BECA 321

It has always been awkward for me to identify what social or economic class my family and I belong to. Most of my life I’ve lived in an affluent part of the Bay Area and for nine years of my childhood I attended private school. Although I consider my parents to have achieved the American Dream, I know that it has not been without struggle and hard work to get through the obstacles they've had to (and the obstacles they face on a daily basis). On the surface level many people would consider me the sit at the higher end of upper- middle class, but I’ve never felt comfortable with that label. Even though I lived around and went to school with people of wealth I never considered myself one of them. My parents do well enough for themselves that they have the luxury of being able to dine at nice places, go to events, and splurge here or there, but because of their immigrant background, they have never been ones to spend frivolously. My parents are nail technicians for a living. Na

In a Marxist analysis of Psych , the Santa Barbara Police Department represents the bourgeoisie while Shawn Spencer represents the proletariat. It is mentioned in the pilot episode that Shawn has worked 57 jobs since graduating high school and that employment at any one of those jobs did not last long. Obviously Shawn, like Marx, finds that work is alienating. None of the jobs he had make him feel as if he is contributing something of importance to his community. They were simply jobs to get by or to enjoy while the novelty of the work lasted. Most of these jobs didn’t require any real skill so Shawn was easily bored of them. The ones that required more expert knowledge or prior experience, he failed at. Even after going through 57 different jobs, Shawn still wants to find a job or career that is more fulfilling to him. He is bored of the status quo of the system and is looking for something that will not only make him money, but also bring him happiness and self worth.  One way

One of my favorite shows to watch is Parks and Recreation . It follows the life of devoted civil servant Leslie Knope, who works for Pawnee Parks Department, and her coworkers. Although Parks and Recreation depicts Leslie as a strong woman in government fighting for her voice to be heard, the show itself still normalizes the power structures that are the established in American government. Leslie is often faced with obstacles when trying to convince the councilmen of Pawnee to get on board with new policy. Leslie is outnumbered four to one by men on the city council. This supports the imbalance of power between genders in the workplace and in society. Even when it makes sense to change city laws to improve the quality of life for citizens, the men like to vote down Leslie's ideas just to spite her as a woman. Each of the councilmen represent unequal distribution of power and the ways it is normalized. Councilman Milton is an old, practically senile man who gets away with maki

First post :)