I’ve been following Social Class and Quakers, a very interesting blog on classism, becoming educated, and the subtle ways in which even the socially enlightened from the middle class may simply presume that they’re self-evidently benevolent.
It’s a brave, important, and fascinating conversation.
Education and Class 
Hey, thanks for stopping by my blog. I found you through site meter and I’m thrilled. I did a search on social class and blogs and came up empty.
I’m looking forward to delving deeply into your blog!
Jeanne
I’ve thought about your use of the word “unexpected,” and I’m curious about that choice.
Quakers are well-educated. College professor is a common profession. When I tell people I’m in school, they ask if I’m getting a master’s degree or PhD. The children expect every adult to have a college degree. Many meetings are situated on or near college campuses.
Liberal Quaker culture is more than very similar to culture on politically liberal campuses. So if even liberal college campuses have an issue with class…
🙂 Jeanne
Jeanne,
I’m so glad to see you here. Your blog showed up in a Technorati search I did on social class and I have been so intrigued by the discussion generated there.
(I get quite a few hits on that search every day, but not too many are really relevant. I also have set up daily Google Blog search alerts so that I get an email with 4 or 5 blog entries that talked about class that day. You showed up there, too).
Fair point about “unexpected”. My exposure to Quakerdom has been mostly casual – distant friends, reading, and a number of years ago, I interviewed at a Quaker college and everyone there mentioned the mission of social justice. I remember at the time wondering how that would work when most of the students that I met were clearly upper middle class. I turned down the job in part because of my unease about whether I would fit in.
I’m learning much more about the culture from you and the discussion that you’re generating.
And in the end, perhaps, I probably was conveying my hope that even among people who are trying to live more deliberate lives (while on campus, it’s easy to simply intellectualize), this conversation would be easier.
Looking very forward to more discussion.
Jane