Reply to Growing up in the DC Wealth Bubble

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I assume you are in your 30's. Your parents and teachers did you a big disservice by not teaching you about the real world. Why not start volunteering at a local food bank so that you can get a taste of reality. [/quote]

I find that a lot of wealthy families DO have their kids do this kind of service and they do understand that some people are poor.  What their kids tend not to grasp is how middle class kids'--the ones they go to college with, work with, are friends with--lives are very different than theirs. They  tend to make all sorts of oblivious assumptions and are like bulls in the china shop when it comes to tact around what others are worried about, need to be frugal about, have to prioritize etc.  [/quote]

I'm not sure it's just obliviousness, this could be related to Bourdieu's concept of distinction.  On average, people particularly like to distinguish themselves not from distant classes, but from those closer to, but below them.  So the very wealthy try to erect boundaries between themselves and UMC, but sort of pride themselves when they reach down to MC/LMC--they are being "regular" and down to earth.  UMC try to erect boundaries that distinguish themselves from MC, but want their kids to be aware of and empathetic to those who are less fortunate--the poor.   In Bourdieu's view, a lot of the 'thoughtless behaviors' of the more well-off UMC would be cultivated class practices to maintain boundaries and keep distinction between them and those in the class below them.  So even though the kids of  UMC and MC families might go to the same colleges, work in the same offices, they--on average-- can preserve class distinction.  Just by how comfortable they feel with people they will gravitate towards friends/significant others in the same class without articulating why.       [/quote]

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