Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Does Class Matter? (Yes, It Does)

 
I have just returned from the annual FLGBTQC Midwinter Gathering. In one of the workshops I attended, we focused exclusively on class and classism. I'm very glad that we did. Neither topic is as easy to define as one might think. I share here the queries that guided our discussion

Does Class Matter among Friends and other Faith Communities?


1. In what class background were you raised?
2. What class do you identify with now?
3. Why do you identify with that class?

Following that section, discussion took on a different focus.

a. Can you remember a time when you acted differently around Friends because you were aware that you had more or less money or power than they did? What were your experiences from that exchange?

b. What might we do when we see or feel these things both within Friends and within the larger community? How can we become transformative agents rather than remaining blind to the problem?

I discovered that class means different things depending on location, region, financial circumstance, level of education, and myriad of other factors.

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