10 things lower middle-class couples do for anniversaries that upper-class couples would never consider – VegOut

Report on Socioeconomic Disparities in Anniversary Celebrations and Their Relation to Sustainable Development Goals

Introduction

An analysis of anniversary celebration practices reveals significant disparities between different socioeconomic strata. These differences in consumption, social expression, and resource allocation directly correlate with several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 1 (No Poverty), SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), and SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production). This report examines ten distinct trends in anniversary celebrations, highlighting how they serve as indicators of economic inequality and their broader implications for sustainable development.

Analysis of Celebration Practices and SDG Alignment

1. Digital Visibility and Social Validation

The nature of sharing celebrations on social media platforms highlights disparities linked to SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities).

• Lower-Middle Income Strata: Frequent and detailed public documentation (e.g., countdowns, multiple daily posts) is common. This behavior can be interpreted as a means of seeking social validation and demonstrating economic progress in a society marked by inequality.
• Upper-Income Strata: Celebrations are marked by privacy and discretion, with minimal social media presence. This privacy itself functions as a status symbol, indicating that public validation is unnecessary for an already established social position.

2. Travel and Tourism Patterns

Choices regarding travel for anniversaries reflect different approaches to local and global economies, impacting SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) and SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities).

• Lower-Middle Income Strata: The “staycation” at a local hotel is a prevalent choice. This practice supports local economies and reduces the carbon footprint associated with long-distance travel, aligning with principles of sustainable tourism.
• Upper-Income Strata: Celebrations often involve national or international travel to exclusive destinations. While contributing to the global tourism economy, this model entails a significantly higher environmental impact and may not always benefit local communities equitably.

3. Consumption Models: DIY vs. Outsourced Services

The approach to event preparation demonstrates a clear divide in consumption patterns, directly relevant to SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production).

• Lower-Middle Income Strata: A “Do-It-Yourself” (DIY) approach involving handmade decorations and setups is common. This model emphasizes personal time and creativity over financial expenditure, representing a lower-consumption, resource-conscious pattern.
• Upper-Income Strata: Event planning and decoration are typically outsourced to professionals. This practice reflects a high-consumption model where financial resources are used to procure services, prioritizing time-saving and professional execution over personal labor.

4. Community Engagement vs. Exclusivity

The scale of celebrations indicates different values placed on community and privacy, touching upon SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities).

• Lower-Middle Income Strata: Anniversaries are often large, communal events involving friends and extended family. This fosters social cohesion and strengthens community bonds.
• Upper-Income Strata: Celebrations are typically private and intimate, reserved for the couple or immediate family. This preference for exclusivity can reinforce social stratification.

5. Materialism and Gift-Giving Practices

The public display of gifts underscores differing attitudes towards material wealth and consumption, a key concern of SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production).

• Lower-Middle Income Strata: The public sharing of gifts received is a common practice, treating material acquisitions as significant achievements worthy of display.
• Upper-Income Strata: Gifts are rarely displayed publicly. Discretion surrounding material possessions is valued, suggesting that luxury is an integrated part of life rather than a notable event.

6. Nostalgia vs. Novelty in Experiences

The choice between recreating past memories and seeking new experiences relates to consumption drivers and sustainability.

• Lower-Middle Income Strata: Recreating sentimental moments, such as a first date, is a popular tradition. This practice emphasizes emotional value over new consumption.
• Upper-Income Strata: The focus is predominantly on creating new, often high-cost, experiences. This preference for novelty can drive a cycle of continuous consumption.

7. Food Consumption and a Sustainable Food System

Dining choices are a stark indicator of economic access and support for different segments of the food industry, relevant to SDG 8 and SDG 12.

• Lower-Middle Income Strata: Celebrations often take place at chain restaurants, which are accessible and affordable but may have less sustainable supply chains.
• Upper-Income Strata: Dining occurs at exclusive, independent restaurants or involves private chefs. This supports high-end culinary arts but also represents a resource-intensive form of consumption.

8. Sentimental Expression and Commercial Products

The methods of expressing affection highlight different levels of engagement with commercialized sentiment.

• Lower-Middle Income Strata: The exchange of commercial greeting cards with long, handwritten messages is a significant ritual, relying on a mass-produced product for personal expression.
• Upper-Income Strata: There is less reliance on commercial cards, with a preference for brief notes on high-end stationery or forgoing cards entirely in favor of direct experiences or gifts.

9. Recreation and Environmental Engagement

Outdoor “adventure” anniversaries reveal different relationships with the natural environment, impacting SDG 11 and SDG 12.

• Lower-Middle Income Strata: Budget-friendly activities like camping in state parks or local hiking are common. These activities promote access to public natural spaces with minimal environmental impact.
• Upper-Income Strata: Outdoor experiences are typically high-cost, curated activities like “glamping” or guided expeditions, which commercialize nature and often have a larger resource footprint.

10. Gift Creation and Production Models

The origin of sentimental gifts reflects the dichotomy between personal production and professional commissioning, a core concept in SDG 12.

• Lower-Middle Income Strata: Homemade gifts, such as scrapbooks and photo albums, are valued. This represents a model of personal production that prioritizes time and sentiment over monetary value.
• Upper-Income Strata: Sentimental gifts are more likely to be commissioned from artists or professionals. This outsources creative labor and transforms a personal gesture into a market transaction.

Conclusion: Implications for Sustainable Development

The observed differences in anniversary celebrations are not merely matters of personal taste but are manifestations of systemic economic inequality, as highlighted in SDG 10. While upper-income practices are characterized by high consumption, resource intensity, and exclusivity, lower-middle-income practices often inadvertently align with principles of sustainability, such as supporting local economies (SDG 11) and adopting lower-consumption patterns (SDG 12). Recognizing these trends is crucial for understanding how social stratification shapes consumption and community life. Promoting more equitable and sustainable celebration models can contribute to reducing the social pressures driven by inequality and encourage more responsible consumption across all socioeconomic strata.

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators Analysis

Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

• The entire article is a commentary on the social and economic disparities between different class groups (“lower middle-class” and “upper-class”). It explicitly states, “Anniversary celebrations say more about social class than we like to admit,” and concludes that “economic reality influences even our most intimate traditions.” This directly addresses the core theme of SDG 10, which is to reduce inequality within and among countries.
• The analysis focuses on how economic status dictates social behaviors, consumption patterns, and cultural values, highlighting the deep-seated nature of inequality in everyday life.

What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Target 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status.

• The article provides a detailed narrative of how different economic statuses lead to different forms of social expression and validation. For example, it contrasts the “public event” style of celebration of lower middle-class couples with the private, discreet celebrations of the upper-class.
• This illustrates a form of social stratification based on economic status, where access to certain experiences (international travel, Michelin-star dining) and cultural norms (valuing privacy over public display) are markers of a particular social group. The article explores the nuances of social inclusion and exclusion tied directly to wealth.

Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

Implied Indicators for Target 10.2

• The article does not use official statistical indicators, but it provides numerous qualitative, observable indicators that reflect the social and economic divide. These can be seen as proxies for measuring the extent of social inequality based on economic status:
• Consumption Patterns for Celebrations: The difference between choosing a “staycation at a local hotel” versus traveling to an “exclusive destination,” or dining at a “chain restaurant” versus a “Michelin star” establishment.
• Event Preparation Methods: The prevalence of “elaborate DIY decorations and setups” in one group versus the practice of “hiring an event planner” in another.
• Social Media Behavior: The tendency to post “elaborate anniversary countdowns” and gift reveals for public validation, contrasted with sharing “one tasteful photo days later with a simple caption” as a marker of established status.
• Nature of Gifting: The practice of creating “homemade anniversary gifts or memory books” which prioritize sentiment and time, versus giving “high-end personalized items” or commissioning professional work.
• Scale of Celebration: The preference for “large friend and family gatherings” as community events versus keeping anniversaries “intimate” and private.

Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: vegoutmag.com