Written by Clayton Seguna
As stated by the NUS (National Union of Students) President Shakira Martin, education has given her a second chance in life, a well-needed second chance which allowed her to change her life.
President Shakira Martin also believes that lower-class individuals should not be an exception to experience a successful education. According to a report, lower-class/working-class individuals end up paying high payments to sustain their educational pursuit within the university. Despite a number of attempts that have been made by governments to offer university opportunities for everyone, the gap is still very much existent.
What makes one drop out or not even attempt to enter University?
In this recurring problem of the educational sector, I believe that one has to observe the psychological impacts, individuals in the lower-class/working-class undergo. Manstead stated that through his findings he found that individuals found in the lower-class have shown that they have higher emotional intelligence. He furthermore notes that institutions like universities and high roles within companies, all follow middle-class norms. Norms of which individuals who are lower-class know little or nothing of. Thus, he concludes by saying that this might act as a reason for individuals in the working class not applying for such institutions. Lastly, he suggests that for lower-class individuals to be truly representative in such institutions, there needs to be a whole reshuffle of the norms that such institutions hold, thus be more working-class acceptant.
The stereotype with lower-class individuals
A stereotype is defined as a belief about certain characteristics which formulate a group of people. Unfortunately, individuals who belong in the lower-class also fall victim to certain stereotypes, with the most commonly shared one being that lower-class individuals tend to feel less satisfied in life when compared with other classes. For many individuals, the pursuit of happiness and the pursuit of wealth, consider it to be one shared road. Maybe it is for this reason that individuals who have a low income are pictured to be unhappy and unsatisfied with their life. However, this is debatable. Easterlin wanted to explore if money does actually increase happiness or not, and the results were interesting. He explained, that as income increased, so did the level of happiness in the respective individuals. However, at a certain point happiness stopped increasing, whilst the income kept on increasing.
The relationship between money, happiness, and time
This goes to show that happiness might be partly caused by money, but it is not determined by it. Mogilner and Norton studied the triangular relationship between money, happiness, and time. Through their studies, they have concluded that spending time acquiring ordinary and/or extraordinary experiences increases happiness, spending money on acquiring experiences rather than possessions, increases happiness. Lastly, they also found that spending one’s money on other people further increases happiness. With the literature gathered in the previous section of this article, one can note how the stereotype that lower-class individuals experience less happiness and life satisfaction, might actually be a false one. This is because, if lower-class individuals tend to experience more emotional intelligence, they are more likely to use their finances for other people, as it is a form of prosocial behaviour. Thus, in theory, this would mean that working-class individuals experience more happiness in life.
In conclusion, I personally believe that stereotypes are a factor amongst others that drive our species into further discrimination and inequality. We must battle against our own biases we hold against individuals, as we must understand that we are all equal humans. Throughout the penultimate week of May, we celebrate Mental Health Awareness Week, a week in which we focus on a theme to raise awareness about. This year-round, the theme is ‘kindness’. As a citizen, who strongly holds that people are to be treated equally and fairly, I believe that this theme is not held only for a week, but it is of utmost importance to be kind to every individual. As many posts on social media tend to share, ‘people have their own demons’…let us focus on not being one of them.
cover image: source