Declan Sperry

Arizona State University

OGL 350

11 July 2021

Module 3 Discussion Post

One major challenge that I would anticipate facing when opening a branch office in a

small Appalachian town would be the implicit effects of class-related socialization on the ways

in which my college educated, middle-class colleagues will treat and interact with the local

residents that are hired. As discussed in the article, “Defining Cycles of Socialization,” all

individuals are socialized to play a particular role in systems of oppression and internalize

‘lessons’ about different demographics of people from a young age, (Harro, 1986). As someone

who was socialized in the middle class, throughout my socialization, I have received various

messages about individuals in lower socioeconomic classes, most of which have a negative

connotation. Growing up in the middle class, individuals are taught that poverty is a sort of moral

failing and that poor people are either to be feared or looked down upon. Unless my colleagues

with middle class backgrounds have done the internal work to evaluate and challenge their

socialization in order to unlearn classist beliefs, I fear that they could end up being

condescending towards their local co-workers of lower socio-economic status in a way that is

harmful to the local employees and the team as a whole.

The second challenge I anticipate facing is a lack of common experiences on which to

base cohesion amongst team members. As illustrated in the personal anecdotes present in the
article, “Supposed to Know Better – Explorations in Privilege, Oppression, and Diversity,” the

life experiences of those who grow up in poverty differ greatly from those of individuals who

grew up in the middle class (Megivern, 2005). While similarities are not the only potential

source of cohesion within a team, they can function as a major source of connection amongst

people. Because of this, it will be particularly important for this team to focus on building

cohesion based on factors other than similarities in experience, such as core values.

The third challenge I anticipate facing in the creation of this branch would be grappling

with the consequences of the prevalence of the myth of meritocracy. According to the article,

“Race, Privilege, and The Growing Class Divide,” 43 percent of Americans believe in

meritocracy, or the idea that social advancement is based in work ethic and skill rather than in

situational factors or aspects of privilege (Lacy, 2015). If this view of social class and class

mobility permeates into the ways in which my branch perceives the world and our clientele, this

could lead to a variety of issues and failure to address underlying causes of problems present.

While these challenges do exist, with the proper implementation of various strategies and

foresight, they can be effectively overcome. With regards to the first challenge addressed, I

propose that we mandate diversity training that focuses on aspects of class for all employees at

this branch in order to ensure that all employees reflect on how they have been socialized in

regard to class so that they can address their individual implicit biases. When it comes to the

second issue addressed, I believe the best solution is to initiate activities and practices aiming to

build trust and cohesion amongst the group and to focus on areas of commonality relating to

values, visions, and goals. Finally, in order to address the third anticipated challenge, I propose

that we address the idea of meritocracy and the underlying systems of oppression that exist

society during the diversity training that intends to address the first challenge discussed. I believe
that the combination of the above strategies along with a culture of accountability and self-

reflection, this branch can successfully overcome the challenges presented when working across

class lines.

Works Cited

Harro, B. (1986). Cycles of Socialization. In M. Adams, W.J. Blumenfeld, R. Castañeda, H.W.

Hackman, M.L. Peters, & X. Zúñiga (Eds.), Readings for Diversity and Social Justice.

(pp. 15-21). Routledge.

Lacy, K. (2015). Race, Privilege and the Growing Class Divide. Ethnic and Racial Studies,

38(8), 1246-1249. DOI:10.1080/01419870.2015.1016059

Megivern, D. (2005). Supposed to Know Better – On Accepting Privilege. In S.K. Anderson &

V.A. Middleton (Eds.) Explorations in Privilege, Oppression, and Diveristy. (pp. 17-23).

Thomson.