Clash of the Classes

Nadia and Samuel from Elite

In the teen series, we can see a clash with the students at school: working class and Upper Class. The series begins with Nadia, Christian, and Samuel who are working class students and who received a scholarship to attend Las Encinas because their old school’s roof collapsed and the construction company offered to send them to the elite academy. While at the school, they clash with Guzman and Carla that belittle because they don’t come from a wealthy background, as it is made known that one of the students, Samuel, is a waiter. As a result, the trio finds themselves being bullied and pranked by their peers. Here we see the examples of social stratification, that being said, the lower class or working class is always at a disadvantage because they don’t have the power and money that the ruling class has to be the decision-makers. Hence, if one of the wealthier students purposefully commits an error and blames one of the working class students, the school administration is going to prioritize the wealthier students over the working class students. Again, this can be seen in the treatment of Nadia’s hijab in the first episode of season 1 in which she is called down to the Dean’s office and is told that she is not allowed to wear the headcover. She replies by telling the Dean that the other girls where hats and accessories to which the Dean replies that those are ornaments and that her hijab is not, and is seen as offensive. A resistance against minorities can be seen, especially in this school in a country with a white, Spanish population. The majority rules over the minority. Nada also receives direct backlash for her Hijab by Carla, a wealthy arrogant student who compliments her hair and denies her Hijab. To reiterate, there is an emphasis on majority over minority and Nadia and as well as the working class students are caught up in this. After all, this is an ‘Elite’ school.

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