Reflection Paper On Social Class

Before I read the chapter on social class, I as thought social class was a category that people are put into based on how much money they make; you are either poor or rich. However, there is much more regarding social class then I had originally thought. Social class it separated into a four tier criteria. Beginning at the bottom is the “lower class”, or “underclass” which is referred to by poverty, homeless, and unemployment. This class, usually haven’t finished high school, don’t have medical care and can’t afford sufficient housing. Many people mischaracterize these poor people as mothers who abuse the welfare system by boring several babies that they can’t afford, fathers who are able to work but do not due to drug addiction or their criminals
It allowed to view that different layers of social class and how I was able to relate it into my own life. Growing up, I was born into a poor family. My parents had my sister and I when they were in their mid-teens; therefore they were forced to drop out of school to raise us. We had little money, lived in a bad neighborhood, and struggle to make it. When I was 5 years old we lived with my grandparents for about a year. My dad received a minimum wage job that was good enough for us to rent a 1 bedroom apartment. Eventually, my father received a job at a local production facility and started making decent money. We finally got out of the bad neighborhood and rented a 3 bedroom apartment where we lived for several years and eventually my parents bought a house in a small town where they currently live. After reading the chapter, I realized that I’ve occupied a couple of these “social classes” as I was growing up. We lived in the “underclass/working poor” for a few years and then about the time I was 10 years old my father received a better paying job and we moved into the working class and maybe one day when I receive my Chemistry degree I may move up even higher One thing I realized is although I’ve been poor and slowly moved up the “social class” ladder, I believed it’s made be a better person. It has pushed me to appreciate and take care of things that I have because everything that I own I’ve working hard for. I believe growing up poor has made me a better person and allows me to respect any people regardless of who they are or what “social class” they’re