Category: Class and Social Standing

Since the term “rich” (like “poor”) is vague, it’s helpful to specify income levels or categories where possible and appropriate (X individual makes a seven-figure salary/is a multimillionaire). It’s also important to note the realities of generational wealth.

An acronym for “yes in my backyard.” It refers to an individual known for support of local development, particularly housing development. When discussing YIMBYism, it’s useful to note the specifics of the policies in question.

Terms used to refer to the stability of an individual or family’s housing and living situation. No single index or definition of these terms exist, so it can be helpful to explain local concerns, such as noting if a region is more impacted by houselessness than another, along with the systemic factors that may be involved.

Rural has a long association with being lower-income and as a euphemism or coded term for “poor.” Not all rural individuals necessarily work agricultural or other manual labor jobs in particular.

Income refers to payment for one’s work/labor. Wealth refers to the net worth of an individual or household. Wealth is often conflated with spending habits, which can lead to inaccurate depictions. Focusing on wealth in detail also helps dispel many of the myths associated with being “rich” in the US since much of it is generational (e.g., passing down houses from generation to generation). Referring to individuals or families as “low wealth” is a more straightforward alternative to terms like “poor” or “struggling,” which may seem to editorialize and may not match a person’s actual experiences.

Self-made refers to someone who purportedly established a business or amassed a fortune on their own. However, stories about “self-made people” or “rags to riches” may be an opportunity to portray how an individual’s background and systemic factors played a role in their present success and/or wealth. The bootstraps euphemism in particular is often leveraged against lower-income, nonwhite individuals.

Inner city is a coded term for a densely populated and generally less wealthy section of a city. Clearer, more precise language would be a description like “neighborhood where X percent of the population is below the federal poverty line” or simply referring to the neighborhood(s) affected.  

Labor and work associated with providing services to people, as opposed to the creation of goods. Being as specific as possible about the type of job being covered is important for clarity, as is interviewing a wide range of subjects.