1. Yes, I noticed that both readings explain that social class is about more than just how much money someone makes. Things like education, jobs, where people live, and the opportunities they have can also affect their social class. The Gallup reading talks about how people see themselves when it comes to social class. Some people might have a lower income but still consider themselves middle class or working class. It also shows that people with higher incomes and more education are more likely to see themselves as middle or upper class.

I think the biggest difference is how the two readings look at social class. The Gallup reading uses more statistics and focuses on how people identify themselves. Reading 4.2 shows more of the differences between people and their actual living situations. The videos also showed how big the difference in wealth can be between the richest people and everyone else. This made me realize that someone can think of themselves as middle class, but their financial situation can still be very different from someone who is actually wealthy.

2. Yes, I noticed that social class in NYC is very connected to where people live. Different neighborhoods can have completely different income levels and living conditions, even if they are not that far away from each other. The New Yorker subway reading shows this because the subway goes through many different neighborhoods and you can see how the people and communities change as you travel through the city.

I also noticed that people from different social classes can live pretty close to each other but still have very different experiences. The subway is interesting because it brings all these different people together in one place. So, even though NYC has a lot of separation between social classes based on neighborhoods and income, the subway connects people from all different backgrounds.

Overall, the readings and videos showed me that social class is more complicated than just being rich or poor. It can involve money, education, where you live, and the opportunities you have. In NYC, you can especially see these differences by looking at the different neighborhoods and the people who live in them.

2.

The neighborhood that I live in is Canarsie, Brooklyn. I would describe Canarsie as mostly a working class and middle class neighborhood. When looking at social class, things like occupation, income, education, and the type of jobs people have are important. Canarsie has alot of people who work in different fields, like healthcare, transportation, retail, construction, education, and other service jobs. The area is also very diverse, with people from many different backgrounds and cultures living there. Based on these things, I think Canarsie has a large working and lower middle class population.

Another thing that helps show the social class of Canarsie is the income of households in the area. The median household income in Canarsie is around $75,000 a year. This is higher then some neighborhoods in Brooklyn, but the cost of living in New York is also very high. People have to pay alot for rent, food, transportation and other things. Because of this, I dont think income by itself tells the whole story about someones social class. Occupation, education, and the cost of living are also important when trying to understand the social class of Canarsie.

The station closest to where I live is Delancey St–Essex St, where I can take the J, M, and F trains. Based on Reading 4.1, I would say my neighborhood is mostly a mix of working-class and middle-class people. I’m not really surprised by this because the Lower East Side has always been a very diverse neighborhood, and you can see people from many different economic backgrounds living in the same area. I do think this is a pretty accurate representation of my neighborhood. There are families who have lived here for many years, including working-class and lower-income families, but there are also newer residents who may be considered middle- or upper-middle-class. With newer apartments, restaurants, and businesses coming into the neighborhood, you can definitely see the differences in income. So I wouldn’t describe the Lower East Side as belonging to just one social class, because it’s really a mix of different classes.

2. The station closest to where I live is 59th Street Columbus Circle. Based on Reading 4.1, I would describe my neighborhood as upper class. Primarily due to its location and the professions of the residents. However, I am not surprised by this because the area has a high cost of living, expensive housing, and many residents with higher incomes and professional careers. According to the articles, it asserts income, education, and occupation are some of the strongest factors connected to social class. I feel that the upper class is a fairly accurate representation of my neighborhood. Even with people from different economic backgrounds living and working in the surrounding neighborhoods. 

2. The subway station closest to where I live is on the Q line in Brooklyn. Based on the concepts from Reading 4.1, I would describe my neighborhood as mostly working and middle class. There are people with different incomes, education levels, and occupations living in the same area, so I don’t think everyone can be placed into one specific social class.

I’m not surprised by this because I’ve always seen my neighborhood as a mixture of working- and middle-class people and families. Something that stood out to me in the reading was that the class people identify with does not always match their income. Someone may have a lower income but still consider themselves middle class based on their education, occupation, lifestyle, or how they compare themselves to the people around them. I think this makes sense for my neighborhood because there is a lot of economic diversity even among people who live in the same area.

The station closest to where I live is the M line in queens. I’d say the social class that live in my neighborhood would be middle class. I’m not really surprised because there’s a lot of diversity, so many people doing their own kind of thing while others are doing something else completely different like jobs and hobbies. I feel like it is an accurate representation of the people living in my neighborhood because it can be a certain kind of place where it’s a specific way but another area it can be a different one. It’s all different and I think that’s what makes it a middle class since there’s a mix of incomes, backgrounds and education.

The subway station closest to where I live is the Jamaica Avenue station on the E, J, and Z lines. Based on the concepts from reading 4.1 I would describe the area made up mostly of the lower and working class population. When I am in the area, I often see people experiencing homelessness and people who appear to have limited economic resources. There is also a lot of street activity and people spending time around the station.I am not really surprised by this because what I observe in the neighborhood seems consistent with some of the factors discussed in Reading 4.1, especially income, occupation, and economic circumstances. However, I don’t think everyone in the neighborhood belongs to one social class. The reading explains that social class is not based only on income. Education, occupation, wealth, age, and other factors can also affect how people identify their social class. Overall, I think the area has a mixture of social classes, even though lower and working class people are more visible around the subway station.

2. I live in Crown Heights, off the 2/3/4/5 Franklin Avenue station. Based on the concepts from Reading 4.1 (“What Determines How Americans Perceive Their Social Class?” by Robert Bird and Frank Newport), the majority of my neighbors would be working or middle class, whether judged on income or education level. What’s notable to me is the gentrification apparent in my neighborhood. The newer residents trend higher in both income and education than the lifelong or long-term residents of the neighborhood, and may by themselves lean toward middle or even upper-middle class status, though most would not place themselves in the upper-middle category.

What I’m surprised by in the reading is what seems to be a desire to be perceived as “in the middle” with a large number of respondents declaring themselves “working” or “middle” class whether on the high or low end of the given scales. Why participants would do this is open to conjecture, but I think it demonstrates a major flaw in this economic/educational class structure as a subjective measurement.

2) The neighborhood I live in is called Marine Park, and based on the concept in the article “What Determines How Americans Perceive Their Social Class,” it is considered a middle-class neighborhood. The article identifies a person’s occupation and income as the two strongest factors in determining social class. Marine Park has many people who work in the Department of Education and other white-collar occupations, earning between $75,000 and $99,000 a year. I am not surprised by these results because the middle class is also known as the working class, and based on the article, statistics, and my knowledge of my neighborhood, the middle class is the best representation of Marine Park.