America's socio-economic classes are highly siloed. Rich and poor people live in different areas, work for different employers, shop at different stores, and study at different schools. And as wealth inequality has increased over the past 60 years, the gap has widened.
But as a new analysis shows, there is still a place in society where CEOs, bankers and doctors hone their skills alongside cashiers, cooks and housekeepers: low-cost, full-service chain restaurants. exists. We're talking about places like Applebee's, Buffalo Wild Wings, IHOP, Chili's, and Olive Garden.
rich dad, poor dad
Maxim Masenkov, assistant professor of manpower and economics at the Naval Postgraduate School, and Nathan Wilmers, associate professor of work and organization studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, teamed up to conduct the study. The pair used anonymous nationwide cell phone tracking data to observe where people in rich and poor areas spent their time during the day.
Not surprisingly, people living in the richest 20% of neighborhoods have more access to golf courses, country clubs, furniture stores, fitness centers, breweries, Starbucks, wineries, etc. than people in the poorest 20% of neighborhoods. Visit much more often. Meanwhile, people in the poorest communities spend more time at dollar stores, tire stores, correctional facilities, wireless carriers, and credit unions.
More broadly, wealthy people also visit more full-service dining restaurants. They also spend much less time at drug stores and gas stations than the poor. Rich and poor people alike spend a lot of time in churches, supermarkets, and parks, but they don't go to the same places often, further segregating socio-economic classes.
big classification
Fast food restaurants and drug stores are also surprisingly isolated. While most people tend to enjoy a satisfying McDonald's breakfast and get their prescriptions filled, these facilities are numerous and located in both wealthy and poor neighborhoods. Therefore, when people visit them, they remain close to home and therefore remain among people of similar socio-economic status.
Overall, socio-economic isolation tends to be more prevalent in urban and suburban areas, the study found. The Big Sort: Why a group of like-minded Americans is tearing us apart.
“If given the opportunity, people go to church, join clubs, work with people like themselves, and sing together. In small towns, you don't have a choice. If you're a Presbyterian Then there would be one church,” he told Big Think.
At Olive Garden you are family
But Massenkopf and Wilmers discovered that there are still places where all of America can gather, including affordable sit-down restaurants like Olive Garden and Applebee's. There are many factors behind its wide appeal. They are usually located near major transportation corridors and shopping areas, have a wide and appealing menu, are reasonably priced, have spacious interiors, and tend to have relatively quick service.
Several other institutions promote the mix of America's socio-economic classes, including thrift store Goodwill, low-cost grocery chain ALDI, arts and crafts store Hobby Lobby, and hardware store Ace Hardware. There is.
Further analysis by Masenkov and Wilmers shows that these cross-class encounters can lead to friendships. “ZIP codes where poor people have a higher rate of encounters with wealthy people in their daily lives have higher degrees of cross-class friendships, as measured by Facebook data,” they write. ing.
This is encouraging, as media echo chambers and social media algorithms often divide rich and poor along ideological lines. But at restaurants like Olive Garden, Buffalo Wild Wings, Chili's, and Applebee's, you can share space and witness our common humanity while enjoying cheap drinks and nibbling on cheap appetizers. Who wants to eat soup, salad, and breadsticks forever?
