Class Mobility Thoughts

Put aside gender and race, for the moment.  How do you envision Americans movin' on up?  I thought I had a pretty clear picture of what needed to be done.  I really only had part of the picture it seems.

I was certain the work I needed to do was in education alone.  I never thought time would always be tough for me, I always assumed I was just starting at zero and any money I would encounter would be through my own toil.  In 1992 my father earned around $19,000.  This was noteworthy only because as I filled out my FAFSA for college my college cost just over $18,000.  Because I worked hard and I was starting out at a disadvantage I went to college for free, meaning I qualified for free money and all types of loans, but I took that as free – they couldn't stop me from showing up because of money. 

According to this NPR article, the four components of "class": income, education, occupation and wealth tell the rest of the story. While income can for the most part dictate occupation and income it does not guarantee wealth, which is the passing of "intergenerational money."  I thought about people I considered (relatively) 'rich' growing up.  Many of these people were not upper-middle/middle class because they lacked this component.  THink about the paradigm shift it takes to move from an 'eat-while-there's-food, spend-it-while-we-got-it, or let's-show-those-Jones' mentality.  I still struggle with spending money as fast as I can get it.  I still know the chances of a huge windfall of null, yet I have the most difficult time setting money aside for the future, let alone the next generation.

I wonder if it will be my children who need to take the next step forward on this.  Is my upbringing so permanently engrained in me that only my children, raised middle class, will be able to see their next step as now saving toward that intergeneration wealth to pass on?

"Class Mobility: Is the American Dream a Myth?" by Ed Gordon of NPR