This 1957 educational film about Social Class in America pulls no punches.

[valerief]

It talks about ascribed class and mentions matter-of-factly (after 3-minute mark) how geography, nationality, religion, and race can affect one's class. Can you imagine that being fed to the everyone-gets-a-trophy generation? Of course, it focuses only on the stories of three white males from the same town, since white males are the only people who matter anyway.

I watched it on pubdhub, but it's also on You Tube.

[Warpy]

1. Bottom line? Get the hell out of Podunk

Which is exactly what a lot of educated people have always had to do. Class is enforced at every level in the smaller towns and that advanced degree won't get you into the upper echelons of town businesses but it will allow you to teach the children of those who are already there--for a pittance.

Those town businesses will go head hunting in the cities if they need to fill an upper echelon position. They just won't head hunt anyone who grew up in that town in a lower status family.

Class is weird. It's the reason I wasn't allowed to fall very far, although I do know what real hunger feels like. It's also the reason too many people are never allowed to rise. It's inheritable and hard as hell to get rid of, gawd knows I tried.

Getting out of Podunk and never going back helped.

[FreakinDJ]

2. Factorys and Middle class jobs have been outsourced to China

so now the Wealthy Elite just practice Disaster Capitalism on the Lower Class

[Curmudgeoness]

3. Well, that was blunt.

Now young people can understand why my generation is so cynical. We were told how it is. I don't recall ever seeing this one, but it was known that you were whatever your parents were.

And people wonder why we all left our hometowns!

[Hulk]

4. A bit depressing...but reality

Agree with the previous post. Get out of Podunk! You'll always be your parents class so long as you stay there. Exceptions, of course; but damned few.