blog 10

Blog 10

For my ARP paper, I will be exploring the growing rift between the upper and lower classes of our modern day society. The episode “Shindig” presents the audience with the wealthy side of Firefly. Inara is invited to a ball with the rich Atherton Wing. Mal, with the intent to keep an eye on Inara, sneaks into the ball. This episode really illustrates the huge difference between the upper and lower classes in the universe of Firefly. The ball is ornate, fancy, and filled with snooty, snobby, and very wealthy individuals. Moments before the scene that shows the ball, there is a scene showing some lowly criminals discussing plans to steal from the rich. The ongoing fight between the Alliance and the rebels of Serenity and other rebels also illustrates the argument because the Alliance is represented as being very wealthy, while the rebels must steal and plunder to get by at times. Joss Whedon seems to be arguing the rift between the rich and the wealthy in society. The recent economic strife of the U.S is creating a larger divide between the upper and lower classes of our society, while the middle class is slowly disappearing. I will be researching the following questions; Is there a growing rift between upper and lower classes in our society? How big an issue is this rift? Why has it become an issue?

Sources of Research:

Abramowitz, Alan. "The Decline of the White Working Class and the Rise of a Mass Upper-Middle Class." Political Science Quarterly Fall 2009: 391-422. Web. 7 Apr 2011

Curry, Andrew. "The New Upper Class." Archaeology March 2011: 40-45. Web. 7 Apr 2011

Lukočienė, Olga. "The Simultaneous Decisions About the Number of Lower and Higher Level Classes in Multilevel Latent Class Analysis." Socialogical Methodology 2010: 247-283. Web. 7 Apr 2011

Kirkpatrick, David. "Rich, Poor And a Rift Exposed By Unrest." New York Times 01 31 2011: n. pag. Web. 7 Apr 2011

Venkat, Kumar. "Digital Divide and Poverty." Journal of Poverty 2001: n. pag. Web. 7 Apr 2011