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Life Happens: A Work, Class, & Access to Resources Exercise✺ Created by: Tracy E. Ore Professor, St. Cloud State University, Department of Sociology & Anthropology

The Objectives:

1. For families to provide their members with the basic necessities of: • Food • Clothing • Shelter • Taxes

2. For families to provide their children with the best possible education.

3. To maintain the physical and mental well being of each family member by providing:
• Health care
•Entertainment
• Vacations

The Equipment:
• Family Descriptions  (below)
• Cost of Living Sheets (below)
• Life Happens Cards (I have these)

Preparation: Each group is then given a Family Profile that indicates the make-up of the family (e.g., how many adults, children, etc.), the household income, the amount of assets, as well as any special circumstances.

During the Exercise: Each family must meet the needs of each member and develop and maintain the budget of the household. Families should calculate a monthly budget. The instructor periodically distributes Life Happens cards that indicate an event or circumstance that will impact the family. Members of that particular family will have to make attempts to accommodate the events and circumstances of these cards.

The instructor acts as the government/state/and any other institution that has the responsibility of insuring the welfare and safety of children. Due to the lack of response or the irresponsibility of particular families, it may be necessary to take children into protective custody.

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Getting started:
• Identify:
• One person to serve as “head of household”
• One person to serve as a note taker
• One person to serve as a facilitator
• One person to serve as a task master
• One person (or more) to keep track of the quality of life of your family

Calculating your budget:
• Be sure to accommodate all mandatory expenditures
• Consider how your family is preparing for any unexpected expenses

During the exercise:

• Each time you receive a Life Happens card(12), consider how the event impacts your budget and do your best to accommodate the event.

• When you get a new card, you can assume that it is a new month (i.e., you just got paid).

• As you experience different Life Happens events, spend some time discussing how the event impacts the quality of life of your family.

• Throughout the exercise, discuss with each other:

• How your family is doing (i.e., quality of life). Are you happy? Stressed out?

• If your family is “successful” or merely getting by.

• What, if anything, needs to change to help you all do better?

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These quizzes are pretty crude -- and are no way an indicator of what class you are (or anyone else) but analyze the bits of truth here. Why are certain foods or items associated with the middle class, and not upper or lower?

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https://talkpoverty.org/poverty/

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http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2014/03/10-poverty-myths-busted/

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http://mashable.com/2015/07/27/welfare-myths-debunked/#ngh1G4LilZqt

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http://playspent.org/html/

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https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kvK0tsAmqHokOGl-dVTo9bXrPL9e5d3iyhCEJUSXLuM/edit?usp=sharing

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Requires Adobe Flash 6

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http://www.nytimes.com/packages/html/national/20050515_CLASS_GRAPHIC/index_03.html

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https://www.theladders.com/p/25749/social-class-first-seven-words

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https://docs.google.com/document/d/1X2OquV6Qk0oArKKgnXHhHqA9vvBhvLg6oXdaDj1gToU/edit?usp=sharing

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Compare with a partner near you who did this activity

Which category do your parents or older siblings fall into?

Does this list need updating?

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Family Profile #1
Gross Annual Income: $32,240.00 After Tax Annual Income: $28,011.00
Monthly Income: $2334.25 A
ssets: $0.00

Family Members:
1 Adult Female
1 Adult Male
1 female child age 6

Description: Your family lives in an apartment in a small town outside a large metropolitan area. Both adults work full-time for minimum wage with a small employer ($7.75/hour). Your employers provide no health benefits or vacation time. There is no mass transit available. Your child has a learning disability and requires additional tutoring outside of the public school she attends. Instructions

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Family Profile #2

Gross Annual Income: $39,377.00 After Tax Annual Income: $27,387.48
Monthly Income: $2307.29
Assets: $0.00

Family Members:
2 adult females
1 female child age 10
1 male teenager age 18

Description: Your family lives in an apartment in a large metropolitan area. One adult works as a teacher of pre-school in the public schools. She and her 18-year-old child are covered under her employer’s insurance program. The other adult recently lost her job as an employee at a major appliance company. There is a metropolitan bus service available. The teenager is applying to go to college.

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Family Profile #3

Gross Annual Income: $52,000.00 After Tax Annual Income: $44,388.00
Monthly Income: $3,699.00
Assets: $5,000.00 (Non-liquid)

Family Members:
1 Adult Female
1 Adult Male
3 Teenagers age 13-17

Description: Your family lives in a (not-yet-paid-for) house in a small town outside a large metropolitan area. One adult works full-time at a refrigerator plant. The other adult works part-time at a catalog warehouse. There is a metropolitan bus service available. The youngest child is autistic and requires an adult be home with him.

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Gross Annual Income: $49,242.00
After Tax Annual Income: $39,000.00
Monthly Income: $3,250.00
Assets: $5,000.00 (Non-liquid)

Family Members:
1 Adult Female
1 Adult Male
1 female child age 4
1 male child age 8

Description: Your family lives in a (not-yet-paid-for) house in a large metropolitan area. Both adults work full-time in a small business that you own. Your health insurance is provided through your business.

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Gross Annual Income: $74,109.00
After Tax Annual Income: $57,305.00
Monthly Income: $4775.42
Assets: $0.00

Family Members:
3 Adults
1 male child age 10
1 female child age 12

Description: Your family lives in a 3-bedroom apartment in a suburb of a large metropolitan area. An elderly relative recently moved into the residence. One adult works full-time as a nurse’s aid in a near-by hospital. Another adult works full-time as a school security guard. The elder relative does receive social security benefits. There is a metropolitan bus service available nearby your home. The elderly relative is not able to provide childcare.

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Gross Annual Income: $60,873.00
After Tax Annual Income: $48,000.00

Monthly Income: $4,000.00 Assets: $10,000.00 (Non-liquid)

Family Members:
2 Adult Males
1 female child age 12
1 teenage male age 16

Description: Your family lives in a (not-yet-paid-for) house in a large metropolitan area. You own two cars, one of which is paid for. Both adults work as public defenders: one full-time and the other part-time. Each employer provides health benefits. Your son is hoping to graduate early from high school and is considering traveling before attending college. Your daughter has a learning disability and requires additional tutoring outside of the public school she attends.

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https://www.indy100.com/article/16-belongings-that-reveal-if-youre-middle-class-7327241

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https://www.buzzfeed.com/jamiejones/is-your-fridge-posh?utm_term=.nbw303v2z#.srrP5PVa4