Do you live in a bubble?

[ny96]

I'm embarrassed to say I got a 7.

[darnkatz]

I got a 61.

[rugbywife]

Sept 5, 2016 19:43:44 GMT -5 spunkarella said:

I don't like how the quiz seems to suggest that "real America" is rural, working class, uneducated. It sounds Fox newsy to me. Like the kind of America that Trump thinks is so great. I also found the lack of race as a factor to be very odd, niq thanks for the background info.

Can't someone just as easily grow up in a rural bubble and never be exposed to different cultures, foods, professions, ideas? I don't understand how that's less of a bubble.

ETA: I got a 55, mostly from growing up in a poor rural area. My first "job" was working under the table at a sewing factory while my grandma was babysitting me. Too young to be home alone, old enough to work an embroidery machine. 

It also only took into account experiences within the country...nothing about travel/exposure to other cultures/countries...I would think that would be 'out of the bubble', no?

[browneyedgirl9]

I received a 47

[Deleted]

Yeah, Charles Murray is...I'll go with problematic.

"There exists a new upper class that's completely disconnected from the average white American and American culture at large..."

The implication is that American culture is "white."

I could probably make a similar quiz for this supposed average white American that asks how many of them have taken public transportation in the last year, if any people of color attend their churches, and so on.

[pooh8402]

48. I had a rural upbringing, which I think gave me quite a few points. I still consider myself to be in a bubble, which is rural white America. Some of the aforementioned questions could have changed my score drastically. This quiz is flawed.

spunkarella, liking because I agree with you.

[mekia]

47

[lauren170]

32 - I grew up in a rural town, and worked in the airport for a year after college.

[fashionx]

45

I grew up in a middle class family in a medium sized(?) city. My dad was a union laborer.

My H fishes and used to have a pickup. And smokes, so although I am not a fan, I do voluntarily hang out with him.


I have to say, I have no idea how many people in my zip code now or growing up do or don't have college degrees.

[lilac05]

62.

I'm guessing because I grew up in a town of less than 10K and my dad & most neighbors are not college educated. I only watched one of each TV show for each question, so not sure that impacts it too much.

However, I think this quiz has a different definition of "bubble" than I do. I definitely grew up in a bubble, but a very small one. My hometown was very homogenous...in all areas: socioeconomic, racial, education, and religious. So, while not the bubble that the author is looking to reveal, it was most certainly a bubble.

ETA:  I agree with the PP who said this feels related to FOX News/Trump.  It's the kind of stuff designed to make people like I grew up with get pissed off and say "YOU PEOPLE DON'T UNDERSTAND!!!  YOU are in a bubble!"  Not recognizing their own bubble that they live in.  I grew up in one bubble, and now admittedly live in an almost entirely different (albeit much bigger) bubble.  Stuff like this is meant to be divisive, and fuel for the fire. 

[krystee]

30

[carolinagirl831]

Interesting.. I got a 27

[osulori]

47

[liveintheville]

I got a 40. I did wonder about my neighbors having degrees. We have a very large working Brazilian people here who are immigrants with no degrees. And we have Harvard Professors living here (not many) and a significant student population. But they tend to be in the other part of my neighborhood.
I answered no. But wonder if I should has answered yes.

[dancingirl21]

61 for me. I grew up in a rural town of 1800 and my dad has worked the same blue collar job since he was 18 years old.

DH got a 25. He grew up in the western suburbs of Chicago and his dad has always owned his own businesses.

[spk926]

26

[rugbywife]

Well, my neighbourhood 20 years ago would have had a lot fewer degrees...our area was made up of blue collar workers who worked in the factories in the city adjecent to us. But they have started moving out (retiring) and people moving in would likely have degrees.

[rbp]

I posted this same quiz three years ago while I was reading Murray's book: pandce.proboards.com/thread/199403/poll-live-bubble

The book was fascinating but basically distinguished between the liberal elite (basically where I reside now) and the working class/redneck whites (where I grew up), to say nothing of cultures outside of generic "white." This didn't really occur to me as I was reading the book, and the responses by miso and others really opened my eyes to this. I think this was the beginning of my direly needed education on my white privilege, that my culture is considered "mainstream."

[KaraOrNot]

50

[AmyRI]

53.
I found the stereotypes based on my answers interesting. One was right, although my score is significantly higher than typical for that category.

[Gato]

46.  I thought "second generation upper middle class person who has made a point of getting out a lot" really hit the nail on the head.  I currently live in a fairly cozy, non-inclusive bubble, unfortunately.

[azurely]

I got a 20.

I've taken it before too. I agree I live in a bubble, but the fact that I don't really watch TV or see many movies brought my score down.

[rugbywife]

Ok, the old thread from 3 years ago completely lines up with my thoughts as I read the quiz...I was confused as to how bubble was defined...now I get it, because it implies that the only culture experienced is white culture, which is why the quiz seemed off.

[miso]

Everybody lives in a fucking bubble.

Ugh.

I'm amazed you guys are posting re Charles Fucking Murray in light of your recent events.

[rbp]

Sept 5, 2016 20:54:38 GMT -5 rugbywife said:

Ok, the old thread from 3 years ago completely lines up with my thoughts as I read the quiz...I was confused as to how bubble was defined...now I get it, because it implies that the only culture experienced is white culture, which is why the quiz seemed off.

The book is about white America and glorifies the common culture of working-class rural whites (e.g., Joe the Plumber).

[sillygoosegirl]

That felt like a very random set of questions.

Also, could somebody please explain to me again what questions like the one about the chain restaurants are supposed to be getting at?

[irishbride2]

44

[Gato]

Ugh, Charles Murray is the WORST. I am feeling slimy for even taking this quiz seriously for a moment.

[rbp]

Sept 5, 2016 20:59:26 GMT -5 sillygoosegirl said:

That felt like a very random set of questions.

Also, could somebody please explain to me again what questions like the one about the chain restaurants are supposed to be getting at?

Urban liberal elites have better choices than Applebees et al. Chain restaurants make up most of the options in medium-town America like the town where I work (which has been in the news for its opposition to a new mosque, ugh). If you're truly in small-town America, on the other hand, you probably don't have a lot of these chains. I'm not sure how that issue is accounted for by the quiz.

[Deleted]

Hey, you know how people said they want to do better on issues relating to race? Try recognizing all the essentially racist assumptions - that some mythical white culture is the default American culture - instead of just posting your score.

ETA: Especially on PAGE THREE after this has already been addressed.