White Trash Race and Class in America - Essay Example

Whiteness – White Trash, White People One must realise that racism is always a ‘hot’ topic and whatever views one individual has is challenged by the opposing side, whatever that maybe. For a very long time, when someone hears the term racism, the black population usually comes first to the mind. But as multicultural diversity opens doors so does the encompassing of the term racism now including Latinos, Hispanics, Asians and the white trash or the white underprivileged poor. So what is whiteness actually? And why should anyone give care? This article attempts to bring awareness to the modern structure and reconstitutions of the white identity and its implications to various regional and national contexts where the white privilege is in effect and what this entails. The essay also attempts to understand the multiplicity of whiteness and its connections with other social structures more so for the social classes (Dwyer and Jones 209). Pay attention to the intertwining connection of racial categories and the power granting certain privileges to certain social categories and how it eventually affects attitudes towards certain racial classes (McCann 2). According to Ignatiev, “Whiteness is not a culture...Whiteness has nothing to do with culture and everything to do with social position. It is nothing but a reflection of privilege, and exists for no reason other than to defend it” (par. 3). For many years whiteness has generally gone under the radar remaining untouched and deactivated, mainly taken for granted in the social and popular discussions involving race. Many studies and works have shown on occasion that white is always an available and open choice when talking about race and more often than not whites have had the opportunity to glance at world through a sieve of racial responsiveness (Ramos-Zayas 76) but as such remains to be an invisible race. In films it is sometimes difficult to see whiteness depicted in the film as an ethnic class as it is difficult to perceive it in a sense that white power is secure in its hold on its position of authority (Dryer 126). Although upon closer inspection it comes up as empty, absent even dead or at the point of death, but one might realize that it is important to try to make some development in seeing whiteness as a cultural or ethnic category. Studies have often portrayed various groups as oppressed, marginal or subordinate including women, the working class, ethnic and other minorities like gay and lesbians, the disabled and the elderly. The urge to do such lies in the logic on how these social classes are perceived and as such is part of the process of oppression marginalisation or subordination. These groups are often used for both analytical and campaign activities and is oftentimes emphasized in politics (Dryer 127). Whiteness studies often deal with the indistinct white ethnicity should be challenged and expanded to realise whiteness for what is, essentially whiteness is just another ethnicity just like the blacks, the Latinos, the Asians and now comes the whites and the privilege that comes with it. In his book, Wray sought to "focus, whenever possible, on specific moments and places where poor whites became the subject of sustained or intense public scrutiny and debate" (p. 134) It can be realised that looking at history even as social campaigns are initiated to alleviate situation of the poor whites to remove the notion of white trash, many instances occur when poor white are considered white trash by fellow whites who have higher social standings. According to Bell Hooks where she grew up there were no intense conflict and bitter battle as that of the poor white folks and that of the black folks. The black people knew that even as any southern white skinned individual are “cracker or peckerwood” – terms used to depict the poor white folk of the land – they are provided with more power and privilege than the wealthiest black folk. But one might realise that it was not the black population that provided these slurs to the poor white members of society but the privileged white folks and the upper class population. The term was used in order to separate them from what they deemed as ‘white trash’. It may seem though that it made the lives of even the poorest white people since they are able to lord over another group, that of the black people (Hooks 111) and even as they are lambasted by the privileged white folks they lash out at the black people since they are unable to fight the privileged whites. ‘White trash’ were different because they were not ashamed of their poorness as compared to the simple poor whites who were dedicated to making a living and lay claim to some form of morality and decency and abide by the law and was nationalistic, but white trash even flaunt their poverty and revel in it. They see themselves as above the law and thus are a danger to the community and were never in fear. White trash will live anywhere even near black folks. A white child is taught that lowest of the low are the white trash since they have gone too low socially and financially that they might as well be black. And as such white trash have no self respect and seem to be unashamed in flaunting their trashiness, an in-your-face antagonistic reminder of the severe class diversity (Hooks 112). This poor culture is intimately tied with numerous problematic cultural components for whites. Poor whites are called white trash since they are typically typecast as uneducated and narrow-minded. This intolerance may be blatantly racist and even manifest itself in white superiority faction and philosophy. For the sake of discussion this is how this author will perceive this typecasting of poor white as racially prejudiced and intolerant. On the other hand, antagonism towards poor whites is doubled. The first antagonist is this typecasting intolerance and the second antagonist is the opposition to the class itself. This exact combination allowed the white elite to dislike these poor whites for being poor. It also allows these uptight upper class whites to blame the victims and deviate privileges from these poor white people. Newitz studied the imagery and representation of poor whites in the silver screen and shows the dread and revulsion that middle-class whites have for white trash. Accompanying the poor white culture is this intra-racial, cross-class revulsion and antipathy towards white trash sets middle-class whites apart from them and the proposition that is interrelated with them and they point out that “…the white trash stereotype serves as a useful way of blaming the poor for being poor.” Moreover, it “…helps solidify for the middle and upper classes a sense of cultural and intellectual superiority.” (Newitz 1) and thus for aspirant whites there has been an opposition of whiteness especially when it is connected and interrelated with ethnic concerns. For the ‘unprejudiced’ and professional whites, estranging themselves from these poor whites and white trash mannerisms and attitudes can actually be construed as a strategic decision. A very good example of this is how the alternative rock culture has adapted a ‘white nihilism’ that steers clear of derogatory entitlement of being white. But as such one can say that, this is just one side of the coin. Another side to middle class whites having distanced themselves from poor whites is that in an age of diverse cultural backgrounds in the workforce and the community in general and where global economies have made multiculturalism as more than an ideology in the US and in the world, distancing from poor attitudes including that of white trash has become a necessity. In distancing themselves from poor white trash attitudes of racism and sexism the middle class holds the disturbing fact that these middle class and professional whites are individually gaining from their position of social power as privileged and elites and this remains to be a continued problem. The move towards a more multi-cultured atmosphere in the US has been clashing. Culture wars posts that there has been a skirmish over cultural values in the US. The contrasting sides stand for two essentially different global views, one traditional and one progressive. But regardless of the ideological qualities of whichever side, it is essential to realize that the specialized and professional society demands of its affiliates that they be at least ostensibly progressive. Discussing the drawbacks and rewards of using a diverse work team in the professional world, among the differences in the fast becoming diverse workforce are age, gender, race, physical ability, and even sexual orientation. Celebration of diversity that is common to academic circles should also be practised in the professional workforce. However, it is more a handbook for applying a teamwork model for professional construction despite the authenticity of a diverse workforce. And those who do not embrace the multi-ethnic cultural eclecticism of the elite will find themselves on the wrong side of both the contest over cultural wars and the class line. And as the ability and willingness of even the most elite to move about the nation and the globe becomes a requirement in order to participate in the professional life, local people and ethnicity are in consequence left behind. Hartigan (1997) who studied poor whites in Detroit finds a white trash typecast that reflects on the lifestyle of poor whites and the attitudes that surrounding society holds towards or against them. What we are seeing can be construed as patterned tolerance, it is this symbolic tolerance and exclusion that some writers like Bryson (1996) has acknowledged and recognized but is yet to be deeply delved into. The writer supposed that partiality or dislike to certain genres of music is actually a veiled political statement of the individual illustrating his affinity towards the social group or class that is associated with that specific genre. An example provided was a certain group of students spend time with the minority children of the school and visited gay bars, as such they are saying that they are pro minority and pro gay, giving the indication that they are open and inclusive towards other social classes. As they avoided the upper middle class privilege they openly hugged cultural openness. The debates that surround musical merit and symbolic politics can be safely placed in the past, the arguments with regards to rap are firmly in the front of the music industry’s consciousness. But when you talk of country or heavy metal music however, the message received from tolerant, cultured people that are also white people is quite clear. This upper and middle class white population abhor being linked or connected with these working-class or poor white folks. In their views, poor whites are safer to mock, rebuff and set apart from their own selves; the poor whites are the modern acceptable others in comparison to upper and middle class white for whom there are no further others. And as such in their rejection of the poor whites, these professional whites are allegorically exemplifying what they presume as a necessary attitude in order to survive today’s multicultural and multiethnic workplace environment. A number of ideas that can be construed from professional whites’ treatment of poor white and paying homage to the perception of white trash in the society divided into two varied ways. One, is that by solidifying white trash into a securely excludable ‘others’, these ‘social elites’ allow themselves in their minds and in the face of society to distance from somebody who is ‘at the bottom of the pack’ and is lost in the ear of multiculturalism and varied ethnicity. They also learn to measure their successes on the white trash that are failures which most of them can watch on shows like Jerry Springer. The other idea springs from the thought that these elites distance or at least try to distance themselves from the stereotypical fanaticism of poor white trash. The emergence of multiculturalism has become a subject of discussion for many sociologist and sociology books define multiculturalism as a blueprint of inclusion where “Ethnic groups exist separately and share equally in economic and political life.” (Giddens A15). In his book Giddens also discussed how the musical genre of Hip-hop has used a variety of music from other genres through sampling (65) and ultimately made the music their own. In this case, multiculturalism is illustrated well although not as broad as what multiculturalism really is but as such since multiculturalism is a hotly debated topic even the definitions found in various dictionaries failed to capture the broader implications and overtones of the word. It has become a cultural political football used in culture combats. As one side views multiculturalism as a way to mend the know mistakes of history especially of the west. The view is that multiculturalism can bring the voice of those that were traditionally excluded into the scholastic dialogue. While the other side view the inclusion phenomenon as a compromise to quality in the sense that even as inclusion is permitted, those that do compromise the quality and goodness of the known traditions for the sake of variety or divergence is not a meaningful trade off. This kind of debate has to be ventured in carefully, more so for those who are very critical, there are valid points on both sides in the sense that if one must think thoroughly the concepts of multiculturalism are excellent but the quality that traditionalists seek must still be upheld despite of it. While others mentions that multiculturalism is nothing but skin deep, owing to the fact that even as multiculturalism is thought to be embraced, the very same groups that such concepts are thought to uphold and protect are still under represented and under privileged just like the olden times. This assumption lies in the median of the argument that it is actually structural exclusion of the poor (no matter what ethnicity) is the actual problem. The criticism also states that even as multiculturalism is embraced and upheld it is done only on the surface and addresses the problem only by placing a different cultural label in between the two opposing sides. With the continuing trends, a pattern has emerged showing us an image of an emerging culture that echo an economic culture that supports divergence. The local population, financial systems, and ways of life are geared at the rear in order to let modern cosmopolitan privileged few expand an eclectic worldwide culture that echoes the emergence of a global economy. These privileged few enjoys eccentricities offered by varied tastes from around the world, travelling around the world and commerce and economy that has progressively become more representative of manipulation. The neighbouring people in these regions undergo the most horrible kind of urban disintegration as their city services corrode and their local financial system suffer in order to make way for global economies. In a radio conference, Dean MacCannell, (1976), has commented that geographic dissimilarities do not matter nowadays simply because the larger dissimilarities including that of cultural differences are actually between social classes, in a sense that a certain neighbourhoods privileged few share a common culture with the privileged few of other neighbourhoods but they do not share a common culture with other locals of the neighbourhood. Poor whites have been stereotyped as being racist to other ‘lower social classes’. Whichever such real racism might consequence from a people who have little power spotlighting on the only power they do have, whatever structural supremacy associated with being white. If this is factual, such poor whites are conveying modes of contemplation that are obsolete, and it is those modes of contemplation that the candidly privileged whites and modern privileged few try to avoid. Sociological advances aimed at understanding the activity of culture in the social configuration conventionally centred on the exclusionary feature of high culture to define the ‘cream of the crop’. Current research has showed that the all encompassing aspect of modern elite culture, centring on the inclusiveness and extent of contemporary elites’ tastes. The very same agenda exists between elites and non-elites, especially the white non-elites, in showing their dislike of the musical genres chosen by poor whites, modern elites make a figurative stand against the white racism and white supremacy for which poor whites have been typecast, and from which the same elites wish to remove themselves from. Although one may realise that multicultural standards including openness and inclusion have become a necessity in the modern workplace and because these standards have become of such importance, modern elites leave out those whose attitudes deem to not conform to such values. And by objectifying poor white trash, contemporary elites efficiently make an emblematic political posture against a group of people who stereotypically do not abide conformity. By getting on the offensive with white trash, contemporary elites are allegorically attacking white racism. The core of this discussion lies in bringing together the research and analyses of cultural openness for all, patterned lenience, theories of white trash, and discussions of emerging divides between elites and non-elites, between the cosmopolitans and local people. The budding split is both cultural and structural in nature, and is associated unswervingly to the globalization of the financial system. Further, the elite and their ethnicity, values multiculturalism, echoing a globalized place of work. Finally, this new elite defines itself against the non-elites by its emblematic preference as exemplified through “patterned tolerance.” And the choices shown in patterned tolerance echoes the emerging globalized economy that is multicultural in nature and shows the stark difference between the urban elites and less-sophisticated local population. Moreover, this cultural openness gives way to a specific cultural norm that most local people are not able to reach. Also multiculturalism stand side by side with a model of elite taste that is omnivore translating into openness towards people of diverse culture and ethnicity means openness towards the appreciation of their culture as well. And as such this openness has become a necessity towards the professional verve, those who cannot conform or do not conform to such openness places their entire careers on the line. Nevertheless, a downside to this increasingly popular cultural diversity is the laying of fault to the victims of poverty. Although contemporary elites have the decency to be susceptible to the plight of the poor, a side-effect of their openness to multi-culture. However when the locals on the other side, the ones in poverty, refuse to respond to such openness, they are often set aside to be disliked, thus giving the elites the opportunity to dislike the non-elites without fear of being called prejudiced, racist or classist. While openness is thought to be considered a good thing, it is not something to be considered outside of the modern elites. And as such for the general academia to expect the ‘local folks’ - the non-elites - to adapt and accept the culture, values, beliefs and attitudes can be realised as unrealistic, since multiculturalism allows elites to austerely disassociate themselves from non-elites, since the non-elites are not multicultural themselves. This ends in blaming the sufferers and allows the cream of the crop to remove themselves from the accountability to those in the bigger society that not like them. In conclusion one must realise that whiteness, white trash and poor white folks all stem from one social idea, racism. Whether you believe the ideals of either side, one thing is for certain it is always a good idea to consider all options and make a sound judgement on whether or not anything is good or bad. We all have our own agendas to fill, whether or not we see the poor whites as white trash or see multiculturalism as a new way of life, or whether or not we believe that whiteness enables white people to get away with many privileges that are often provided for the fair skinned folks. While we can accept that racism is still a vital factor in our culture, it too has evolved. While racism remains an essential truth of our culture, it too has changed. One can note that where white people stand on race can be construed as more of fear of the unknown rather than racial hatred. Seeing segregated black neighbourhoods of the early centuries are no more, the white poor who are in need of a place to stay can be spied where no white folk ventured before, but it cannot be construed as the lack of racism, but it only means that racism in the face of poverty and changed has evolved as well. And a more solid link between poor black and white folks can be made into a positive interaction. The old black and white folks may refuse to interact with one another but the younger generation can be seen ‘crossing the street’ towards each other and meet in a corner where class and race is not an issue, bringing them together in a common surrounding they have chosen as home. Although this growing bond means so little when there are many more white poor and working class race segregated communities, even in places where colour is not an issue there are many various attitudes towards social classes and race. It is not anymore poor black against poor white or poor white against poor black. Poverty of today’s world is both gendered and racialised. One cannot expect to understand the modern world without understanding the prejudice against race, gender and social class. In the end, more than any previous moves to defend social justice, it is ultimately the need to end poverty that can become a basic civil rights issue that can have the broadest appeal which in turn can unite all that have not even come together before in order to support a common goal of existing in a more democratic and fair world, where basic necessities of life are easily available to each and everyone in accordance to their needs. Works Cited Bryson, Bethany "’Anything but heavy metal’: Symbolic exclusion and musical dislikes." American Sociological Review 61:884-899, 1996 Dryer Richard. “The Matter of Images”. London. Routledge, 2002 Giddens, Anthony, Mitchell Duneier, and Richard Appelbaum. Introduction to Sociology: Fourth Edition. New York: W. W. Norton, 2003. Hartigan, John Jr. 1997. "Name Calling: Objectifying poor Whites and White Trash in Detroit." in White Trash: Race and Class in America, edited by and Annalee Newitz Matt Wray. New York and London: Routledge. Hooks Bell. “Where We Stand: Class Matters” London. Routledge, 2000 Ignatiev, Noel. “The point is not to interpret Whiteness but to Abolish it” Talk given at the Conference “The Making and Unmaking of Whiteness” University of California, Berkeley, April 11-13, 1997. Available at http://www.postfun.com/racetraitor McCann, Kim. "Rhetoric of Whiteness: The Critical Theories of Whiteness" Paper presented at the annual meeting of the NCA 93rd Annual Convention, TBA, Chicago, IL, Nov 15, 2007. 2009-04-03 http://www.allacademic.com/meta/p193313_index.html Newitz, Analee. 1997. "White savagery and Humiliation: or A New Racial Consciousness in the Media." in White Trash: Race and Class in America, edited by and Annalee Newitz Matt Wray. New York and London: Routledge. Ramos-Zayas, Ana. “All This is Turning White Now: Latino Constructions of “White Culture and Whiteness in Chicago” Centro Journal Volume 8 Number 2 fall 2001 Wray, Matthew. “Not Quite White: White Trash and the Boundaries of Whiteness” Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2006 Read More