Race, gender, and class in social analysis

Visual Representations of Class Consciousness

This paper discusses visual representations of class consciousness, and what these representations mean in a larger cultural and social sense. The paper also discusses my picture of myself, and my class, and what this picture tells me about who I am, and what I am supposed to be. The paper discusses how this combination defines me, and how it puts me in a specific box, or allows me more freedom.

Firstly, how do I see myself? I am female, black, Hispanic. I have been living in the U.S. For four years, and am in college in Florida. My Dad has a good job, so my Mum does not need to work. I want for nothing, as we are affluent, and so based on these markers (or visual representations), I would call myself middle class.

What visual representations of class do I portray to the outside world? As my family is affluent, I have nice clothes, and drive a nice new car. I have these things to fit into the society in which I currently live, to show other people my class, and to reinforce my race and gender.

The visual representations of class I use fit in with the model of class in the U.S., and so to 'fit in' ourselves, as black Hispanics in the U.S., a country that has a bad history regarding its treatment of blacks and Hispanics, we, as a family, use these external representations of class.

Class is a difficult issue for me to talk about as a black female, as acknowledging class can be seen to destabilize the notion that racism affects us all - black, white, Hispanic, Chinese, male, female -in equal ways (From Hooks: A Journey to Class Consciousness).

In political discussions, class is often kept separate from race, and whilst race can be linked more freely with gender (from Hooks: A Journey to Class Consciousness), the three concepts (race, gender and class) are not linked in public discourse for us to be able to discuss this issue openly.

I am black. I am a female. I am Hispanic. For me, this issue of linking race, class and gender is important. Only when these three issues are linked, and openly discussed, will I feel truly able to express myself as myself: my heritage, my gender, my race. In the meantime, I use icons, representations, of class, that are recognized by non-black, non-Hispanic people in my sphere of existence, and which classify me for them. To be able to fit in. To be accepted.