sually, when one belongs to the middle class it’s subjective to the place of inhabitance. In my case I’d say I’ve experienced fifty-shades of middle class inequality. It was recorded that between 1979-2007 the “median family income (in U.S.) rose by 35 percent, while incomes for those at the 99th percentile rose by 278 percent” . Consequently, this extent of economic inequality has applied pressures, set boundaries and limited the opportunities available to me. This in turn has impacted my childhood, schooling and career decision.
My parents compromised on a lot of things: vacations, leisure activities, housing choices etc. due to their financial situation. But, there was one thing they always tried to give me the best of and that was education. I always lived in an apartment, never a house, as my parents were not comfortable taking an enormous loan to buy a house in a good school district. I started off my schooling going to a public school but later my parents sent me to some of the best private schools. However, in private schools, many students had high-income parents so there were divides between the different groups. I could not take after school curricula because classes were too expensive. I opted out of any school fieldtrips to foreign countries because again my family could not afford it. I never had a private tutor and had to suffice my needs with the resources that were provided by the school. I sometimes felt socially secluded because I did not have the gizmos and gadgets most others had. The following are called “extras” which are only considered common for the higher-income groups. The difference between the high-income group and the middle-income group is the need for prioritization. Being part of the middle class, I had to choose between having those luxury items or going to a good school, my parents chose the latter for me. The kids of high-income groups do not have to choose. My childhood was spent in the shadow of my parent’s career. …show more content…
Though they tried their best to spend time with me, their jobs demanded them to work long hours just for a decent pay. The “Center of American Progress” deduces that this is the case for most of the working middle-class. During my childhood my parents frequently relocated in search of a better job thus a better life. I have moved several times over five different countries. Each time I moved, I experienced different cultures, different social hierarchies, language barriers and various educational systems. All of which stemmed from the fact that economic inequality has left the middle-class in unending search for better circumstances. Anyone can dream about the future, but the fact is that most of those dreams aren’t economically feasible to make a reality. For middle-class children, our future isn’t about what we want. It’s about what we can do well without spending too much money and time for the preparations. I always dreamed about becoming a professional singer, but the economic inequality my family faced warranted that I choose more responsibly. Especially since I was constantly reminded since the age of seven that my parents were saving money up to pay for college. Access to “human capital” is affected by income/wealth and given my family’s status; I don’t have too much access to that. I had a friend who had the same dream to become a singer; the only difference was her father was very wealthy. Her father financed her studio recording sessions, music videos and CD debut; he also had the money to hire the best team and the contacts to make it happen. She tried it out but she didn’t become famous enough to continue but she had a Plan B in hotel management and even a Plan C to take over her father’s company when the time came. Simply put, as a person of the middle-class, I don’t have a Plan B or any room to change paths once I start on one. The risk of failing in the entertainment business is too great a price to pay given where I stand in the economy. A more pragmatic, less risky and more stable career choice, that’s the goal. Keeping this in mind I chose to become a doctor to help those in need and possibly
My parents compromised on a lot of things: vacations, leisure activities, housing choices etc. due to their financial situation. But, there was one thing they always tried to give me the best of and that was education. I always lived in an apartment, never a house, as my parents were not comfortable taking an enormous loan to buy a house in a good school district. I started off my schooling going to a public school but later my parents sent me to some of the best private schools. However, in private schools, many students had high-income parents so there were divides between the different groups. I could not take after school curricula because classes were too expensive. I opted out of any school fieldtrips to foreign countries because again my family could not afford it. I never had a private tutor and had to suffice my needs with the resources that were provided by the school. I sometimes felt socially secluded because I did not have the gizmos and gadgets most others had. The following are called “extras” which are only considered common for the higher-income groups. The difference between the high-income group and the middle-income group is the need for prioritization. Being part of the middle class, I had to choose between having those luxury items or going to a good school, my parents chose the latter for me. The kids of high-income groups do not have to choose. My childhood was spent in the shadow of my parent’s career. …show more content…
Though they tried their best to spend time with me, their jobs demanded them to work long hours just for a decent pay. The “Center of American Progress” deduces that this is the case for most of the working middle-class. During my childhood my parents frequently relocated in search of a better job thus a better life. I have moved several times over five different countries. Each time I moved, I experienced different cultures, different social hierarchies, language barriers and various educational systems. All of which stemmed from the fact that economic inequality has left the middle-class in unending search for better circumstances. Anyone can dream about the future, but the fact is that most of those dreams aren’t economically feasible to make a reality. For middle-class children, our future isn’t about what we want. It’s about what we can do well without spending too much money and time for the preparations. I always dreamed about becoming a professional singer, but the economic inequality my family faced warranted that I choose more responsibly. Especially since I was constantly reminded since the age of seven that my parents were saving money up to pay for college. Access to “human capital” is affected by income/wealth and given my family’s status; I don’t have too much access to that. I had a friend who had the same dream to become a singer; the only difference was her father was very wealthy. Her father financed her studio recording sessions, music videos and CD debut; he also had the money to hire the best team and the contacts to make it happen. She tried it out but she didn’t become famous enough to continue but she had a Plan B in hotel management and even a Plan C to take over her father’s company when the time came. Simply put, as a person of the middle-class, I don’t have a Plan B or any room to change paths once I start on one. The risk of failing in the entertainment business is too great a price to pay given where I stand in the economy. A more pragmatic, less risky and more stable career choice, that’s the goal. Keeping this in mind I chose to become a doctor to help those in need and possibly