Me! in Four Parts - Capstone Project CAP 220 Continued

 History, the Political Economy, Social Location, & Me

Taking the time to reflect on "Me" as situated in relationship to social class in:

Wealth inequality and the "Death of the Middle Class"  

I am saddened at the realization that my family and myself are living in the wealth gap. Factually, the median wealth for a black family is only 8% of that of a white family (Smooth 2015 :26-:33). Financially we are situated at the edge of the "cliff affect" where we do not make enough to qualify for much, if any assistance, but also, not enough to easily afford, if at all, the necessary healthcare and dental care that we need. Like Gomez's family growing up we struggle at times to take care of basic needs (TEDx Talks, 2019).

Occupational Hierarchy

On thinking about occupational hierarchy, as a Black "stay at home mom" my reluctance to take on menial jobs or jobs with little to no upward mobility as a means to "contribute" to my family I am seen as lacking or less than. Whereas, my white counterparts are seen as self-sacrificing and dedicated mothers. Instead, I aim to position myself as mother who prioritizes the careful rearing of her children and weighing the benefits against the deficits.  Possibly, due to wealth inequality, I am not afforded the privilege of being able to stay home in the long term and so I must balance acquiring additional education and skills while raising children.

Gender and Gender Inequality

Addressing gender and gender inequality, the greatest example that I can give is the difference between how mothers and fathers are seen as caretakers. My husband's family recently commented how he had the "patience of a saint" while he was interacting with our children. This struck me as biased because my husband works 8+ hours a day and draws boundaries with our children around certain activities so that he gets some time away from them. In contrast, I am home with our children, caring for their physical, emotional, and even social wellbeing without reprieve and am equally patient with them, yet, it is unremarkable. It is implicitly understood that men who "help out" are something to be praised, instead of men sharing in housework and childcare being the more obvious choice for healthy family outcomes (Kimmel 2015). 

White Privilege

As Borrega mentioned, I live in a world where my family is not given the benefit of the doubt. It is questioned whether or not we belong in the spaces that we occupy. I am concerned for how my children as well as myself are viewed in conjunction with our neurodiversity. A white child with attention deficit disorder is seen as needing supports, in contrast a black child is seen as having a behavior problem. As I navigate schooling and requesting resources for my children I must be aware of how we are perceived because we are a Black family (TedEx Talks 2016).

Me, Here & Now

Looking out to the world, I see myself as a Person of Color by way of my historical family roots. I see a juxtaposition between what is perceived as middle class and working class. I view myself as a unique individual specifically distinct from my college educated; white; fully employed and stay at home; non-Christian and Christian peers. In addition, in my own root family, I seek to break away from generational trauma, undiagnosed psychiatric and neurological conditions and cycles of hate and subordination.   

Socially, I am a seen as a Black working class, married, heterosexual, cisgender female who is able-bodied, but also disabled. I am eclectic and somewhat free-spirited, but my life is also heavily informed by trauma. 

Social Justice & Me

As a future professional in the behavioral and therapeutic professions I believe it is extremely important to address client experiences as part of treatment. Some practices that I can implement in order to treat the "whole" individual are: validating client experiences of microaggressions and discrimination. Researching and applying scientific studies on the effects of oppression and racism on the brain. Working to offer low cost and sliding scale services as much as possible. Helping clients build advocacy skills. Taking all clients' background into consideration, empathizing with both a straight white male who feels pressure to conform to toxic masculinity and the queer black teen, etc.

Me in 20 Years

Looking forward to the future, I hope to see that many systems of oppression have come under close scrutiny. I envision that through our current education and efforts of exploring and dismantling various schemas of class, race, gender, etc that there will have begun a systemic change in how we view, treat, employ, educate and care for all iterations of identity.