Tammy’s Story
- What characteristics mark people as belonging to one class or another?
According to the story, one characteristic that marks different social classes is the place where they live. For instance, Tammy’s house in Ohio is evidence that she belongs to the lower class. The house is rather small or her four children. It does not have all the items that are identified as basic needs for an average American citizen. The back of the house has a pit full of trash and unsorted things. The area is dirty with broken appliances, and old clothes throw into a bundle there. In a high-class society, there usually are regulations for wastage disposal, yet in this case, they seem to be okay living next to a dump of litter. Tammy’s son fails to reveal to his friends where he lives because he wants to belong to a higher class of people. He understands that the place where he resides is a place of lower-class citizens.
The sort of work one does define their social class. The fact that Tammy works at a fast-food restaurant as a cleaner goes to show that she is poor. Apart from low wages, her place of work does not require that she have any educational qualifications but instead be available. She was working as a cleaner is considered a low-class job due to the fact that it is low paying. Tammy desires to get an education perhaps so that she can get a better job and hence be able to move her and her four children up the social ladder.
The type of car that one drives marks the social class to which they belong. Tammy’s old car, which sits in the back yard, is an old sedan that has many repair issues. She has to work half a mile to work, and sometimes she walks in the rain. The fact that she cannot afford to fix a few repairs and get a license to drive classifies her as a low-class citizen.
- How does growing up in a particular social class affect one’s self-image and worldview?
Growing up in a particular social class affects one’s self-image significantly. In Tammy’s case, she grew up poor with 21 of her other siblings. She says that her dad had to work a job to feed all 22 children and that he would be proud of her for trying. Tammy’s son aspires to study, yet he mentions that he understands that he cannot get into Harvard. His upbringing probably makes him think he is only worthy of getting into a local college for a two-year program certificate. Tammy’s self-image is quite low. She does not make any effort to take care of herself or her appearance. She wears the same day every day and does not take precautions when it starts raining as she walks to work. This goes to show that her self-value is very low.
The worldview of the members of this family is quite low. For instance, Tammy believes that her life is an improvement compared to the life she lived as a child. Her father was a poor man who makes her think what she has now is an upgrade. Her worldview has allowed her to set meager expectations for herself. She believes that this is the best life that she could get because of the way she grew up. She thinks that being able to provide the fundamental needs for her family is enough, and she does not anticipate a better life. Failure to clear up the junk behind her house also shows that she does not put much value in the place she lives. This demonstrates how much ones’ s upbringing can affect how they view the world and what they expect of themselves.