The Impact of Social Class In today’s society, when an individual talks about social class they refer to the car an individual drives, the amount of money they make or even the school they attend. In the time it takes an individual to read the sentence above, a person made a decision primarily based on their social class. Social class is one of the most pivotal forces that affect individuals in their daily lives. It is quite common for individuals to think that money is the main factor for the inequality of power instead it is the class one belongs to and one’s class position. To some degree, social class can influence behaviour and create competition within families. The way families perceive the dominant group as being more entitled to the …show more content…
benefits creates a struggle. To what extent are higher class individuals and lower class individuals affected by their social class? Social and economic roles are influenced according to what society reflects valuable. The presence of opportunities, lifestyles, and character traits are affected by social class. These social class challenges do not just hold a place in the social hierarchy for families but also hold an emotional annotation for them. To begin with, societies are filled with families who have different amounts of quantifiable and intangible resources. Individuals that are more powerful will use their power to exploit individuals with less power resulting in them receiving fewer opportunities. Social class determines the opportunities and resources which are available to individuals. From the perspective of symbolic interactionism the way the individual defines and perceives varies on their experiences. For example, the definition and perception of the word opportunity differs based on an individual’s social class. An individual’s ideals and roles describe how they interpret an opportunity. (CITATION TO PDF) This is portrayed in the documentary The Corporation by the people living in the developing countries who are starving and the only way for them to earn a living is by providing cheap labour. (CITATION to documentary) When Canadian corporations are placed in communities with individuals starving they view it as a god saint, help, an opportunity and rescuers. On the other hand, the corporations recognize this as a way to maximize profits and place no value on the employees. This illustrates that an individual’s social class affects the opportunities that are available to them because lower class individuals who are the proletariat feel obligated to sell their labour for cheap to survive whereas the bourgeoisie continue to own the factories and machinery. (KARL MARX LINK). The inequality of prospects remains because the lower class individuals continue to strive for the easiest opportunities allowing the higher class individuals to maintain their position. Ultimately, it is evident that social class is distinguished based on the way an individual interprets an opportunity. According to researchers, the opportunities obtainable are affected by an individual’s social class. They concluded that all parents want their children to be happy and thrive but, social class makes a significant difference in how individuals are provided with chances to explore their options. (CITATION) Higher class individuals nurture their children’s talents and skills by enrolling them in activities. In fact, these activities allow individuals to grow and become more connected to society. This platform keeps them more connected leading them to create networks and provides access to influential people and ideas. Instead, lower class individuals do not participate in activities rather play outside with friends and cousins. (CITATION) Lower class individuals are unable to afford to spend money on their children. Also, lower class individuals live in impoverished areas that keep them disconnected from activities. Upper class individuals have access to high-priced goods and experiences. (CITATIONAPA) For instance, the idea of socialization of children displays families teach skills, knowledge, values, attitudes that assist them to relate better in the real world. These experiences promote children to increase their skillset from their family of origin. As well, upper class families have more money to explore and travel. However, the lower class individuals struggle to build new skills due to their disposal of high-priced goods. Their lack of resources and chances holds them back. Therefore, social class limits the opportunities that individuals have which benefit some and disadvantage others. Furthermore, lifestyles affect social class because they are an important factor in determining how individuals make decisions. In essence, the degree of status, power and incentives people enjoy or lack in their daily lives impacts their way of life. The simplest choices a person makes such as their breakfast order or the clothes they wear are primarily based on their social status. Kraus argues that “High-power people stay authentically the same person no matter the context. But people who are relatively low-power change little aspects of themselves because having low power means having to adapt and fit in to different contexts”. (CITATION APA) Kraus recognized people with power have more freedom to be themselves and less worrisome about adjusting to others expectations. (CITATION APA) He discusses consumer habits between lower class members and higher class members and shows how they contrast. Kraus has found that lower class individuals think about their decision and see how it impacts them in the long run. Lower class individuals take their social class into consideration because it is a reason of insecurity. In fact, individual’s lifestyles are composed of their motivations, needs and wants which are influenced by social class. Exchange theory indicates that lower class individuals weigh the costs and benefits to distinguish between there wants and needs. (CITATION APA) Lower class individuals take into account the physical security and access to goods and services. Their social class makes them think about what they can afford and make judgments based on ways to improve chances of long term success. Another study by Kraus found that higher class individuals with more self-defined power are more likely to have a clear self-view. (CITATION to the jom pdf) The reason being higher class individuals make choices freely and more comfortably because they know that they will not regret what they do although, lower class individuals make decision only for the benefit and cannot afford to fail. Overall, the decisions people make based on their social class impact their daily lives. Moreover, social class affects the way higher class individuals and lower class individuals live out their life. The aspects of an individual’s lifestyle differ because to a lower class individual a certain aspect is a luxury and for a higher class individual that same aspect is a need. (APA) For example, sociologist Marc Frenette describes family influences on participation in particular post-secondary plans. (CITATION to stats) From research conclusions, lower income students also had lower educational expectations and lower academic performance. On the other hand, parents who attended post-secondary their children had higher marks and are more likely to attend. The idea that post-secondary education is expensive discourages lower-income families. Lower class individuals feel that post-secondary is too luxurious for them to afford and higher class individuals sense it to be mandatory to succeed. Necessities of life are easier for upper class individuals to get and have a better foundation to make their dream come true. For instance, in an experiment to explore which individuals feel more entitled and feel more deserving of certain things in their everyday lives.(CITATION TIME) According to higher class individuals they feel they are more deserving than other people and place themselves higher on the class ladder. It is illustrated by the experiment that higher class individuals view things in their lives as a need instead of a comfort. To conclude, the needs, wants and comforts for higher class and lower class individuals play a significant role in their lifestyles. Furthermore, an individual’s social class affects the character traits they possess. An individual’s willingness exhibits the great lengths a person would go to do something and their ability to take on tasks. For instance, a study conducted by Dr. Paul Piff attempted to test how helpful people of different classes are when they are exposed to a person in need. Participants were told the same story twice but the first time it was told from a storytelling perspective and the second time with video clips. Dr. Piff found that there was no difference to the lower class individuals and they consistently showed compassion. He learned that the rich are capable of compassion, if somebody reminds them, but do not show it spontaneously. (CITATION) The study shows that whether high class individuals earned their power or it was passed down that made no difference in how willing they were. He explains that upper class individuals grow up to take things for granted and do not appreciate them until they all disappear. (APA CITATION). He describes the lack of sympathy people feel for one another due to their experiences. Class differences exist among people that control the level of trust and co-operation that they hold. (CITATION) Even though, lower class individuals have fewer privileges and opportunities but that does not impede their determination to help others. Therefore, it is clear that higher class individuals and lower class individuals are impacted by their social class because of the qualities and characteristics they have. Lastly, social class impacts the types of social interactions and role models individuals are surrounded by.
Families are composed of supportive parents that act as role models and when their existence is not present the effect on children increases. For instance, Grinker illuminates “Children of the very rich lack self-esteem and clear role models, resulting in shallow values and pathological narcissism” (CITATION). His research findings demonstrate the effect social class has on parents and their children affect their personalities. Higher class individuals become narcissist due to the feeling of entitlement allowing them to behave more selfishly. The parent contact they receive is limited and the lack of proper guidance results in children committing crimes and developing mental illnesses. (CITATION) Nevertheless, the feeling of neglect and being unrecognized leads to them to have narcissist attitude. Neglect from parents leads to self-esteem concerns among lower class and higher class individuals as well. Interestingly, Grinker expresses that when higher class children do receive attention they spend it on getting their parents approval. Socialization of children teaches those skills, knowledge and values needed to relate to others. Shallow values are developed when socialization is not passed down resulting in an absence of function in the family. Their narcissistic behaviour is a way to seek out the attention they were not able receive (CITATION PSYCHOLOGY TODAY) The characteristics of being unable to empathize with others, limited interest in relationships and excessive compliments about themselves. Higher class individuals attitudes are the outcome of shallow values. (CITATION PSTCHOLOGY TODAY) Thus, social class influences individuals because it impacts the way they are socialized and shape their
identities.
In his essay “Land of Opportunity” James W. Loewen details the ignorance that most American students have towards class structure. He bemoans the fact that most textbooks completely ignore the issue of class, and when it does it is usually only mentions middle class in order to make the point that America is a “middle class country. This is particularly grievous to Loewen because he believes, “Social class is probably the single most important variable in society. From womb to tomb, it correlates with almost all other social characteristics of people that we can measure.” Loewen simply believes that social class usually determine the paths that a person will take in life. (Loewen 203)
Allen supports her claims about hierarchies and power dynamics in her chapter “Social Class Matters.” She dives into the structures of society by examining power and social class in various contexts. In this chapter, she explains that people are categorized according to themes of class difference and struggle. Social class is associated with the relationship between power and the distribution of resources. Because this stratification system of social class is one of the biggest predictors of school achievement, social identity plays a large role in the social reproduction of inequality in the education system.
(p1) Broadly speaking, class is about economic and social inequality… (p6) We have a tendency for groups of advanced people to congregate together, and groups of disadvantaged people to congregate so that inequalities persist from generation to generation.
For millennia, there have been constant conflicts between the upper class and the lower class, characterized by the upper class’s sense of superiority towards those less economically prosperous. Mansfield, Gordimer, and Orwell describe these conflicts between the upper and lower classes to propose that completely transcending class prejudices is impossible and suggest that societal values have greater impact than individual values as they degrade both a person’s behavior and morality.
What is social class you ask? Social class is a system created to categorize people by education, wealth and heredity. What are the different class systems you ask? There are several class classifications and they’re Upper Class–Elite, Upper Middle Class, Lower Middle Class, Working Class and poor. In the united states and being a victim of “ social class categorizing” is an issue that must be addressed and people must be made aware, because it seems as if it’s not going anywhere anytime soon so the least we can do is try and make it fair as possible. Being defined unknowingly by a class system is one thing, but having no say so or fair opportunity at being placed in the best “class system” as those more fortunate than others needs to change because it’s not like we all came out of our mothers womb starting the race of life at the same starting and advantage point, and since we as Americans pride our-self on being the land of the free and equal opportunities I feel compelled to inform you of the unfairness of the issue and state ways to make it fair. In an article read while doing research this is how the author defined Social class “Classism is similar in many ways to racism, sexism, heterosexism and other forms of oppression. Classism appears individually through attitudes and behaviors, institutionally through policies and practices, and culturally through norms and values. Like other forms of oppression and prejudice, it is the tendency to make sweeping generalizations or stereotypes about people, such as “Poor people are lazy.”(Class Action) This essay will assess the determination of social classes in the United States and will seek to provide examples to demonstrate the inequalities and provide ways to improve them.
Class for the purpose of this paper is the concept that those who are better off are of what can be considered to be upper class and those that lack financial means are of the lower class. Mantsios says that there is an absence of discussion in reference to the distinctions of classes (697). In a study performed by Susan Ostrander, in regards to the term “upper class” one woman responded “‘I hate to use the word ‘class.’ We are responsible, fortunate people, old families, the people who have something’” (697). Yet it appears to be opposite that those who are in this lower class realize the plight they suffer. As one student from Fremont High School noted, “‘The owners of the sewing factories need laborers. Correct…It’s not going be their own kids… You’re ghetto,’ said Fortino unrelentingly to her. ‘So Sew!’”(Kozol 645). The student who knew that he was more than likely to be stuff in his place was willing to point out this fault of the system. This topic which more than likely the well-off woman would stray from rather because she had life easier than Fortino will in his lifetime.
Social class is a group of people who rank closely in property, prestige, and power. Within these social classes exist some properties of class level that are characteristic of their ranking. The first of these is property. Property consists of furniture, jewelry, bank accounts, and other materials that can be quantified into monetary value. (Henslin, 2014) Basically, they are things that can be quantified to add up in quantified value end up un a sum of monetary value. This value is termed wealth. This is different from income. Income is known as the flow of money. Prestige is the next characteristic looked at when determining social class. Prestige is the value which different groups of people are judged with. (Henslin, 2014) Different occupations within society offer varying levels of prestige. The final aspect looked at when determining class is power. Power is defined as the ability to exert your will within society. (Henslin, 2014) The reason to review this is because different classes of society all maintain these aspects at higher or lower degrees, with the upper tier having the
Torkildsen (2011) stated that the nature and definition of 'social class' is generally regarded as being problematic, as class not only relates to income or occupation but also upbringing and family background. "social class is often regarded as grouping on the basis of occupation, which is 'socioeconomic class' rather than social class" (Torkildsen, 2011 p.49). divine
In today’s society people are viewed as being in different classes depending on how much money they bring in. The categorization of people is known as classism. Classism is simply the prejudice or in favor of people belonging to a particular social class. Classism is known as one of the largest social problems plaguing the world today. Classes are formed according to how the rules of the following institutions; government regulations and economic status. It is held in place by a system of beliefs and cultural attitudes that ranks people according to their; economic status, family lineage, job status, and level of education. There are three major classifications to which people are titled. They include upper or high class which includes the people with the most money. The middle class who includes the people that brings home the average income. Finally, the class titled the lower class that includes the people who have only one income coming in or none at all (“What Is Classism.”). In the classrooms these classes still remain and the students within each class have different ways in which they learn, and view schooling. We as educators have to look passed their ways and address each class the same.
Social class is a concept that is based on models of social stratification in which people are grouped into a set of hierarchal social categories. The most common model used when describing social class is one that is divided into three groups: upper class, middle class, and lower class. The people who are in the same category have type of common attribute that links them to each other. Generally, this attribute is how much wealth one has acquired. Keeping the three-tier social class model in mind, the division among classes is roughly characterized by money and profession. The upper class features people who have a plethora of cash, and they own and control most of the businesses throughout the world. The middle class consists of professional workers and business owners who have enough money to be able to buy a couple luxury items here and there. And, lower class is composed of people who live in poverty and have low paying jobs that barely support their livelihood. While the subject of which social class one belongs to tends to be a touchy subject, television shows delve right into the matter- without actually speaking about it. From the shows a channel chooses to broadcast to the commercials it chooses to air, social classes are being portrayed and targeted.
What is social class? It is a term used to describe a large group of people who share similar social or economic positions in society based on wealth, income, job status, education, skills or power in the political sphere. Class is not just about what you own or earn but also who you know. Class affects not only how we feel about ourselves, but how others judge and consequently treat us. Those at the top of the class structure, the elite, have more power than those in the middle and even more power than those at the bottom who are of lower class. Education is a highly valued commodity in our world. In his commentary on society Freud, claimed, “ No feature, however, seems better to characterize civilization than its esteem and encouragement
Haralambos, Holborn and Heard (2004:12-14) defined a class as a group of individuals who share a similar position in a market economy, and by virtue of that fact receive similar economic rewards. Class in a modern society is perceived based on achieved criteria as oppos...
Unfortunately the lower class could not afford such great adventures that came from new forms of transportation or big elegant homes, but for the lower class, not much changed at all. They were able to witness, read, and hear about all the amazing life changing inventions, but most of them could not experience such events, due to the need of saving money for food and clothing. Sadly this was not the only part that did not change for the lower class, hygiene and personal wellness was exceedingly poor as well. Cleanliness, or the lack thereof, made poor people more susceptible to diseases and infections that quite often went untreated to avoid paying bill that came along with a physician. Jack Larkin wrote, “The most vulnerable of all to consumption
I will explore how social classes frankly appear and build up the story of the book by comparing and contrast with a modern social hierarchy. Today, we’re living in a society with social classes existing. We can be classified in different classes and so do I. I wish I could designate my social status, but unfortunately, our social classes are usually determined by wealth (income), occupation, education and prestige. Social class can be shown in a pyramid structure and it usually comprises with upper class, upper middle class, lower middle class, working class and lower class.
Social class has a major influence over the success and experience of young people in education; evidence suggests social class affects educational achievement, treatment by teachers and whether a young person is accepted into higher education. “34.6 per cent of pupils eligible for free school meals (FSM) achieved five or more A*-C grades at GCSE or equivalent including English and mathematics GCSEs, compared to 62.0 per cent of all other pupils” (Attew, 2012). Pupils eligible for FSM are those whose families earn less than £16,000 a year (Shepherd, J. Sedghi, A. and Evans, L. 2012). Thus working-class young people are less likely to obtain good GCSE grades than middle-class and upper-class young people.