Influences

What we do, where we live, and who we associate ourselves with determine what we will become. But who is to say that it is any different for the family. Not only can one family influence another but each person within the family can be influenced by each other whether we know it or not. For class we had to watch a video about a woman named Tammy. She is what we consider to be lower class. She lives in a trailer with her two sons and works for minimum wage at a Burger King. The video shows how she works hard to have a good life for her kids and how she aspires to go to college despite her financial struggle to become a school teacher. Her eldest son Matt explains how his friends are a class higher than he is. He's determined to finish high school and go on to college so he doesn't remain in the same class as his mother. In the update video 12 years later we see Matt and come to find out that he ended up dropping out of high school, never went to college, and remains in the lower class that he was so determined to leave. This may not have been the life he chose but it is the life he knows because of the influence of his mom. 

In this video series, it explores the idea of the influences of social class and how some people can be in the middle class and still go to a higher class functions. While taking on the facade of being a part of the upper class they act as though they belong there, when in actuality they still belong in the middle class. In this example we see how the upper class influences the middle class. Furthermore lower class and middle class people work for high class people which then adds more influence.

Not only does social class influence our families, but so do our cultures. I come from a very diverse city where all different kinds of people reside. The influence of one culture to another can add to the family dynamic and can bring traditions into the family. When my parents were married my dad brought many of his Italian traditions into my family. Through my own experience I can see how different culture and social class can influence other, whether it's for better or for worse, it all depends on the family.