In a discussion on a Facebook group for Buddhist scholars, one member asked whether there was an "eye-rolling" term associated with Western Buddhism. Among the different responses, it was "the Upper-Middle Way"—a term coined by practitioners—that resonated the most. Academic studies of meditation-based convert Buddhism have confirmed that the demographic of such communities is predominantly middle- and upper-middle class.
Despite recognition from both scholars and practitioners of the troubling lack of class diversity in these communities, class remains an undertackled issue in American Buddhism. We haven't seen the emergence of "blue-collared" affinity groups, for instance, the way we have with people of color (POC) or LGBTQI populations.
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