- I live close to the A train, and the neighborhood around me is mostly low to medium income.The ideas from Reading 4.1 income is the biggest thing that shapes what social class people think they belong to. Since most people around here fall into the low to medium income range,reading 4.1 data would suggest that a lot of my neighbors would probably identify as working class or lower middle rather than upper class. The reading also mentions other things that affect class identity besides income like education level, age, race, and whether someone lives in an urban area. Since my neighborhood is in NYC and likely has a mix of education levels and a diverse population, those factors would also line up with a lot of people identifying as working class rather than upper class.
I’m not really surprised by this. it matches what I see day to day, with a lot of working families, mixed income levels, and people working regular jobs rather than owning businesses or having high-paying careers.
Discussion 4-1 – Amir Khan
Response to Option 2
Based on the reading, the area surrounding 36th Avenue represents working class to solid middle class community, with an increasingly noticeable upper middle-class presence. It is completely unsurprising that the community falls under these tiers. Astoria historically has been an immigrant and blue collar stronghold, with heavy Greek influence. There are pockets in Astoria that feel like Morocco, Brazil, Bangladesh, Greece, and so much more. With it’s close proximity to Manhattan, it makes sense the influence of the upper middle class has brought. Things like bike lanes, visual MTA station improvements (NOT service), and excess of coffee shop directly correlate to the social class that makes up the 36th Avenue train station in Astoria.
Discussion Board 4.1
Since Reading 4.2 is unavailable, I’m focusing on Reading 4.1. The article explains that income, education, and jobs help determine social class, but people don’t always see themselves the way these factors would suggest. What stood out to me was that people who make very different amounts of money can still consider themselves middle class. Even some people who make very little money describe themselves as working or middle class instead of lower class. The article also explains that age and where people live can affect how they see their social class. I think this shows why class labels can be confusing. Two people might both call themselves middle class, but one could struggle to pay bills while the other lives comfortably. Just knowing what class someone identifies with doesn’t tell us everything about their life.
Quinton Rich – What is Social Class?
Using the concepts from Reading 4.1, I would say that mostly working-class and middle-class people tend to live in my neighborhood. I am not really surprised by this answer because many of the people around me have regular jobs and work hard to support themselves and their families. The reading explains that income, education, employment, and where someone lives can affect the social class they identify with. I feel like working and middle class is an accurate representation of my neighborhood because there are people with different incomes and careers, but most people seem to live a average lifestyle rather than being extremely wealthy or poor. I also think social class can be hard to judge just by looking at someone because their income or education may not always match the class they personally identify with.
Justin LeGendre – Discussion Board 4.1
- Based on the station closest to where I live and the concepts from readings in 4.1, my neighborhood is mostly made up of working-class and middle-class people, although it can vary by block. I’m not surprised by this because I think it pretty much reflects the mix of people and families living in my area. My neighborhood also has a large population of families with different income levels, some of whom may work lower-wage jobs or live in lower-income households. This just adds to my neighborhood’s economic diversity and shows my area isn’t a monolith, regardless of the data.
Shuqi Yu — Social Class
2. The station closest to where I live is 9ave in Brooklyn. Based on the concepts from Reading 4.1, the social class in my neighborhood is mainly the middle class. I am not very surprised by this because many people in my neighborhood have regular jobs, stable incomes, and they can afford basic needs such as housing, food, and transportation. However, I do not think social class represents everyone in my neighborhood completely because people have different incomes and lifestyles. All in all, I think the result is a reasonable representation, but it does not describe every person who lives here.
Neighborhood class
2. After picking a station closest to where I live, I have identified my neighborhood being a middle class. I am not completely surprised because it is a safe neighborhood to live in. It’s not no gated community but I’ve walked around my neighborhood alone in the middle of the night and everyone is very friendly. There is always an occasional drunk sleeping somewhere, but there are many nice people, pretty clean, and overall safe environment. I do feel it is an accurate representation of the people living here, there are hard working people who are living comfortable lives with nice houses, cars, backyards…etc..
Social Class – Aaron Sierra
2. The median household income of the local community is about $50,000, which happens to be exactly at the point in national income distribution where the Gallup data indicates a transition from working-class status to middle-class identity. The problem is that $50,000 does not go very far in New York City due to the increased rent and cost of living in comparison with the rest of the nation. Therefore, although the nationally collected data could indicate a working or lower-middle class for that income bracket, in my opinion, the local situation resembles rather the one of lower and working classes.
Indeed, my block consists of apartment buildings mixed with some houses and also includes a variety of stores, such as a hardware store, supermarket chain store, and some restaurants, that could indicate a typical lower and working class environment. This is exactly the way I was expecting the neighborhood to be and I find the description to be accurate. However, I must stress that the income brackets used in the article are underestimated in their “lower” character due to the cost of living.
Aaliyah Gravesande – Discussion board 4.1
The station closest to where I live is in Washington Heights on the 1 train. Based on the reading from Reading 4.1, I would say my neighborhood is mostly working class, since many people rely on salaries and wages from their jobs. I’m not surprised by this because that matches what I see around my neighborhood. I do think it is a pretty accurate representation, although there are also some middle-class people living in the area.
Jiahui Lin-4.1 DB
2.The subway station closest to where I live is 8th Avenue in Brooklyn(N train). According to the concept from Reading 4.1, the working class tends to live in my neighborhood. I am not surprised by the answer since this neighborhood is a well-known working-class community. A lot of immigrants live here, and most people living here work long hours in restaurants, grocery stores, delivery services, construction, or small family-owned businesses. Therefore, I think it is an accurate representation. It’s clear that most people who live around here rely on physical labor to make a living, with the income belonging to the working class.
Discussion Board Post 4.1 Zenclaire Jones-Russell
Both readings in 4.1 and 4.2 are showing the social class in NYC being divided by geography and economic status. Now reading 4.1, the difference in classes is more from the demographics of the individuals and their localized income levels. In 4.2, that reading is heavily focused on structured broader patterns about the wealth shaping the inequality within the boroughs.
The Chambers street station is close to BMCC. The neighborhood shows wealth in the upper middle class because of the high real estate in lower Manhattan . The commercial development and high cost of living in the city aligns with those who reside here so the representation of those in this neighborhood shows the current economic status.
Based on Reading 4.2 the social classes show a pattern in NYC. Segregated neighborhoods like those from wealthy areas throughout the city and more vs the poor lower classes in the boroughs being pushed out towards the outer boroughs because of the economic pressure from the system.
