Reading & Reflecting: Women Without Class

Reflection

          Julie Bettie discusses the "exceptions to the rule" when examining the phenomenon of class origin determining class future. It was refreshing and even a relief to know that attention was being paid in acknowledging the agency that does (although rarely) happen for a diverse working class population. But Bettie doesn't just stop there. She asks the important questions:

          Asking how is this possible? Why are they exceptional?

          Bettie looks at both white and Mexican-American working class girls who display a potential for upward class mobility by preparing for college attendance. After examining factors including environment and family/home life (Bettie points out the urban environment where a greater access to education is present), and motivation I was particularly interested in the tensions surrounding motivation. Where it comes from? How is it evaluated?

          Bettie also evaluates the relationships between various groups of girls across race and class and concludes with addressing the forces that influences mobility in the lives of young girls. I'd like to draw attention to an issue addressed in Betti'e section, Race Matters (p161). In observing the working class (college-prep) groups of girls, Bettie notes that they articulated a "distancing" from their community (Mexican-American girls) or individual family (white girls). Bettie goes on to state that the difference in these feelings of distance is due to unavailable language for class difference. My dilemma/question comes from examining these feelings of distance. That is, how to encourage an upward mobility in class without discouraging the discourse that connects one to their respective (lower class) community/family.

          Although an upward mobility of class provides access to opportunities, education, etc. is it possible to mourn a loss of class "status" when it is perceived as closely tied to community and even one's individual family?