in a car accident when driving back from a friend’s. I hit the car in
front of me at a stop light in a city which apparently is more rigid in their dealing with the
consequences as our attorney told us. My dad has a personal attorney. When he was in the real
estate business, he felt it was important to have someone to communicate any legal issues which
could arise. Since then, we have used our attorney much more for personal situations than for
business ones – car tickets and a few other accidents. When my dad and I went to court, the
attorney met us there. When we arrived before him, we were herded with the rest of the people
most likely there for similar reasons as myself. However, when they discovered we had an
attorney, the tone of the entire experience shifted. Immediately, we were treated with more
respect and led to a different side of the courtroom towards the front. When our attorney got
there, he met with the prosecuting attorney privately, got her to agree to some better terms, and
we left not long after. I was shocked. I have reflected back on that experience – it impacted me.
I felt important – was I important? Surely, not more than any of the others in the room, but I felt
like it in that moment.
CONCLUSION
I am privileged. I do not have the same privileges some of my friends have, but I have
privilege and it impacts the way I see me. I have confidence, the freedom to go to school and
choose a major, to live comfortably, and hope in the plans I make. Paths have been cleared
before me and obstacles such as car payments, doctor and dentist expenses have been removed
while I invest in my future through my education. I am gradually becoming increasingly more
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aware of the power class has in how I perceive myself in relation to others, where I currently am,
and the plans I make for my future like grad school or study abroad. It isn’t just an issue
Dickins’ talked about in Great Expectations. It’s beyond postcolonial England. It’s still on the
table – will we engage in the discussion?
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References
Pittleman, Karen. (2013). Classified: How to stop hiding your privilege and use it for social
change. In M. Adams, et al. (2nd Ed.), Readings for Diversity and Social Justice. New
York, NY: Routledge Publishing. (Original work published in 2006).