Taking from everything that I have learned in class and through my service learning experience, I have had the opportunity to reflect upon my own personal experience with social issues such as class-ism - the discrimination of certain social classes in our society such as the middle class. I come from a middle class or “working class” family. As the cost of living has risen over the years, I have become part of the lower class. This is primarily due to various economic factors such as finding and maintaining steady work and earning a livable income. As it has become more difficult to keep up with the high costs of living, middle-class Americans such as me have struggled to stay up float in the economic ladder. The middle class has been pushed down and lumped in with the lower class; creating a larger lower class. The gap between rich and poor continues to grow every year. I have had to struggle to pay my rent, food, and choose between owning a smartphone and filling up my gas tank. Institutional structures support and maintain these systems of oppression by electing officials who will serve in the senate and congress and pass certain laws that help the rich get richer and poor remain in poverty.
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Having to struggle in order to have a roof over my head and food in my belly, has allowed me to understand and relate to others in similar situations. It has empowered me to advocate for those who are always being oppressed by society because they lack financial resources. Due to my own experience I have learned that financial status does not make the person. Hard work and determination does. America was built on this ideology. However, it has been increasingly difficult for most Americans to reach that level of social and economic success. This is why I believe that education and advocacy is the key to success. It is also the solution to fighting intolerance in our society.
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I would give myself a rating of 10 because I strongly agree that I have a responsibility to contribute to greater societal well-being because I have acted on this ideology many times already in my life. I have worked and volunteered within the community helping others and making a difference. I have benefited from this in many ways, such as utilizing any new skills and resources I gain from those experiences. The goals of service learning are building connections between ourselves and others within the communities that we serve, developing relationships that will foster our educational and career goals, developing the skills to work within a multicultural community. The greatest acts of service are devotion and commitment which help to create positive change. I believe the root cause for the disparities among African Americans, Latinos and Native Americans is racism. Poverty, lack of education, and resources are a result of racism. I believe it is all of our responsibility to address this issue, but more importantly it is the responsibility of those who have the education, resources, skills, and abilities to change these statistics. To be an American means to me that our nation should be a role model for other nations around the world. The American way of life should represent all that is just and fair. As Americans, we should collaborate with other nations and teach them about the value of our way of life while at the same time respecting theirs. The core of the American identity is the ideals of freedom, equality, justice and liberty for every person in this great country.