This article talks about ways different ways measure whether your household is holding steady or whether you are are slipping down further and further. Everyone knows this economy has put many families in an economic struggle, but this is one way to measure the how much your living standards have actually changed. From Income and Medical expenses to Everyday Spending and Education, the economy has shifted what we determine luxury versus necessity.
Squishable Pre-Dawn Open Thread
2 hours ago
3 comments:
I found this article very interesting because it gave actual numbers and statistics. A few specific points that caught my interest were: the average eduction of a middle class adult (i actually expected it to be higher), the fact that home sizes have increased, and how much parents put away each year for their child's college fund (once again, i expected the amount to be higher). The comparisons between the past and the present really make me wonder what will be considered middle class in 20 years...
I totally agree with Sabrina that this article had interesting comparisons and I was surprised to see so many actual number figures. I think the problem with using these number figures when attempting to determine who is exactly middle class is that it doesn't leave much room for differences in regions of the U.S. And maybe that is the point, and there should be one standard idea of middle class no matter where someone lives? (as opposed to how many decide on their social class in comparison to those around them) Well I suppose that's what we debated in class.
A very interesting article, but I don't think these numbers are too reliable. Where and how did this survey take place? and who sponsored this survey? I think these statistics about the middle class are pretty irrelevant in contemporary studies. Although the recession has lowered the standards of the middle class, those who live in poverty have been affected the most. What would make this a very interesting article is the addition of poverty statistics.
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