American Social Status

Perhaps American citizens are free with rights that guaranteed by the Constitution. In other words, every American supposes to have equal rights and status. Americans are not supposed to put differential labels on others. However, in our society, each has a social status which is handed on by his family and arises from the widespread assumption. In fact, there are several factors that determine a status of a particular person, and income is only one of the factors. Also, since people judge acquaintances and being judged in returned base on their social status, many people are badly distressed and scared by this unending process of rating and status striving. As a result, people always try to rise from their ascribed statuses to an achieved

During that time, people rated and compared to others, and in return, they are being judged by the class in which they were. Therefore, people would do whatever necessary to rise to a higher class. People were trapped in that idea and became more upset and anxiety. As a result, many people chose to spend more money to upgrade their values. For example, a working-class man would buy an unnecessary luxury car to rise his current class to an upper class. In addition, young people aspired to college degrees and white-collar jobs rather than blue-collar jobs because it could be considered as a higher level status. Along the lines of status, Horowitz believed that there are ten economy changes that have significantly affected the class structure and status striving in the United States. These effects had created class boundaries that were not only invisible but often were not acknowledged. broken the national class system into five areas: The real upper class, the semi-upper class, the limited-success class, the working class, and the real lower class. However, these five areas also were divided into: The diploma elite and the supporting class

Not only did immigrants but also Americans become obsessed with the American Dream where they had an unlimited opportunity to become wealthy. However, many people, who were considered as blue-collar, having difficulties adjusting to a new fast pace environment. Therefore, they tended to resist the temptation to strain in emulative consumption (142). On the other hands, people who were outside the blue-collar group always desired to strive their status. Some were lucky enough to swift upward mobility, but some could not, and it affected significantly to our society. In fact, many people turned themselves to alcoholics or drugs addicts because of downward-mobility. They became promiscuous and often known as troublemakers. They started to develop destructive or self-destructive attitudes towards their families, friends, and communities. However, even the people who succeed in moving the class scale, they must typically pay a price too, as Horowitz indicated “They feel impelled to take on new habits, new modes of living, new attitudes and beliefs… The resolute striver is a lonely man making his way on a slippery slope.” (143). As a result, a change of status could ruin positive attitudes and achievements that they had done in life. Ultimately, they would never be successful in reaching their American