Annenberg Workers

          I eat at the Annenberg dining hall three times a day, seven days a week. I pass the same workers at the card counter and cafeteria line each and every day. When I see them, I make sure to look them in the eye, greet them, and make some friendly conversation. I have noticed that other students, however, will walk right past them as though they are not there. Sometimes, the students even fail to return a smile the worker gave them or will push past them if the area is crowded. For some reason, these students think it is acceptable to ignore the Annenberg workers and treat them in a condescending manner. The only difference between us and them is that we are students at the school and they are paid employees. I would say that a large majority of the student class comes from middle and upper class backgrounds and the workers would be labeled as working class but just because we come from different social backgrounds does not give us reason to act rudely towards others.

           In October 26th's Crossing Class Boundaries lecture, we discussed places of class intersection. Along with the Annenberg dining hall, intersection points for different social classes also occur in clinics, where the staff are professionals and the clients are wealthy, and middle class elementary and high schools, where the teachers are viewed as "nannies" by the wealthy, educated parents. These class differences can make interaction awkward between social classes. Classes create collective identities that differentiate themselves from others, so when these "two worlds come together," it can be difficult to surpass the symbolic boundaries that were made.

          This boundary-making is a two-way street, however. While upper-level classes will establish boundaries in order to achieve superiority over another group, lower-level classes will do it as well. These people in more vulnerable positions will create boundaries to self-define themselves and fight the stereotypes and negative images assigned to them by others. Looking at it from this angle, it is not just some Harvard students who refuse to interact with the Annenberg staff. There are also Annenberg workers who seem less friendly and are not as willing to interact with the students. This separation of "us and them" is not entirely malicious though. Because certain individuals feel drawn to one another by common traits, experiences, and a sense of shared belonging, they are more inclined to engage one another socially than they would with others of a different class.