Keep in mind our Online Discussion Guidelines:
https://openlab.bmcc.cuny.edu/pol-100-introduction-to-american-government-artinian/online-discussion-guidelines/
Instructions for completing this discussion board assignment:
a) Identify which discussion question you are answering in your comment by placing the relevant number at the start of your answer. For example:
2. Crime has often been used as a form of social control by…
4. Michelle Alexander’s argument about segregation…
b) Respond to two other students’ comments.
Respond to the following questions in the “Comment” box below:
- Do you notice any similarities in the way social class is discussed in readings 4.1 and 4.2? Do you notice any differences in the way these two readings DIFFERENTIATE between social classes?
- Pick the station closest to where you live. Using the concepts from Reading 4.1, what social class tends to live in your neighborhood? Are you surprised (or not) by the answer? Do you feel it is an accurate representation of the people living in your neighborhood?
- Based on Reading 4.2, do you notice a general pattern about social classes in NYC?
1. Some similarities I distinguished in readings 4.1 and 4.2 were accurate to what I see happening in NYC. Social class was discussed by the region people live in and what is the average point they seem to fall in. I noticed that in both 4.1 and 4.2 people immediately place themselves based on the area they live in and what it is known for. They differentiate because in 4.1 there is more detail that goes into social class, for example individuals are asked and they determine themselves based on age, gender, income and education levels. This type of identification is known as subjective social class. In 4.2 we see a more straightforward correlation between income and what region these people live in based on the train stop which is a more general approach.
2. I live next to the 5 line, getting off on the Morris Park stop. By using the concept, the social class that tends to live around is working class but it can also be a mixture of lower as well when you look at the statistics. I felt it was accurate enough because the people seem to live decent lives that are average in New York but it could get better which is why I found it correlated to the graph.
3. In 4.2 I noticed that the higher income levels are generally placed in the Manhattan region, while Queens came in second and Bronx has the lowest point. We can see these differences in real life as well when we visit each region and where these stops are located.
Hi Kyara nice insight, I see we have similar views after reading 4.1 & 4.2. What shocking is that 1% of Americians owns more wealth and the bottom 50% owns only 1/2 of a percent.
Incredible shocking, right! It reminds me of the slogan used by the “Occupy Wall Street” movement back in 2011, “We are the 99%!”. Even more troubling is how neither Trump nor Biden, are even talking about this…
Hi Kyara, what i took from your sentence saying “accurate to what i see happening in NYC” in speaking of how our communities has come to shaped us, i would say that it has come to a point where its not surprising at all. and i’m sure many would agree
Great job on your responses! I agree on your second one, things can get better in time.
Nice summary on Q1. In our next module, we will encounter a very different discussion of social class, however!
Yes, Manhattan is, basically, the playground of the “upper class”, but in our next module we’ll find a different way of labeling that class.
1) In the reading 4.1, it went more in depth of what social class/inequality is. They broke down the word class into 5 terms, which is “working,” “ruling,” “lower” and “upper.” they also described the two types of social class which is objective and subjective. Not only did 4.1 reading also describe social class by income or where we live but they also described social class/inequality by using our ages, education and race. While 4.2 reading describes social class by where we live and our income. But both readings shows that people place themselves on a certain ladder due to the area they live in and both readings show where you live and income does play a part in social class.
2) I live on the L train line, the last stop in Brooklyn and I would say my area is working class and middle class. I believe this is accurate because my neighborhood is not the richest but you for sure need a good decent job or steady income to afford living in my neighborhood. My area is n ice houses and everyday while on my way to work you see folks in their work uniforms on there way to work making it happen. Soon as you come off the train, there are a bunch of stores and people working on stands outside.
3) Based on 4.2 reading you will notice that the upper class lives in manhattan, while the middle class is brooklyn/queens and the bronx is lower class. If you actually visited these boroughs you will notice this is somewhat accurate. Example: manahattan is filled with big buildings and condos. Brooklyn has parts where there is super big houses, like Mill Basin or Bensonhurst while the Bronx is still the same projects and low income housing. Not saying low income houses isnt in all boroughs but it is expected in the Bronx.
Hi jasmine, in response to your response I will like to say that your examples are really helpful if someone did not somewhat understand the concept of the classes and trying to compare them to the area. Your answers where straight forward and much detail.keep up the good work.
Hello Jasmine, great replies and I agree with your view on New York and how we all have stereotypes of each borough. When we visit each we know what to expect already and it’s interesting how we connect the train stops with each place and what class is associated with it.
Hey Jasmine, as someone from the L line in Brooklyn I can relate to what you say about how hardworking the people in our neighborhood is even if its not the richest place.
And, as a Queens resident 🙂 I’d add Queens seems to be also mixed, with mostly working class areas around, except Long Island City.
1.BOth readings speak on social class but I didn’t see much similarities , what I did see was much differences. In reading 4.1 it discussed what social class is and what determines your social class. IN reading 4.1 the term class comes from the 5 terms – working, ruling, lower, and upper.It also breaks down social class into two sections but also 5 terms. The two sections would be subjective and objective. in reading 4.2 it speaks more about how income inequality is getting worse in New York City.reading 4.2 speak more on New Yorkers income based off what train stop they get off on. Reading 4.1 goes more into dept on what type of class they are in based off their jobs.
2. I live on the 4 line right on utica and based off reading 4.1 my area is considered working and middle class. This dos not surprise me at all . Most of the area is surrounded by housing buildings. Closer to my house there are more nicer apartments. You would see many people early in the morning on their way to work . Most people I see are MTA and retail or restaurant workers based of their uniform or tags.
3.Based off reading 4.2 I noticed that almost all upperclass live in the Manhattan area. I noticed the the lower class almost all live in the bronx or 125 st in Manhattan which is only one stop away from the bronx.Most of queens are in middle class as well.
Hi Morayma, nicely put together. Its suprising how inequality is so prevalent in American and its getting worst due to the current pandemic. The system is unfair and the majority of us fall in the category of the working class.
Hey Morayma, i like the fact that in these discussion boards we can read from others opinions, and from yours i have to admit that i’m shocked you see more differences than similarities compared to other people’s writing. other than that, i like how well composed you are in regards to getting to the point of what is needed to say in your answers.
Hey Morayma,
As i was reading your response, i like how well you described every question. It is surprising to see different social classes can unite.
Hey Morayma, I like how me and you were both able to instantly make the connection that based off of reading 4.2 that almost all of the upperclass people that are living in NYC tend to live in Manhattan
Hello Professor & Classmates 🙂
1. After carefully reading 4.1 and 4.1 I found a few similarities that are associated to NYC. Despite using 2 different charts they both displayed huge similarities in social class and people characterize themselves. People placed themselves on a spectrum based on their living standards and their earnings. In reading 4.1 it gives me a better understanding of the demographics and the 5 terms labeled ruling, working, the upper and lower class. 4.1 . focuses on the inequalities in NYC using the train lines.
2. I currently reside near the J train line on Kosciuszko Street. The conceptualization on social class is absolutely shocking. Majority of the people who reside in my neighborhood falls in the category of working and lower class. Its my opinion that theres a misapprehension bases on the newly constructions and skyrocketing rent.
3. Based on reading 4.1 and 4.2 the pattern I notice about social class in NYC are as follows; there is a huge significant gap related to social class. The working, middle and lower classes are in Brookly, lower Manhattan and Queens. The demographic shows that theses neighborhood are considered low-income communities. While the upper class resides in the most popular neighborhood in Manhattan. This is very visible if one decide to conduct a survey. The appearance of the community says a lot. This shows how unfairly the system is skewed.
Hey I agree that reading 4.1 did give a better understanding of demographics as well, it helped with understanding the different types of classes rather than just knowing “Middle class” and “upper class”
Hello Renata, I enjoyed reading these replies, something that caught my attention was how you associated your residential area as working/ lower class but the rent just seems to continue going up. This is interesting and definitely relatable in NYC which is why there is so much division between each borough.
a very well thought out answer, good job!
1) From what i have noticed in both readings is that there are far more similarities than there are differences. In this topic of social class we are taking the time to reveal the aspects surrounding our community, and what has more or less belittled ourselves in the need to be classified by our wealth and residence. Evidently, what was discussed in the 4.1 reading, was somewhat of a questionnaire made by the public to determine what category they thought their lives fell into. Based on the details entailed, the commonalities among the people ranged from how much money they make, but also the quality of life they are living, and this revealed how each group is likely to think the same. In the first passage it went into depth by how our age, education, and race influences our thinking. However, the noticed differences in the two passages was how the 4.2 reading only focused on where an individual lives, and nothing else. Thus, It was easier to numbly categorize groups into upper, middle, or lower classes because all it provided was what an individual is more likely to make in concerns to income if they lived in a certain area.
2) I live on the 2 and 5 line, close to GunHill Rd. Therefore, what can be seen in the neighborhood varies by each block. In particular areas, you may find yourself surrounded by projects, and in others you may find the calmness of countless houses. The majority of the people around me I would say falls into the social classes of the working and lower aspect of it. The quality of life here is not the greatest, but it is certainly not cheap. There are signs of homelessness everywhere you turn. Living in NYC, you may find yourself needing to pay nearly two thousand dollars to be able to afford a quaint little apartment, which in fact can be seen as ridiculous in other states. However, I believe the only reason we are subjected to being seen in a particular group is because of how expensive the rent has become. Otherwise, in other states having to pay two thousand a month in rent would have qualified for a better outlook in regards to social classes.
3) Based on the 4.2 reading, the general pattern noticed in regards to social classes in NYC was how if you lived in a certain part, it would be obvious on the amount you have in income, to be able to live in that area. The information given in the 4.2 reading was short, but plainly shows how much is expected to be made to each train stop. While Manhattan is ruled to be known as the upper class, Brooklyn being the middle, and the Bronx subjected to be seen as the lower class, the reading also speaks of the inequalities that may be experienced while being forced in the idea of social classes. While being clear that this seems everlasting, others can see it as problematic.
It’s unbelievable how expensive NYC real estate has become – it seems impossible that it’ll continue to go up, because most people won’t be able to afford it…
1. Based on the reading 4.1, i noticed that social class can be defined as low to high according to income, power, wealth, culture, behavior, heritage and prestige. This reading shows two graphs of the relationship between income subjective social class which are identification by household income and education level. In reading 4.2 talks about how social class is based on your income and where and how we are living. In similarities, i see that they both argues about social classes in general.
2. I live by the 1 line on the 191st stop. Around my area which is Uptown Manhattan, there are generally middle and working class. Where I currently live, it is not the best for me but not the worst neighborhood there is. It is comfortable enough to live in. In a corner of my apartment, there is a campus called Yeshiva University where the Jewish attend. Going downtown Manhattan, it is mostly consider the upper class. There are very popular areas where most tourist tends to visit.
3. Based on reading 4.2 there are patterns that show based on your income. Downtown Manhattan is consider to be the Upper class while lower Manhattan would be the working and middle class. Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens would be the middle, working, and lower class. This is important for people to view as a proof of what social class really is based on your income.
1. After reading both readings I didn’t really see much similarities besides the median household income. Both readings used the median income but in slightly different ways. Article 4.1 used the median to find out how many people are lower to middle class as a whole and, article 4.2 used it to determine the social status of people in different areas. I did manage to find a lot of differences between the two readings . Article 4.1 targets the U.S. as a whole and it goes more into depth as to why people identify as a certain social class by giving explanations and charts to show that income,age,region,race, and school all have an effect on your class. 4.2 is more simple because the reading just allows you to see the income of areas located near the subway station you chose.
2. The subway stations that I live by is the B and the Q at church ave, both had the same median household income of 33,856 in 2011. I feel like the chart is kind of accurate because I live in an area where theres more buildings ,than houses and , when I take the train I tend to see a lot of working class people . I also ended up looking at the F train at fort Hamilton because its the train I take home from work and
the median household income in the area was 78,380 . I didnt really find it surprising that the income in Fort Hamilton was higher than the income than Church ave because compared to Church ave Fort Hamilton looks like a really high middle class neighborhood.
3. I do notice a pattern about social classes in NYC after looking at 4.2. most of the lower to working class neighborhoods have a lot of apartment buildings and projects nearby . I also noticed that the race of the people living in these areas also had an effect on the social classes . Most neighborhoods near mine only have big million dollar houses owned by more white than black people, while my neighborhood is a mix of both buildings and houses with hispanics,blacks, muslims, and very few whites
1.Yes I do see the way social class is discussed in readings 4.1 and 4.2 in both articles they discuss what social class is. In reading 4.1 I noticed that social class is broken down in 5 categories like the lower, working, middle , upper middle and higher. While in the 4.2 reading I noticed that they estimate the income of people living in certain stations. They focused more on the station you live in and connected it to the median household income of that area.
2.I live on the L line , the area I live by is Bushwick , in reading 4.2 they said that the median household income was 37,885$ I think that this is accurate because I am starting to see buildings being built ,more apartments buildings. I do also see a-lot of working people on the train mornings.
3.I do feel like it is an accurate representation of the people living in my neighborhood because I do see a-lot of working people in my area. I see both houses but building’s being built.
They estimate it based off of your income and living stations I never knew that. You really learn new things everyday. I love how you was explaining it made me understand better.
1) Reading 4.1 went more into depth about what social inequality is in terms of a social class aspect, while also breaking down commonly used terms such as;”working,” “ruling,” “lower” and “upper”. This reading mainly focused on explaining how social class can be determined by income or what type of job you work, age, race and what type of education you received . Although this does play a part in determining class, Reading 4.2 suggests that class is mainly determined by what type of neighborhood you live in. While both of the readings are explaining social class in different terms, both 4.1 and 4.2 share the similarity of both being able to suggest that social class is determined by income.
2) I live on myrtle-wyckoff on the L and M train line in Brooklyn. Based on the concepts in reading 4.1, my neighborhood is considered a working class neighborhood. I’m not really surprised because, my neighborhood isn’t a wealthy neighborhood whatsoever but has some of the most hardworking people to make ends meet. I do feel like working class is a very accurate description of the people my neighborhood since everyone is very hardworking and working with the little they’re given.
3) Based on reading 4.2, the general pattern that I notice that most of the wealthy/ upper class population in NYC live in Manhattan whereas the majority of the lower and working class live in places like the bronx, Brooklyn is a mix of both lower and working class depending on how gentrified the neighborhood is.
heyy i find it interesting that social class can be determined by numerous things, growing up i thought social class depended on how much money you have so its good to know it can be a bunch of things like what area you lived in. I love your explanation.
i agree with your second answer being that people work so hard to get less and have to hussle because bills have to be paid whether they like it or not good answers !
1) Reading 4.1 and 4.2 were the same in that they both speak about social class. They speak about the neighborhood people live in and the amount of money they they make. These factors determine in what social category people fall in, which could be lower, working, middle and upper. The difference the two readings is that 4.1 considers social class as having to do with income, job, neighborhood, education, and political parties. 4.2 considers social class as having only to do with your income and your neighborhood.
2) My stop is Bedford park on the D line in the Bronx. My neighborhood is made up of mostly lower class people. The majority of the people here do not have a high school diploma and work a minimum wage job. It doesn’t surprises me because people here have less opportunities than others to be in a good school or have a well paying job. It is an accurate representation of the people who live in my neighborhood because people with higher paying jobs would probably want to relocate out of the city or into a better apartment in Manhattan most likely.
3) Yes, there is a pattern in the social classes in NYC and it is that the upper class people live in Manhattan and the lower class people live mostly in Brooklyn or the Bronx.
1. In perusing 4.1 I saw that social class is separated into 5 classifications: the lower, working, center , upper center and higher. While in the 4.2 perusing I saw that they gauge the salary of individuals living in specific stations. They zeroed in additional on the station you live in and associated it to the middle family pay of that zone.In likenesses, I see that the two of them contends about social classes as a rule
2. I live on the 6 line directly on 96th street stop and based off perusing 4.1 my territory is viewed as the upper center and higher class. This doesn’t surprise me at all . The vast majority of the territory is encircled by lodging structures. Closer to my home there are more pleasant lofts. You would see numerous individuals promptly in the first part of the day on their approach to work . A great many people I see are doctors, lawyers, MTA workers , and construction workers and based on their uniform or labels.
3.In 4.2 I saw that the higher salary levels are commonly positioned in the Manhattan area, while Queens came in second and Bronx has the absolute bottom. We can see these distinctions, in actuality, also when we visit every area and where these stops are found.
Hi Aniyah, I really like how straight forward yet informative your answers were
1-some similarities that i hve came across from 4.1 nd 4.2 is the fact that social class is determined by where you live you csn tell by how much people make and that determines their social class and the approach was where do people feel that they stand and it seem sthat they went based on where they were living which i still find interesting. Subjective social class os hen people are asked where do they think they fit in based on their age, income and education level. 4.2 was telling how much is made based on thd train line where people travel too and or forth and so on its more straigt forward.
2-I am ofrom brookyn crown heights an i tak the 4 train andi am no suprised at the correlation its obviou that the further into or closer to manhattan you get the higher the yearly income is .By the 4 line sutter ave i am not suprise because people are hustling to only pay their bills because of how expensive it is to live its obvious and if you live in manhattan it is know how crazy expensive it is to live . It was interesting to see the different stops and the income .
3- in 4.2 i noticed that the higher income is the closer into manhattan /queens why? more jobs higher pay more people thats just how it goes “rich”people work for those areas and get paid more and that being said they can afford to live in big houses in nyc.
1) From viewing comparisons and similarities in readings 4.1 and 4.2, the analysis of 4.1 shows the majority of people self-identifying with working and middle class workers, which correlates with the fact that in 4.2, the poorest and middle ground median income earnings are located outside of Manhattan which can be used to reference that the majority of these lower income social classes do not fully belong to the city, rather the higher income classes do. The difference between 4.1 and 4.2 in terms of denoting social classes is that while 4.1 explains that social class is based on factors such as age, education, job, etc. 4.2 determines the social class concentrations of New York City specifically by identifying earnings based on public transportation routes and stops.
2) Using the concepts of reading 4.1 and the average earnings in the local area, the income average of Crown Heights in Brooklyn NY is estimated $35,000 which can be assumed that the majority of people who live in that area are borderline between working and middle class plebeians. This is not surprising due to the fact the area is filled with bottom-of-the-line housing and overall infrastructure, the ethnic majorities being between ethnic Jews and African-Americans, and the general poor state of the local area which can be exemplified by the relatively low income average of $35,000.
3) Based on the interactive chat of 4.2, a general pattern present regarding social classes in NYC is that the majority of the higher income averages are located in south and central Manhattan, while the lower income averages are generally centered around the Bronx and Brooklyn.
1. In both readings the distribution of wealth concentrating on the top 1% that hold all the wealth and both take into account income as the basis on which they place people in the social class. I notice they differ in one way the first reading focused on the identity of those with certain incomes and where they place themselves based on their income and the second reading separates them by location.
2. According to the subway map the closest station to me is Wakefield-241st street in the bronx with a median income of 38,261 dollars a year. I live about a 15 minute drive away from there in Westchester County in my neighborhood the average income is 205,781 dollars a year according to datausa.io . I have to say i was not surprised by the median income on that area i was more surprised by the one in my neighborhood since everyone seems to be a regular working class person.
3. Based on seeing reading 4.2 I noticed that the income in manhattan and the surrounding areas are a lot higher than those at the end of the line.
1.The similarities is that they’re both showing social class statistics. The difference is that Gallup surveys are what people they think they are according to social class while the interactive infographic show us different train lines/stops with different household income ranges.
2. The station closest to where I live is 25th Ave on the D line and the social class that tends to fall in that area would be lower-working class. I believe it is an actual representation of my neighborhood and also the other stops seem about right.
3. In the 4.2 reading I realized that Manhattan has the one of the highest median household income especially Park Place while Brooklyn and the Bronx have many lower median household incomes.
1. The similarities I noticed in the way social class is discussed in reading 4.1 and 4.2 was that they categorize themselves by where they live. In the 4.1 reading I have noticed that they showed a detail chart on social class identification by household income. In 4.2 we see the correlation by the region.
2. In my neighborhood the working class tends to live here. I’m not shocked by the answer I feel as though it’s pretty accurate. There’s many housing buildings and everyone is always on the go to work.
3. Yes I notice a pattern mainly those who live in Manhattan are considered the upper class and the other neighborhoods such as Brooklyn and the Bronx are considered lower class.
1.The similarities in the way social class is discussed in readings 4.1 and 4.2 is the income and the neighborhood of different social classes. The social classes are based off someone’s income and the class they were born in. That having certain education will affect your income and job opportunities . The difference between the articles is one is only based on facts but the other has opinions of what people would consider themselves. Like a man without a high school diploma would believe he’s a working class and so does the one with a diploma.
2. I live in Staten Island so there isn’t much train stations near me. But I take the R train occasionally. Especially at it’s 86th street station. The social class that tends to live in that neighborhood is considered between working and middle class, I’m not surprised because the neighborhood has a lot of stores that would be found in malls.
3. In reading 4.2 , I noticed that the upper class would be in Manhattan, Brooklyn would be consider a middle or working class in certain parts and Bronx is a lower class. Their neighborhoods also represent their class status
From the two readings, social class is discussed from differing perspectives, with income being the most important predictor of social class. In reading 4.2, the article concerns itself with social class disparities in NYC by assessing the average earnings from census data for various substations. On the contrary, reading 4.1 examines objective class placement as the direct determination of status in light of socioeconomic determinants such as income, wealth, education, and line of occupation. Further, it examines subjective social class placement as the process through which people categorize them as belonging to a particular social class. The station closest to where I reside is St. Penn, with the median income being $115278. I would consider this to be a middle-class neighborhood and a true reflection of the reality there. Many concepts from reading 4.1 are evident from the NYC social class data, where areas tended to attract people of similar social-economic status. For instance, in Queens, all the stations record some of the lowest median income figures for the whole city, suggesting that people in the lower social-economic strata tend to live in Queens.