Socio-American Social Class

The socio-economic status and class division of society has greatly influenced everyday life in North America. Once designated a certain socio-economic status, it is very difficult to move freely in-between the classes.

“The lower class typically encompasses a wide variety of class identities, from working class (blue collar) to working poor to unemployed.” This class is seen as the foundation of the social ladder, the bottom of society. Many people in this class work either minimum wage jobs or labor jobs. The lower class usually is employed by jobs that require little to no post-secondary education. “In 2007, the high school dropout rate among persons 16-24 years old was highest in low-income families (16.7 percent) as compared to high-income

The middle class is the largest of the Socio-economic classes and often divided into two different niches: lower-middle class and higher-middle class. The Middle class is essentially the backbone of society. It provides a medium between the wealthy and poor; it is said to represent the typical person. The middle class is also referred to as the bourgeoisie. According to the German philosopher Karl Marx, the bourgeoisie is “the ruling class of the two basic classes of capitalist society, consisting of capitalists, manufacturers, bankers, and other employers. The bourgeoisie owns the most important of the means of production, through which it exploits the working class” . The middle class is said to be essential to every economy, a necessary part of a working

The upper class makes up the smallest percent of the population in any given country; however, it controls the largest amount of the wealth. “Perhaps 3-5% of Canadians fall into this class. Much of their wealth is inherited. Their children go to private schools and they exercise great power in occupational positions. Although this group has historically been primarily of British origin, it is now more widely distributed.” The highest of Canada’s upper class is called the upper-upper class. It makes up the richest one percent of Canadian society. The people in the upper class traditionally own what some may call “old money”. They inherit most of their wealth from family and companies owned by their families. These people, Canada’s elite, are typically well educated and in good health due to access to private schools and the best medical