In middle class, we don’t just have a J-O-B. What does middle class have? A career! Something we hope to have for a moment, build on top of for a while. Now, that career brings in many things. What does that career give a middle class person? Credit. What else? Health insurance, stability, retirement, mortgage, status, etc.
Did you ever go to a middle class party? Once you’re there for a while and you get a beverage—everyone’s concerned about that first—once you get a beverage and you start talking to folks at the middle class party, what’s one of the first things they ask you? What do you do? And if you say education or social services, then people go, “Awww.” Not always; sometimes they’re like, “Oh, you’re one of those people? I’ll be over here…”
Listen to the excerpt to hear more from Jodi Pfarr on identity in middle class and poverty. The Bridges Out of Poverty Audio Workshop is now available as an mp3 download in the aha! Process store.
