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Today's discussion
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I enjoyed today's discussion and activity about class markers. I didn't feel like I was being called out when asked to write about my own life in a public setting, until I actually was called out. It will make it easier to tell you all that I am the one whose house has themed rooms. I can definitely see how that could be perceived as a class marker. However, in many cases, I don't believe it is. For example, I never expressed how many rooms my house is, which could also be an indicator of class. If I had said that while each room in my home is themed, I live in a two bedroom apartment, could that have changed things? Now I wonder, do people assume that I am from the higher class because my roommate and I have extensively decorated our room? Do decorations have to be expensive? or even cost anything? Personally, I didn't buy any of our decorations: I snipped from the NYT, printed my own photos and made coffee filter flowers. This is why I think that the idea that BMC's Project Dorm Room was classist isn't necessarily true, and also why I think today's activity was inevitably flawed. It's impossible to make class assumptions based on things like decoration, when there are so many other aspects at play that we aren't aware of.
Comments
I disagree that it's
I disagree that it's impossible to make class assumptions based on things like decorations. Those different aspects of each person's life reflect a life style in general. In this way, each small facade can be meaningful. Even though decorations don't have to be expensive, it reflects a simple form of art. When we mention art, I think it's classist.. Especially if I specify things like oil painting, sculpture or musical instruments like piano. Partly because people who can't cover their daily expenses usually don't bother to make art crafts which seem to be really useless to some extent. In this way the idea that BMC's Project Dorm Room was classist isn't out of expectation: yes, decorations could cost nothing but nice curtains, carpets and colorful lamps could easily win more credits. This point bring back to our class discussion about what's the real difference between different class: it doesn't mean that people from lower class can't achieve their goals; the truth really is that class privilege make things easier.