James Carville had some interesting things to say about changes to the Deep South in a book he wrote. He noted that long ago, the rich and the poor (okay, rich and poor whites back then) mingled more. The vast majority of kids went to the same public school. Getting away from Carville’s observations for a moment, I am old enough to remember when the rich kids didn’t get a penny more from their parents than the poor kids did - hell, most didn’t know they were rich. He also noted that most people went to church and everyone was the same in church. And people did more things themselves when it came to property out of pride and enjoyment. An able-bodied man or woman (primarily men at the time), even a rich one, did basic repairs to his car and house, and mingled with poorer men at the small, local hardware store.
Now private schools are a big thing in the U.S. (some blame the bussing disaster), few people go to church, and even if you wanted to work on your car, it is a big computer and you can’t anyway. The old-fashioned hardware store is no more. You are buying stuff either at a huge Wal-Mart or Home Depot in the U.S. Rich people mostly hang out with rich people in wealthier neighborhoods, and only encounter poorer people when the poor provide services to them. There are fewer social opportunities for them to interact as equals. And it starts young - the advertising system now demands that wealthier parents spend a fortune on their kids. So even in youth sports and other extracurricular activities, the kids from wealthier families have nicer stuff, and often new cars at 16.
It is difficult in modern times for the wealthier to not feel superior. That is not a good thing, but it isn’t really their fault.
