Is classism a
problem in our society in general or Slovak society in particular? Are the poor often seen as undeserving of
help? Are blue-collar crimes (or crimes
by poor minorities), more often condemned than white (collar) crimes? What encourages such prejudice and what can
be done to combat it?
Poverty is a huge issue in the modern world, mainly in specific parts and countries. It has always been an issue in the past, and will probably still be one in the future. It is a rather abstract term, since everyone can have their own definition of poverty. Some view it as the case when they aren’t able to buy new clothes, some when they aren’t able to eat out often, and other’s when they have nothing to eat or nowhere to live.
ReplyDeleteWe can’t really blame how poverty is defined by different individuals since everyone comes from a different background and can afford a different lifestyle. That is probably why, as also suggested by the article, it is only an “imaginary landscape” for the members of the upper and middle classes. If a person hasn’t really experienced real poverty themselves, there is no way of understanding it fully. We can try to understand it, but can never claim that we fully do.
Even though we don’t have social casts in the modern world anymore, there is still a difference that can be felt between the richer and the poorer. It isn’t set by the social system, but everyone is still conscious of their status, even if unwillingly. This is a phenomenon that is around and won’t probably go away as easily, since differences in wealth have always been present and there is probably no way of achieving 100% equality in these matters.
It is rather hard to judge if people become poor by their own mistakes, or not. This is a controversial topic that doesn’t have one correct answer. However, helping each other is humane and should be more common. If someone has the opportunity to help someone in need, they should do it at least for their own good. It does depend on the person themselves of course since nothing is black and white, but the idea of helping others should appeal to more people, which would probably make this world a better place. But of course it is easy to say it, and harder to actually do it.
I consider Slovakia to be one of the less sympathetic countries when it comes to the image and treatment of homeless people. I think the general mindset of a slovak, or maybe better said, a person from Bratislava, is that if they are homeless it’s either because they can’t find work because of some disability or because they are drunks. Very rarely do you see people giving money to beggars in Bratislava. Many times, you hear stories how people wanted to give them food instead of money, but they refused. I think these people could be categorized into the “bad poor” who choose not to work according to Kalifa. Sadly, these types of beggars create the mindset of the general public, that all beggars are drunks and just want the money. It creates a stereotype which can be very harmful to homeless people who became homeless due to a tragedy or not from their own fault.
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to prejudices over crime rate of blue-collar crimes and white (collar) crimes in Slovakia, I think there is an evident stereotype concerning the Roma people. They are all considered to be dirty, living in their ghettos and only causing trouble. Of course, this image may not be far from the truth since stereotypes have to start from something, but it can’t be applied to all Roma people. Sadly, I think many Slovaks consider the Roma people to be a burden to the country and be the ones responsible for many crimes. But when we look at reality, white collar crimes, such as corruption and stealing euro funds and millions from the government are crimes which are much more harmful to the country than the petty crimes of the Roma people in Slovakia.
I agree with @Barbora’s statement that Slovakia can be considered one of the less sympathetic countries when it comes to the treatment of homeless people. Usually, people ignore their demands and pretend they don’t even exist in order to avoid confrontation with them. In my opinion, there are several reasons for this attitude. Firstly, as stated above, previous negative experiences with “bad poor” can lead to resignation and reluctance to help even from those who would be willing to sacrifice part of their income and time. Secondly, a lot of Slovak citizens are just selfish because they feel aggrieved when they work all day and pay taxes and then someone who lies on the bench in the meantime asks for their support. I don’t defend this egotistical behavior; I just want to explain their point of view. And lastly, people are just afraid. Not everyone has the courage to face unknown, smelly or dirty strangers despite their innocent requests. I was always taught by my parents to avoid such people when I was a child, and this carefulness stays deeply rooted inside me in spite of my tendency to generosity. Maybe, we would be more charitable if would be able to overcome that fear.
Delete