Social Class In America

771 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Social classes in the united states

Social class, what is it exactly? Most of us think it's the amount of money we have in the bank, and in a way it does help people get higher in society. But as you get deeper into the subject it comes/consists of many other aspects such as where you live, what you do for a living, and in some cases what material goods (clothing, housing, and cars) you have. Whatever the definition may be, one thing is certain, it varies from place to place & what may be a luxury in one may not be in another. For instance, I can recall while growing up & until now getting struck with the social difference between my life here in the U.S. and what it was like when I went to visit relatives in Mexico. While on the road to my parents’ hometown I witnessed what kids and adults did to get …show more content…

A 16-20 hours’ drive was ahead of us in an era where we had no cell phones, IPad, yet alone GPS in case we got lost. My entertainment was reading Goosebumps books, looking out the window, or just as simple as people watching. We encountered many different types of people when we stopped to get gasoline, use the bathroom, or just to get a quick bite. I vividly remember this occasion when a kid with dirty clothes, crutches, and a missing leg approached us asking for any spare change we could give him. That time I had taken my dog with us on the trip, and unfortunately we didn't have any money we could give him. While this was happening my dog ran out of the car, and I tried to lure Max back in with a treat. As I finally got a hold of my pet, I turned, and got a glimpse at this boy less fortunate than me, and he said "I bet that dog gets better treatment than I do." His appearance and what he said really got me thinking that there is people out there that have it worse than me; I'm over here crying about not getting a Game Boy while there is people out there that can barely feed

Show More
Related

  • A Comparison of Social Classes in America vs. 1984

    1164 Words  | 3 Pages

    If you have ever read the book 1984 by George Orwell, then an interesting topic may have crossed your mind. The way the classes of people break down can be quite similar, and very different at times. In the United States, we have classes like the lower class, the working class, and the middle class. In 1984, there were such classes as the Proles, the Outer Party, and the Inner Party. The way the classes are broken down in 1984 reminds me a little bit of my old history class. When I studied medieval times and the classes back then were broken down into the nobles, the bourgeois, and the serfs.

    Read More

  • Social Class In A Knight's Tale

    455 Words  | 1 Pages

    Social rank has been a big part in a “Knight's Tale”. Without social classes we would not be able to determine who is rich and who is poor. Social class is based off of you income and the thing you own. They are three social classes low, middle, and upper.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of People Like Us: Social Class In America

    1655 Words  | 4 Pages

    Diversity is part of the American lifestyle. America is a country built on capitalistic principles, where a countries’ economy is controlled by a small number of people. People who tend to have power in the society tend to separate themselves from the rest. Looking back at different time period of American history diversity has shaped up the lives we live as Americans, whether it is because of gender, sexual orientation, race, religion, socioeconomic background, and capabilities/ disabilities, there is always diversity in society. Although, diversity is increasingly being viewed positively, and as much as people are proud of their differences. There will always be a way for human beings to diversify themselves into groups in which share similar interests.

    Read More

  • Class Division: Affecting American Lifestyles

    638 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the “Class Of America” article, the author Gregory Mantsios displays his point of view on what society says class individuals are in and how that affects their lives further than people in America think. Mantsios believes that citizens in the United States prefer not be put in different social categories like higher, middle, or lower class just because of the income value. Mantsios elaborates on his beliefs about class categories in America and disproves them by using statistics for evidence. In example, he claims that the class you are placed in will affect your lifestyle. Mantsios also debates that whatever class you fall under reflects on how well you will prosper in life, just like schools connecting test scores and the level of schooling the student receives. Whatever class a person is categorized in defining their future in life, even, if they choose to not see it that way that’s how it is.

    Read More

  • Social Class In 1950's America

    173 Words  | 1 Pages

    As technology evolves and automates more tasks in the labor field, it contributes to the unemployment of Americans. During the 1950s, technology was introduced to the American household: from the radio and the television screen to the automobile, technology began to integrate into the average American lifestyle. Behind the production of these products is an assembly line that provides job opportunities to working-class Americans. Industries that help sustain the quality of these products, such as gas stations, also provide job opportunities. These opportunities require Americans to complete certain labor tasks for their job, such as refilling a gasoline tank as a gas station attendant (Knickerbocker Productions, “Social Class in 1950's America”).

    Read More

  • Class Distinctions in America

    5794 Words  | 12 Pages

    The ideal concept of American society is one in which all of the citizens are treated equal in all every realm and situation. Class, race or gender does not divide the utopian America; everyone is afforded the same opportunities and chances for success. In this chimerical state Americans are able to go as far as their dreams allow and with hard work and perseverance any thing is possible. Many Americans subscribe to this pluralist view of the Country, believing that within our democratic system it is the majority who maintains control and sets policy. Unfortunately this idyllic country does not exist nor has it ever existed. America is made up of distinct social classes and the movement within those classes is for the most part, limited to the various classes in the middle where the lines of demarcation are blurred. Although the majority of the Country's population would attest to the myth that America is a classless society, the distinctions definitely exist and influence the entire life scope of most Americans. Housing, health care, education, career prospects and social status are all dependent on the amount of wealth one has and their class standing. Our system needs the built in inequities of the class system in order to perpetuate itself and the upper class needs to have their interests as the dominant determiner of corporate and governmental power and policy.

    Read More

  • People Like Us : Social Class

    711 Words  | 2 Pages

    Society has categorized individuals depending on their financial status and their income; also known as social class. There are three original social classes in America, upper, middle, and lower class. The classes may sometimes be further divided into upper- upper, lower-upper, upper-middle and lower middle; with the working and lower classes at the bottom; working poor and underclass.

    Read More

  • How Does Social Class Affect Education

    1263 Words  | 3 Pages

    Social class is a group in society having the same economic status as one another. Class could

    Read More

  • Immigration and Economic Mobility in America

    736 Words  | 2 Pages

    There are many opportunities in America that can improve one’s wealth and power, thus leading to the mass amount of immigrants coming to American. Most immigrants that come to American usually are categorized as the lower class immigrants, but they take any opportunities to improve their economic status. In an article by Howard P. Chudacoff, it states “immigrants generally chose upward paths that led from manual labor into small proprietorships” (Chudacoff 1982: 104). This explains the reason why immigrants choose to come and stay in America. They start out small as laborers then over time they will work to own a small business. Even though immigrants gets to grow to move from the lower class to the middle class, the natives will be always

    Read More

  • Contemporary American Class Structure

    1330 Words  | 3 Pages

    Social class is defined as 'people having the same social or economic status' (Wordnet). In contemporary American society, social class is based on the amount of money and property you have and also prestige. Prestige is given to a person through the line of work or the family that they come from. For example, upper-upper class member Jennifer Lopez reeks of prestige not only because she has millions of dollars in her bank account, but she has very expensive luxuries, cars, and houses.

    Read More

  • Social Inequality In The American Dream

    1416 Words  | 3 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • Social Stratification And Social Class

    1029 Words  | 3 Pages

    It is perpetuated by the way wealth, power, and prestige are distributed and passed on from one generation to the next

    Read More

  • Essay On Social Class

    715 Words  | 2 Pages

    In America it is based on the relations of property and power and the division of social classes in the United States, the most basic class distinction is between the powerful and the powerless. Social classes groups are the upper class have a great deal of power which usually are viewed as the elites within their own societies. In general usage, the elite is a hypothetical group of relatively small size that is dominant within a large society, having a privileged status perceived as being envied by others. Various social and political theories propose that social classes with greater power attempt to strengthen their own ranking above the lower classes. The upper class has more power because there are some people who are wealthy and do have

    Read More

  • Argumentative Essay On Social Class

    2218 Words  | 5 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • Reflection On Social Class

    1110 Words  | 3 Pages

    Before I read the chapter on social class, I thought social class was a category about people who are put into class by how much money they make; you are either poor or rich. However, there is much more regarding social class than 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 hasn’t finished high school, doesn’t have medical care and can’t afford sufficient housing. Many people mischaracterize these poor people as mothers who abuse the welfare system by baring several babies that they can’t afford and fathers who are able to work but do not due to drug addiction or their

    Read More

More about Social Class In America

Open Document