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Class Consciousness I believe that both Friere and Marx made strong arguments in their writings. I feel that in one way or another thoughts and beliefs affect all of us on a daily basis. Friere believes that teachers oppress their students by using their knowledge as a weapon. Marx believes that the Bourgeoisie hold the power because they have more money than the proletariat. I feel that there are still class separations in today’s society. I believe that people will always be judged by their job, where they live, or how much money they have. I consider myself to be of the working class.
I work a full-time job, go to school, and take care of my two year old son. I know what it’s like to struggle and live paycheck to paycheck. I constantly have to worry about whether or not I will have enough money to pay my bills or buy my son the things he wants. My main goal in life is to be able to provide the best possible life for my son and myself. I feel that by struggling and having to work for everything I have, it has made me appreciate the things I have and not take anything for granted. I don’t necessarily believe that there is a class separation between college students.
I think that for the most part we are all working towards the same goal. I also feel that as students we can understand each others positions and have a mutual respect for one another. At the end of the day we are all trying to ensure that we will have a stable and profitable future. In Friere’s text he explains how teachers use their position and knowledge to suppress their students. Friere goes on to explain that teachers don’t really teach their students, they just tell them what they want them to know and expect the students to memorize.
There are some teachers that won’t explain what they are saying, and do not want to hear the students opinions. I feel there are some teachers like this, but for the most part I feel that teachers want their students to learn and grow. I also believe that teachers can learn a lot from their students and should be open to viewing things in a different light. I feel that there will always be a class system in society. How can there not be? There will always be people that have a lot of money and there will always be people that barely get by.
I also believe that one class can not survive without the other. Each class of people depends on the other for survival. This was true 100 years ago and still is today. The bourgeoisie depend on the working class to provide services and the proletariats depend on the bourgeoisie to buy their products and use their services. This will always be true and the different classes will always exist. Money equals power and knowledge equals power. So basically the more money or knowledge you have the more powerful you are.
I believe that the people that have money generally have a better education. I believe this to be true because people with more money can afford to get a better education. I also think that people with more money may not have to work as much so they may have more time to study and work on their assignments. I feel like I am at a disadvantage due to my financial standings. I feel that if I didn’t have to work as much I could devote more time to my studies. I grew up in an upper class area and always felt out of place.
Most of my friends were wealthy and had nice homes and cars. I grew up in a middle class family and was always a little intimidated by my friends that had money. I could always tell when I met one of my friend’s parents and they didn’t approve of me. I knew that because I had less money and didn’t live in house as nice as theirs that they thought I was below them. Livings in this area definitely made me want to do well in school so that I could get obtain a good paying job and not have to worry about money.
All in all I feel that there will always be class separation in society. I do not feel that this affects college students as much as it does the rest of society. I feel that when you are in college you are kind of in a bubble in your own world. You are just focused on doing what you need to do to graduate and do well. I think all college students share similar goals and strive to secure a stable financial future for themselves. I believe that education can most definitely be used as a weapon but rarely is.