"Class is rarely talked about in the United States; nowhere is there a more intense silence about the reality of class differences than in educational settings."
-bell hooks
I wrote this on one of the 40 drawings that we had to make earlier in the semester. I do believe that this is a really big problem, especially in art school, since so many people just do not realize that people come from various economic backgrounds. As seen with our painting class, it's expected for us to buy new materials almost every other week, and if we don't have enough money to even get to school or to eat, then "too bad". If you do happen to talk about it, even to supposed "liberal" students, then they usually just roll their eyes or talk about their problems, which just show that they really do not understand your position whatsoever. Then, the only option, as seen with other political discussions which tend to flare up once in awhile, is to force yourself to be quiet and pretend that you are just as ignorant as they are.
So, what are you really supposed to do if someone deeply offends you? Just pretend that nothing is wrong? How can you talk to someone that doesn't have any first hand experience with a certain situation, or only know about the problem through history textbooks or by television/movies?
These are the kinds of questions that keep me up at night. Sometimes I feel like it shouldn't be my responsibility to deal with these things, but someone has to think about them. I'm sick of people telling me that I'm an unhappy person because I actually give a shit about people that are outside of my circle of friends.
1 comment:
I never really read this post until now. Off and on I think about this and get really sad. Class is definitely a big deal! It's funny how people prefer not to even talk about it. Think about all of the redevelopment in neighborhoods and the issue of gentrification. It's everyday life! Class is arguably an even bigger issue than racism and sexism. I was discussing this with a friend and his theory is that they are both tied to class. The whole point of keeping certain groups oppressed such as minorities and women is to keep white males wealthy and in power. It's a system we live with. Let's save the world with art therapy!
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