Youths United and Divided

Lewis and Clark Undergraduate college in Portland, Oregon is no cheap educational endeavor. A year of attendence costs around $60,000, give or take depending on meal plan, housing choice, and scholarships offered (Student). Nonetheless, this school is comprised of those belonging to upper income families and kids who worked extremely hard in high school and warranted considerable financial aid. As a student at this institution, I have seen a mix of these people, with those of upper class backgrounds making up the majority. There are plenty of outliers to this norm- for instance, there are people who are able to come because of their desirable demographics. But for the most part, you either have to work hard, be born into a certain family, or get out.

In Sociology class, we discussed the different coping strategies for financial stress. Those belonging to upper class families supposedly cope with their relative uncertainty by thinking of the future, focusing on education, expanding social networks and micro managing budgets in an attempt to retain their wealth. Those in the middle income bracket simply "hang on," usually with an assigned comic relief/optimist and a designated worrier. Money isn't spent lavishly and social endeavors are put to the bottom of the priority list. People in the lower class find themselves "downscaling:" reprioritizing expenditures, forcing optimism, and focusing on the present moment rather than the uncertain future. Sometimes people in this bracket "look to God" as religious groups can offer support in return for commitment to a faith (Cooper).

In the context of Lewis and Clark, I found these strategies to be present but with some discrepancies and overlaps. While it is true that those of lower class backgrounds focus on the present and are careful with their funds, those belonging to the upper class are often successful social networkers and do micromanage budgets, and people from the middle class balance optimism and anxiety- I have found no one that that looks to God out of economic instability, I have noticed that those of the upper class are sometimes rather flossy with their expenditures, the students of the middle class description still heavily prioritize social events. Furthermore, I have found that all students, regardless of income bracket, share certain coping strategies.

(This photo was taken by myself and does not depict the real life people I have discussed. It is merely a portrayal of college spending)

I have encountered quite a few students of the upper class description. We'll call them Steward, Harvey, and Lacey. Since arriving to college, Lacey has made a point to get to know just about everyone on campus and showers them with stories of her travels around the world. She spends incredible amounts of money on drugs, going out to eat, and shopping. She isn't concerned with money, and she lavishly spends what her parents have saved. Steward has done similar things with his impressive budget. He has remodeled his dorm room, stalked his single with snacks and impressive technology, and spends most weekends driving up to Mount Hood in his personal car and skiing with his fancy equipment- though he is constantly concerned about money and is always looking for the best deals in his many purchases. Harvey resents his parents' money and hates to use it. He is extremely thoughtful with his funds, though doesn't mind purchasing concert tickets regularly, shopping frequently, and going out to eat often.


Those of the middle class background have two distinct sides. Marv, for instance, is simultaneously happy to spend money on friends, go out to eat on occasion and likes to shop cheaply when he can. He becomes very anxious when he has to pay extra money for class supplies and hates that he has to ask friends to pay him back frequently. He doesn't focus on the future and he simply alternates between not thinking about money and worrying that its running out. This seems to be true for the other students I have met of the middle class persuasion.

Those of the lower class will be represented by Mel. Mel has to make it clear that she can't afford most things. She stays on campus most of the time, eats the food from her meal plan, and is unfortunately having to leave the school next semester. She is forced to think about the future because it is drastically different than the present and coming up fast. She is extremely practical and realistic as she realizes that she can no longer sustain even the smallest amount of money spending possible at Lewis and Clark.

Despite their economic backgrounds, most of these students are at least somewhat focused on socializing, partying, and the present moment. The future makes most everyone on campus nervous because it's incredibly uncertain for many reasons: hardly anyone knows what they want to do with their lives, what they're passionate about, where they might end up, where their support will come from, or even who they'll be. The stresses of money are mingled with those of coming into adulthood, complicating students' anxieties and uniting them across income brackets. Because they share similar environments and developmental challenges, most all students rely on socializing, various forms of escapism (including: art, hallucinogens, philosophy, unsafe sex, etc.), and blaming it on the alcohol.

(This photo also does not portray the real life people this blog post refers to and is merely an example of a small college "party." Although this would technically be considered a "kick back.")

Works Cited

Cooper, Marianne. Cut Adrift: Families in Insecure times. Print.

"Student and Departmental Account Services." Undergraduate Costs. Web. 25 Apr. 2016.