As soon as I met my Population and Poverty professor, Suparna Majumdar Kar, I knew I wanted to work with her on her research. So, during the first week of classes I met with her and offered to perform literature reviews or any other research that she needed. She informed me that her professional research is currently on hold due to her outstanding load of classes. We ended up discussing my interest in Stratification and how I am curious, but oblivious to the complexities of stratification within India. The focus on religion within societal functioning keeps the caste system alive and well despite governmental attempts to "outlaw" caste practices.
After our long discussion on stratification of India, she explained how her courses at Christ College focus only on the sociological aspects within India and her students would greatly benefit from lessons focused on the United States. She then asked me if I would be interested in being a guest lecturer for this term. I was ecstatic!
On February 1st at 12:30pm, I presented a lecture on social stratification within the United States of America. The class was filled with about 60 first year sociology students. The presentation started off well enough with my general overview of the Upper, Middle, and Working classes as well as the impacts of gender, race, disability and so forth. It was not until I began talking about social mobility that there was ample class participation. The concept that social mobility in the United States is limited and difficult was perplexing to the students. They could not understand how a low-income person could remain low income if there is not the caste system holding them back. Since I had just taken SOCY424:Race Relations this past semester, I delved into the concept of both overt and covert discrimination against minorities. I introduced the concept of modern-day racial segregation and how this negatively impacts minorities within the educational system as well as within the workforce. Essentially, most employers prefer to hire people that they know or are affiliated with (country clubs, schools, sororities, etc.) and when whites segregate themselves away from minorities, minorities are excluded from these networking opportunities. Thus, generating a covert form of racial discrimination.
There was even more dispute within the class about the statistic of the USA being majority Working Class and not majority Middle Class. Their initial reaction was disbelief and began to cite how many times they see American television shows depicting families living in a big house with one or two cars. Professor Suparna intervened and retorted how Indian television shows also depict a life that is far from reality. It was at this time that one of the students asked what American's definition of "Middle Class" is. I explained that the average Middle Class American is college educated, owns a home, has some financial security, but also has to take care and manage their monetary funds in order to maintain their lifestyle. The students' next reaction was very enlightening to me... The students explained that the American standard of "Middle Class" fits within India's standard of Upper Class and that the American standard of "Working Class" fits within India's standard of Middle Class. In other words, they understand that Americans mark the majority of the United States as Working Class, but by Indian standards, the United States consists of the Middle Class. This comment brought me back into perspective and I began to reflect on my living arrangement at National Games Village (NGV). When I first moved in, it reminded me of the projects of Washington, DC; however, I was informed that NGV is an Indian Upper Middle Class neighborhood.
I wrapped the lecture up with a brief discussion about how deviant behavior only "makes" people poor if they start off poor and not wealthy. Overall, the lecture experience was a great success and I was invited back to lecture on Social Change.
After our long discussion on stratification of India, she explained how her courses at Christ College focus only on the sociological aspects within India and her students would greatly benefit from lessons focused on the United States. She then asked me if I would be interested in being a guest lecturer for this term. I was ecstatic!
On February 1st at 12:30pm, I presented a lecture on social stratification within the United States of America. The class was filled with about 60 first year sociology students. The presentation started off well enough with my general overview of the Upper, Middle, and Working classes as well as the impacts of gender, race, disability and so forth. It was not until I began talking about social mobility that there was ample class participation. The concept that social mobility in the United States is limited and difficult was perplexing to the students. They could not understand how a low-income person could remain low income if there is not the caste system holding them back. Since I had just taken SOCY424:Race Relations this past semester, I delved into the concept of both overt and covert discrimination against minorities. I introduced the concept of modern-day racial segregation and how this negatively impacts minorities within the educational system as well as within the workforce. Essentially, most employers prefer to hire people that they know or are affiliated with (country clubs, schools, sororities, etc.) and when whites segregate themselves away from minorities, minorities are excluded from these networking opportunities. Thus, generating a covert form of racial discrimination.
There was even more dispute within the class about the statistic of the USA being majority Working Class and not majority Middle Class. Their initial reaction was disbelief and began to cite how many times they see American television shows depicting families living in a big house with one or two cars. Professor Suparna intervened and retorted how Indian television shows also depict a life that is far from reality. It was at this time that one of the students asked what American's definition of "Middle Class" is. I explained that the average Middle Class American is college educated, owns a home, has some financial security, but also has to take care and manage their monetary funds in order to maintain their lifestyle. The students' next reaction was very enlightening to me... The students explained that the American standard of "Middle Class" fits within India's standard of Upper Class and that the American standard of "Working Class" fits within India's standard of Middle Class. In other words, they understand that Americans mark the majority of the United States as Working Class, but by Indian standards, the United States consists of the Middle Class. This comment brought me back into perspective and I began to reflect on my living arrangement at National Games Village (NGV). When I first moved in, it reminded me of the projects of Washington, DC; however, I was informed that NGV is an Indian Upper Middle Class neighborhood.
I wrapped the lecture up with a brief discussion about how deviant behavior only "makes" people poor if they start off poor and not wealthy. Overall, the lecture experience was a great success and I was invited back to lecture on Social Change.
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