I recently spoke with a friend about wealth/class at Carleton. One thing we discussed is how at Carleton it’s very easy for people to overlook others’ class and socioeconomic background. Carleton is often described as a bubble and I think that applies here. Regardless of whether you’re paying full tuition or are on a full scholarship, everyone is living in the same buildings, eating the same food, and receiving the same education. As a result, I often overlook and forget about the spectrum of classes that come into Carleton. I never really think twice about how wealthy someone’s family is due to the fact that there is nothing to really separate people by class at Carleton.
I wonder what the consequences of this class-neutralizing effect are. It seems like a positive thing: since class isn’t apparent you could imagine it is easier for people to interact across different classes without the barriers that exist in “the real world.” But I’m also a student who comes from an affluent family and this is only my opinion.
My friend and I also discussed how maybe students coming from lower class families wouldn’t mind their class being more apparent, because they’re very proud to be earning a degree from a school like Carleton coming from a working/middle class family. Conversely, one could imagine that neutralizing class makes it even tougher for students from working/middle class families because they might be embarrassed.
Do people agree that at a place like Carleton class is easily overlooked? If so, what are the consequences for students from different classes?
- Anonymous
I wonder what the consequences of this class-neutralizing effect are. It seems like a positive thing: since class isn’t apparent you could imagine it is easier for people to interact across different classes without the barriers that exist in “the real world.” But I’m also a student who comes from an affluent family and this is only my opinion.
My friend and I also discussed how maybe students coming from lower class families wouldn’t mind their class being more apparent, because they’re very proud to be earning a degree from a school like Carleton coming from a working/middle class family. Conversely, one could imagine that neutralizing class makes it even tougher for students from working/middle class families because they might be embarrassed.
Do people agree that at a place like Carleton class is easily overlooked? If so, what are the consequences for students from different classes?
- Anonymous