Standards…
Lance and I came across this “wealth” of information while grabbing a bite to eat in downtown Portland. It caught our attention because it looked like something that should have been in a classroom.
(Click photo for larger version.)
Upon closer examination we discovered it was from a classroom series on Economics developed in 1962. I can’t quite put my finger on it but something about this poster is vaguely unsettling.
What are your thoughts?
What is “From the Road?” At the beginning of every month we will share a thought provoking (if sometimes silly) quote, photo, or humorous moment with you. We may draw from a variety of sources (signs, brochures or conversations), but they will all have one thing in common—they entered our lives because we are on the road.
Soooo, is what we think of as the middle class somewhere between health and decency and comfort? 1962 is the year after I graduated from high school. I was somewhere between subsistence and health & decency back then.
I find unsettling the implication that those who live at the poverty or subsistence level aren’t “decent.”
Or that the female stick figures never climb to “wealth.”
Thank you for your thoughtful comments ladies. I certainly hope that this poster is no longer used in schools! Thankfully, so many things have changed since the early 60s. I especially disliked the solid line separating each “class” as if there was never any chance for improvement.
I also graduated in 1962 and grew up under those attitudes in West Virginia. The poster fits that time and place. My older sisters and I have greatly outperformed expectations (both our parents had 8th grade educations) but we had to leave Appalachia to even get the idea that we were “allowed” to achieve. The picture given is brutal, but still true in many parts of the country. Cultural glass ceilings are many and varied.
I am particularly struck by the relationship between wealth and well being. There is perhaps a weak causal connection, but in my experience, it is very weak. I am drawn to self-actualized individuals; I find little connection between their economic basis and their sense of well being.
Hi Bob,
Thank you for your thoughtful comment. I think you hit the nail on the head with the “cultural glass ceilings”. There were times while traveling across the country that we became distinctly aware that we were afforded more opportunities merely because of either our skin color or simply because we didn’t live there.
The flip of the coin though is that it is up to each individual to make the most of their lives. Here again, you are so right. In our view, the defining factor isn’t having lots of money but how we live our life.
Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts with us!