Location, Class and Status

Furthermore on the topic of schools, my previous school Northmead Creative and Performing Arts High School was where I completed my junior years of high school (7~10). It  was a public school, located around 30 minutes from where I lived (Castle Hill). Transitioning to this school was… 'different' and what I'd like to call 'confronting' . My micro & meso level of friendship definitely expanded due to moving areas. Many of the students came from broken families where they’ve been confronted with drugs and alcohol. People doing drugs, alcohol at young ages was soon such a normal witness for me.

Last Day at NCAPAHS

I believe location, class and status contribute significantly in this situation. We live in the generation where having good jobs is important, what area you live in, how many toilets your house has, etc. Society strongly enforces the stereotypes and social norms of being rich based on the size of your house, car, etc. It is definitely socially constructed to a hierarchal society by labelling people 'high class, middle class or lower class'. This large large world is continuously judging and comparing people for their class and status. From always traveling around the 'hills district' to transitioning to Northmead was a whole new level. Castle Hill is a pretty high class location whereas Northmead is the opposite. Therefore people who live in the area are brought up differently, experiencing a different diversity of the city. It is strange to think that somewhere 30 minutes away from where you live is a total division. Because of their location, the moral and values that northmead learnt was different to my local surroundings. I once also had a couple of friends who wanted to have babies by the age of 16, for me that was such a cultural shock and stood up for what I believed in saying that, it is not okay. Unfortunately when its more than one person that thinks that, it is difficult to get your message across.

How i communicate and talk also has an influence in my social and personal identity. Depending on the location or area of where you live the 'trend', 'the next in word' varies. For example we have discovered that at Oakhill College the word 'tune', 'trust', 'oath' are a trending words that have new meanings added to the actual definition. However if i were to say these words at Northmead, no one would understand it as it only complies at Oakhill. My friends have mentioned to me a few times that i talk like a 'bogan'. I believe this conclusion has been made because of the location of Northmead and my previous peers. This proves depending on the location of person i interact with, changes the way i communicate to one.