TEACHSOC: Fw: TEACHSOC: need advice

[Sarah Murray]

----- Original Message ----- From: Sarah Murray To: Karen Loeb Sent: Thursday, April 06, 2006 10:15 AM Subject: Re: TEACHSOC: need advice Karen... I have encountered this exact scenario!  Many of my students would prefer not to get the news of the widening gap in this country between the haves and have-nots.  I just tell then that awareness is the first step in over-coming this dilemma -- that if we don't acknowledge it, we surely will just drift even deeper into a polarized social and economic state.   When telling my students that it takes 2 incomes today to experience the buying power of one income 30 years ago, I advise them to think about relocating to another part of the country (we are 15 minutes outside Manhattan); to consider a life with no children, or one child (in other words, don't feel pressured to have kids if one's instincts are inclined not to have them; and to measure whether or not they really need luxury cars, designer fashions and any gadget affordable only when purchased on credit.  I make them aware of the pressure of consumerism, and contrast that with "family values", pointing out the irony of a president who "won" on morals and values while pandering to "big business" which perpetuates the "need" to accumulate more and more unnecessary material items.  I also emphasize that social class is more than just income -- it is education and values, and that they can achieve a high degree of social status (though not buying power maybe) by living in "genteel poverty" like their professors! Sarah ----- Original Message ----- From: Karen Loeb To: teachsoc@googlegroups.com Sent: Thursday, April 06, 2006 9:41 AM Subject: TEACHSOC: need advice Hi all,   Yesterday I was discussing the "myth of social mobility" in this country and a boy in my class (who happens to be African-American) raised his hand and said, "so maybe being in college isn't worth my time. . .if I can't buy a better car than my parents or own my own house, what's the point. . ." Other students piped in, and although it was a lively and worthwhile discussion, it left me feeling really bad about, once again, being the bearer of bad news. How do I respond to these students? I told them the whole shpiel--college grads make more money than high school grads, it opens doors, etc. But, is there anything else positive I can say to encourage them and make the picture a little rosier?   Karen --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Teaching Sociology" group. To post to this group, send email to teachsoc@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/teachsoc -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---