Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
How many times have you heard someone say that they grew up poor but never knew they were poor? Probably many times. Maybe some of us have said or thought that same thing. Was that your experience? (I never heard anyone say that they were rich but didn’t know it.)
This topic relates to something I was reminded of while reading an article on an archeological dig. The author stated that the Mayan town (it could be Roman or Inca or Celtic or anywhere) existed in an egalitarian society because all of the homes were made of the same materials and were of the same size. The measure applied to determine class and status and presumably poverty or wealth was the size of the house. That measure sounds very modern, even 20th century as we hear people talking about McMansions or gated communities as an indication of status or wealth. Perhaps house size had nothing to do with it. Maybe proximity to a water source or to some important temple or ceremonial space was the actual indicator of wealth or status.
What would you consider as a measure of status or wealth/poverty if you had to view your neighborhood or town objectively with nothing else to go on but appearances and material culture?
Sometimes I think that standard measures as applied by the Department of Commerce, or whoever else does the measurements, might be adjusted to reflect differences in how local people measure status or wealth and poverty. Is poverty the same on Indian reservations as in the “Black belt” counties of the south or in Miami or Chicago or Los Angeles? The same with measure of wealth in Washington DC or Maine or Portland or Arizona or Houston.
One thing that stood out to me every holiday season was coming back to school to hear about kids' grandparents buying them expensive gifts like Xbox's or their first car. My grandmother used to buy us Dollar Store gifts or $5 gift cards that my mom would usually give her money for. I had never seen elderly black people in the middle or upper middle class, still not something I'm used to today. I only know of one upper middle class elderly black couple.
Agreed – I've only ever heard people from my grandma's generation say that (grew up during the Great Depression). After that point, if you were poor, society made sure you knew it.
Agreed – I've only ever heard people from my grandma's generation say that (grew up during the Great Depression). After that point, if you were poor, society made sure you knew it.
Those "egalitarian" towns may not have been equal when compared to the countryside.
I went from a midwestern farm town to college in the south. In both venues, the inequality was drawn at city limits. There were few gentleman farmers in those days. The difference between urban lifestyle was so marked, that few peop;e noticed there was a contrast of habituas economics, too. The diffeerence was most visible in the dining hall. Country kids cleaned up their plates. They grew up hungry.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
