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Diversity & Social Justice at OC

The Story We Tell About Poverty Isn't True

How to Make a Difference

Resource Generation- organizes young people with wealth and class privilege in the U.S. to become transformative leaders working towards the equitable distribution of wealth, land and power.

 

 

Does Money Make You Mean?

Income/Social Class and College

Far too often conversations about poverty focus on blame and shame. Olympic College is an equal opportunity institution and dedicated to serving and respecting all of our students regardless of income or social class.  

Statistical data show the completion of a certification or degree is a path out of poverty, and OC is dedicated to helping our students succeed on that path.

Resources and Research -  #RealCollege

Hope for College- The Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice

Articles about class/income and college-

Aries, E., & Seider, M. (2005). The interactive relationship between class identity and the college experience: The case of lower income students. Qualitative Sociology, 28(4), 419-443. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11133-005-8366-1
 

Chetty, R., Friedman, J. N., Saez, E., Turner, N., & Yagan, D. (2017). Mobility report cards: The role of colleges in intergenerational mobility (No. w23618). National Bureau of Economic Research.

 

Witteveen, D., & Attewell, P. (2017). Family background and earnings inequality among college graduates. Social Forces, 95(4), 1539-1576. https://doi.org/10.1093/sf/sow109

Classism, Opportunity, and Social Mobility

Discrimination on the basis of class and income is nothing new, and it is often called classism.

Classism is differential treatment based on social class or perceived social class. Classism is the systematic oppression of subordinated class groups to advantage and strengthen the dominant class groups. It’s the systematic assignment of characteristics of worth and ability based on social class.

That includes:

  • individual attitudes and behaviors;
  • systems of policies and practices that are set up to benefit the upper classes at the expense of the lower classes, resulting in drastic income and wealth inequality;
  • the rationale that supports these systems and this unequal valuing; and
  • the culture that perpetuates them

From Classism.org

Atlas of Opportunity

The effect of classism can be seen across generations, as demonstrated by the Atlas of Opportunity. This interactive map also demonstrates how poverty intensifies with gender and race.