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| I'm not as muscular as this guy - proves the point... |
Yet which types of social inequalities is it safe to flaunt about?
David Brooks, an Op-Ed columnist for the NY Times, recently wrote an article entitled "The Inequality Map" that deals directly with this question. In the article he states that he "will provide you with a guide to the American inequality map to help you avoid embarrassment".
Through his wisdom it has become apparent to me that my wearing of a University of Michigan sweatshirt almost everyday is evident of a larger aura of intellectual elitism that I carry around with me day to day.
The most interesting thing about this article is that in outlining the different types inequality present in American society, he brands some as permissible and some as not. For instance, tight workout shorts or a Michigan Sweatshirt are to be expected, but telling people that your ancestors were on the mayflower is not.
There are so many layers to society that it is sometimes hard to distinguish where you fit in. Although the question of fitting in is something that interests me more from this article than the content of the article itself, I would argue that there is a subtext to his writing that is not 100% apparent. His listing of socially acceptable things is more a critique of American values than an explanation of them.
Within the first paragraph, he jests at the idea of these arbitrary exceptions. In the quote that I used above, he is using sarcasm to explain his views of the so called "inequality map". He is making a point that when viewed from the outside, I.E. from the viewpoint of a foreigner, that our societal assumptions are ridiculous.
If you were to take the viewpoint of a foreigner, someone who did not understand, or has not yet become attune to our culture, what would stick out to you on our so-called "inequality map"
First of all, I never really think it's appropriate or cordial to flaunt something you're proud of in an ostentatious way. Although I'm not foreign to American culture and I'm not entirely sure what a foreigner would think about us, no matter what culture you're from, I think people can detect vanity. For instance, if someone were to come to school with their fingers studded with diamond rings, their feet in designer shoes, and a Rolex watch around their wrist, I think it's obvious they are trying to make clear their social status.
ReplyDeleteOf course this is a bit exaggerated, but flaunted wealth is something I think a foreigner would notice in our society. Americans are often very mindful of their own and others' wealth. It's an American ideology to work hard, make money, and show it, so that seems like something prominent in our inequality map.