One out of Three Ain't Bad...
Feb. 1st, 2012 08:50 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
steepholmA friend's locked post points me to this test, designed to tell me how far I can claim to be a white, working class American. Considering that many of the questions require the respondent to have lived in America, I scored quite highly - which would make me question the validity of the test if I hadn't already done so.
1. Have you ever lived for at least a year in an American neighborhood in which the majority of your fifty nearest neighbors did not have college degrees? No, because I've never lived in America. But I imagine the vast majority of Brits my age grew up in such a neighbourhood (I know I did, and have lived in several since), because college was the preserve of the few until fairly recently.
2. Did you grow up in a family in which the chief breadwinner was not in a managerial job or a high-prestige profession (defined as attorney, physician, dentist, architect, engineer, scientist, or college professor)? Yes. (Both parents were schoolteachers.) 4 points.
3. Have you ever lived for at least a year in an American community under 50,000 population? No (though the UK town I grew up in had a population of about 10,000).
4. Have you ever lived for at least a year in the United States at a family income that was close to or below the poverty line? No
5. Have you ever walked on a factory floor? Yes. 2 points.
6. Have you ever held a job that caused something to hurt at the end of the day? Yes. Budder’s assistant at the local nursery. It was only a summer job, but it bent me like a hoop, aged 18. I lasted three days. 3 points.
7. Have you ever had a close friend who was an evangelical Christian? Yes, fairly close.. 2 points.
8. Do you now have a close friend with whom you have strong and wide-ranging political disagreements? Many. (But how is that a class marker?). 4 points.
9. Have you ever had a close friend who could seldom get better than Cs in high school even if he or she tried hard? Quite a few. 4 points.
10. During the last month have you voluntarily hung out with people who were smoking cigarettes? Yes – my mother and brother, and the mother of one of my daughter's best friends. 3 points.
11. What military ranks are denoted by these five insignia? Haven’t a clue.
12. Option 1: Who is Jimmie Johnson? Don’t know. Option 2: Have you ever purchased Avon products? No.
13. Have you or your spouse ever bought a pickup truck? No.
14. During the last year, have you ever purchased domestic mass-market beer to stock your own fridge? Fridge? Fridge??? Of course not – beer goes in the cupboard. But I haven't bought any anyway.
15. During the last five years, have you or your spouse gone fishing? No.
16. How many times in the last year have you eaten at one of the following restaurant chains? Zero. But then I don’t eat out much at all. To me it's a treat, rather than a proof of working class credentials. I take a packed lunch to work.
17. In secondary school, did you letter in anything? Don’t know what that means, so I guess not.
18. Have you ever attended a meeting of a Kiwanis Club or Rotary Club, or a meeting at a union local? No.
19. Have you ever participated in a parade not involving global warming, a war protest, or gay rights? The Romsey Carnival procession, 1967-69. We used to process on lorries from the local brewery. I was, in successive years, the player of an Alpine horn for a Music of the World tableau (it melted in the rain), a playing card (an Alice tableau) and a snowy kind of person in our fabulous Winter Wonderland, which won a prize.
20. Since leaving school, have you ever worn a uniform? No.
21. Have you ever ridden on a long-distance bus (e.g., Greyhound, Trailways) or hitchhiked for a trip of fifty miles or more? Yes, I usually travel to London by National Express - at least, if I’m paying. 1 point.
22. Which of the following movies have you seen (at a theater or on a DVD)? I watched The King’s Speech on DVD at my mother’s. 1 point
23. During the 2009–10 television season, how many of the following series did you watch regularly? None.
24. Have you ever watched an Oprah, Dr. Phil, or Judge Judy show all the way through? Yes, I’ve seen Judge Judy a couple of times. 1 point.
25. What does the word Branson mean to you? Sir Richard, or a misspelt brand of pickle.
Total: 25
1. Have you ever lived for at least a year in an American neighborhood in which the majority of your fifty nearest neighbors did not have college degrees? No, because I've never lived in America. But I imagine the vast majority of Brits my age grew up in such a neighbourhood (I know I did, and have lived in several since), because college was the preserve of the few until fairly recently.
2. Did you grow up in a family in which the chief breadwinner was not in a managerial job or a high-prestige profession (defined as attorney, physician, dentist, architect, engineer, scientist, or college professor)? Yes. (Both parents were schoolteachers.) 4 points.
3. Have you ever lived for at least a year in an American community under 50,000 population? No (though the UK town I grew up in had a population of about 10,000).
4. Have you ever lived for at least a year in the United States at a family income that was close to or below the poverty line? No
5. Have you ever walked on a factory floor? Yes. 2 points.
6. Have you ever held a job that caused something to hurt at the end of the day? Yes. Budder’s assistant at the local nursery. It was only a summer job, but it bent me like a hoop, aged 18. I lasted three days. 3 points.
7. Have you ever had a close friend who was an evangelical Christian? Yes, fairly close.. 2 points.
8. Do you now have a close friend with whom you have strong and wide-ranging political disagreements? Many. (But how is that a class marker?). 4 points.
9. Have you ever had a close friend who could seldom get better than Cs in high school even if he or she tried hard? Quite a few. 4 points.
10. During the last month have you voluntarily hung out with people who were smoking cigarettes? Yes – my mother and brother, and the mother of one of my daughter's best friends. 3 points.
11. What military ranks are denoted by these five insignia? Haven’t a clue.
12. Option 1: Who is Jimmie Johnson? Don’t know. Option 2: Have you ever purchased Avon products? No.
13. Have you or your spouse ever bought a pickup truck? No.
14. During the last year, have you ever purchased domestic mass-market beer to stock your own fridge? Fridge? Fridge??? Of course not – beer goes in the cupboard. But I haven't bought any anyway.
15. During the last five years, have you or your spouse gone fishing? No.
16. How many times in the last year have you eaten at one of the following restaurant chains? Zero. But then I don’t eat out much at all. To me it's a treat, rather than a proof of working class credentials. I take a packed lunch to work.
17. In secondary school, did you letter in anything? Don’t know what that means, so I guess not.
18. Have you ever attended a meeting of a Kiwanis Club or Rotary Club, or a meeting at a union local? No.
19. Have you ever participated in a parade not involving global warming, a war protest, or gay rights? The Romsey Carnival procession, 1967-69. We used to process on lorries from the local brewery. I was, in successive years, the player of an Alpine horn for a Music of the World tableau (it melted in the rain), a playing card (an Alice tableau) and a snowy kind of person in our fabulous Winter Wonderland, which won a prize.
20. Since leaving school, have you ever worn a uniform? No.
21. Have you ever ridden on a long-distance bus (e.g., Greyhound, Trailways) or hitchhiked for a trip of fifty miles or more? Yes, I usually travel to London by National Express - at least, if I’m paying. 1 point.
22. Which of the following movies have you seen (at a theater or on a DVD)? I watched The King’s Speech on DVD at my mother’s. 1 point
23. During the 2009–10 television season, how many of the following series did you watch regularly? None.
24. Have you ever watched an Oprah, Dr. Phil, or Judge Judy show all the way through? Yes, I’ve seen Judge Judy a couple of times. 1 point.
25. What does the word Branson mean to you? Sir Richard, or a misspelt brand of pickle.
Total: 25
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(no subject)
Date: 2012-02-02 06:13 am (UTC)To which my answer is Fuck you, good sir, and the reverse snobbery high horse you rode in on. Fuck you and your belief that because I got the work related injury that's left me in disability and chronic pain for the last twelve years by sitting in front of a computer instead of by standing on a factory floor that I am somehow out of touch with the Real America. I want to find something intelligent to say but I'm in too much pain so instead I will just join with the other worker's comp crips -- us with our busted hands and legs and nervous systems from computers and chemicals and assembly lines to say How Dare You, you son of a bitch.
And I scored a 56 on his stupid ass cosmo quiz, and I know I'm an out of touch first generation upper middle classite -- and first generation American at that -- so he can kiss my brought-up-blue-color ass.
(no subject)
Date: 2012-02-02 08:00 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2012-02-02 03:08 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2012-02-02 09:17 am (UTC)In New Delhi.
Where it's an aspirational middle class thing.
(no subject)
Date: 2012-02-01 10:57 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2012-02-01 11:01 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2012-02-01 11:09 pm (UTC)(Although I'm not sure how being vegetarian is relevant to gong or not in this case.)
(no subject)
Date: 2012-02-01 11:21 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2012-02-01 11:29 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2012-02-01 11:58 pm (UTC)1. Have you ever lived for at least a year in an American neighborhood in which the majority of your fifty nearest neighbors did not have college degrees? I lived for more than a year in American neighborhoods where I have no freaking idea whether my neighbours had college degrees. For the first eleven years I lived in a place where you didn't ask questions of people who might shoot you, and then we moved to the country where I'm hard-pressed to locate fifty neighbours. ??? points
2. Did you grow up in a family in which the chief breadwinner was not in a managerial job or a high-prestige profession (defined as attorney, physician, dentist, architect, engineer, scientist, or college professor)? My dad was an insurance lobbyist, so probably not. Contrary to the popular image of that job, though, he also had a job moving pianos on weekends. Probably 0 points.
3. Have you ever lived for at least a year in an American community under 50,000 population? Yes. The population for country!hometown in the 2010 census was a little over 7000. Then again, the rest of this question says 'that's not part of a metropolitan area'. I'm not even sure what that means. I'm from the west coast, where basically all of western Washington can be condensed to 'the Seattle metropolitan area' even if it's 100 miles away. 7 points
4. Have you ever lived for at least a year in the United States at a family income that was close to or below the poverty line? Yes, it's called 'when I lived alone.'Post-degree Ash ate a lot of stuff from the food bank. 5 points
5. Have you ever walked on a factory floor? No.
6. Have you ever held a job that caused something to hurt at the end of the day? Are you kidding? All jobs make something hurt by the end of the day. But my aching feet and I have done our share of retail. 5 points
7. Have you ever had a close friend who was an evangelical Christian? Yes. They're kind of hard to avoid. 2 points
8. Do you now have a close friend with whom you have strong and wide-ranging political disagreements? Yes. Doesn't everyone? 4 points
9. Have you ever had a close friend who could seldom get better than Cs in high school even if he or she tried hard? Yes, but I'm not sure dyslexia is a class marker. 4 points
10. During the last month have you voluntarily hung out with people who were smoking cigarettes? I started to say I'm honestly not sure. My housemate smokes sometimes. It's illegal basically everywhere these days. And then realised the wording says 'who were smoking', so, no.
(no subject)
Date: 2012-02-01 11:59 pm (UTC)11. What military ranks are denoted by these five insignia? I don't know.
12. Option 1: Who is Jimmie Johnson? What?. Option 2: Have you ever purchased Avon products? Yes. My aunt was selling them for a while. 3 points
13. Have you or your spouse ever bought a pickup truck? I own a pickup truck. I didn't buy it. My mother did. That said, we bought it to haul hay and stuff in, which I suppose gets to the root of the question. 2 points
14. During the last year, have you ever purchased domestic mass-market beer to stock your own fridge? God, no.
15. During the last five years, have you or your spouse gone fishing? No. I'm a vegetarian, what would be the point?
16. How many times in the last year have you eaten at one of the following restaurant chains? One. I had Applebee's this summer when visiting an elderly relative. Waffle House doesn't exist in my corner of the US. I was a regular at Denny's in high school and I used to really dig IHOP. But there's not a lot of great vegetarian fast food out there, and also, yes, I freely admit I'm a food snob. I hate paying for anything that's worse than what I could make at home. 1 point
17. In secondary school, did you letter in anything? Yes, but it was drama and band. 4 points, but only because they forgot to include 'drama' with 'debate and chess club'.
18. Have you ever attended a meeting of a Kiwanis Club or Rotary Club, or a meeting at a union local? No.
19. Have you ever participated in a parade not involving global warming, a war protest, or gay rights? Yes. I was in marching band. We had a Gig Harbor Days parade and a Daffodil parade and then in Eugene, there was a random 'We love Eugene' parade. Though in Eugene, basically everything in day or day life can be considered a protest about war, global warming, or gay rights, so I don't reckon that counts. 2 points
20. Since leaving school, have you ever worn a uniform? Are you sure this test is for Americans? I didn't wear a uniform IN school. I did briefly in undergrad while working at Arby's. 2 points
21. Have you ever ridden on a long-distance bus (e.g., Greyhound, Trailways) or hitchhiked for a trip of fifty miles or more? only if you count the bus replacement service between Aberystwyth and Shrewsbury. I didn't volunteer for that. 1 point
22. Which of the following movies have you seen (at a theater or on a DVD)? Inception and the King's Speech. This is a little bit misleading, as I would totally have watched others if I didn't live in Aberystwyth where there are only two cinema screens in the whole town, but as that has nothing to do with American villages, I suppose we'll leave it be. 2 points
23. During the 2009–10 television season, how many of the following series did you watch regularly? I don't know what year I started or stopped watching things. I feel safe saying American Idol and Big Bang Theory. I think that might have been the year I stopped watching House. We'll say 2 points.
24. Have you ever watched an Oprah, Dr. Phil, or Judge Judy show all the way through? Yeah, Judge Judy is a secret vice. 1 point
25. What does the word Branson mean to you? Is that the bloke with the naked model on the jet ski? 0 points, because apparently being from the Pacific Northwest I'm supposed to know about places in Missouri.
Total: 55
That said, the points the book is getting at seem sensible enough--that it really doesn't take that much effort to understand where the mass of American people are coming from, so why is it only the ones who have no freaking clue get to make the rules for everyone?
(no subject)
Date: 2012-02-02 05:29 pm (UTC)I think you should give yourself an extra point for that.
(no subject)
Date: 2012-02-02 05:35 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2012-02-02 12:52 am (UTC)17. To "letter" turns out to mean "to have participated (for more than a certain number of hours in the school year) in some school-sponsored extracurricular activity, typically (but not necessarily) a sports team." It's called that because they give you the school's initials in big cloth letters, which you can pin to a sort of woollen waistcoat which they also give you, which you then wear around to show your school spirit. Mind you, I had to look all that up.
(no subject)
Date: 2012-02-02 07:45 am (UTC)That's what I don't get, though. If views are class-based and monolithic, then whether I'm living in a trailer or visiting my tailor, I'll still be surrounded by like-minded people. So, saying that all my friends think as I do won't tell you much about which class I belong to.
17 - Thanks, I see. I don't think there's any UK equivalent.
(no subject)
Date: 2012-02-02 08:52 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2012-02-02 08:59 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2012-02-02 10:22 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2012-02-02 04:02 pm (UTC)I suspect that UK university blues have a different social connotation than US high-school letters do. Do the swots look down on them? But as far as the meaning and awarding of the actual colors is concerned, it's exactly the same thing.
(no subject)
Date: 2012-02-02 05:25 pm (UTC)We didn't have such things at my university, so I can't say for sure, but I don't think the whole jock/nerd dichotomy so dominant in American high-school drama exists in the same way here. A person who got a first in Classics and still won the Boat Race would be admired by all, I think. The nearest equivalent in my own experience - and I don't know how near - was the rugby club, which I suppose must have played rugby occasionally but was better known for getting rowdily and extravagantly drunk in preference to studying.
(no subject)
Date: 2012-02-02 05:42 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2012-02-02 05:49 pm (UTC)The early 20C Oxbridge opposition (I don't know how much of a previous history it had, or if anything like it still exists today) between hearties and aesthetes doesn't match jock v. nerd either, since though jocks tended to be hearties, it wasn't the group's defining characteristic, and the aesthetes though intellectuals were definitely not nerds, in fact many of them taking defiant pride in blowing off mere schoolwork and getting Fourths. The nerds were the swots, who were outside the whole social dichotomy because they were too busy studying to play these social games.
(no subject)
Date: 2012-02-02 04:05 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2012-02-02 02:18 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2012-02-02 04:45 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2012-02-02 06:08 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2012-02-02 07:46 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2012-02-02 01:34 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2012-02-02 08:05 am (UTC)Dunno about American though.........
(no subject)
Date: 2012-02-02 08:44 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2012-02-02 10:05 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2012-02-02 01:09 pm (UTC)I know my UK class to the last dot -- first generation lower middle, child of two left-wing teachers who both came from the low end of the working class (agricultural workers and unemployed/mining). I don't fit well with my largely third+ generation solid middle class social group, who deplore my politics, the fact I care about my politics, my value system that does not set great import on 'being civilised' (in a sense which I read as 'being hypocritical to avoid any social personal discomfort'). I'm over-educated for my background, went to a university that was still uncertain about lower classes and women (it's got better); my views on most things are out of line with what makes most of my friends comfortable. And I write books with socialist ideas embedded in them. I suspect by US standards I'm a looney pinko communist feminazi, but I have no idea what that says about class.
(no subject)
Date: 2012-02-02 05:13 pm (UTC)And disgrace to my class of origin that I am, I don't even know where to find a forelock.........
(no subject)
Date: 2012-02-02 05:54 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2012-02-02 05:51 pm (UTC)It's definitely in denial about itself. One of my friends wrote a post recently talking about Mitt Romney's recent comment about not being worried about the poor, and said--
We all, regardless of where we actually fall on the socioeconomic ladder, tend to view ourselves as part of the middle class. We have reams of data to back this up. We prefer to imagine ourselves as one of the scrappy, hard-working, much-celebrated, mostly-mythological American middle class. The very poor? That's those people over there and they aren't like us, because the very poor probably deserve to be that way, or they were just unlucky to a catastrophic degree that would be unlikely to visit itself on us.
It's true, and very ingrained. Nobody thinks of themselves as 'working class' in the US the same way people do in the UK. Mostly we try not to think about class at all, and so 'middle class' ends up meaning whatever the person (usually a politician) talking at that particular moment wants it to.
(no subject)
Date: 2012-02-02 05:57 pm (UTC)We have people here -- usually from the upper middle classes and conservative politically -- who claim we are now classless 'like America'. It's easy for the wealthy to feel that way but from where I am, it has never rung true.
(no subject)
Date: 2012-02-02 06:06 pm (UTC)Middle-class in the US is supposed to mean a kind of 'promoted working class,' I think; it's meant to imply you got there through hard work and aren't one of those rich elite types. Even if in reality you're on food stamps and driving a 30-year-old car that's held together with duct tape.
(no subject)
Date: 2012-02-02 06:14 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2012-02-02 06:16 pm (UTC)