Social Class Assignment

There is much debate about the issue of social class in the United States. There are arguments about whether social classes are distinctly separate or fluid, dependent upon one’s community or society as a whole, and if they are subjective or objective (Hughes and Jenkins). However, despite the debate surrounding social classes, it is still important to try to define them and analyze their effects, as they are such an important part of our identity and our opportunities in society. Although our society has tried to appear as though we have no classes, and it is becoming harder to tell what class someone is in by material goods, classes do still exist today (Scott and Leonhardt). The trend has been to divide the U.S. into four major

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Directions: Based on your personal experiences and on the readings for this course, answer the questions in the green section of the matrix as they apply to each of the listed socioeconomic classes. Fill in your answers and post your final draft as directed by the course syllabus.

In this course, we have learned about different social classes and how they developed over time. In fact, the idea of social classes has been around before what we know it as to today. The concept has not changed. The “higher” classes usually have land, money, and jewels. The “lower” classes are broke, servants, and no valuable possessions. Prior to this course, I only knew of the upper class, middle class, and lower class. In today’s society, the separation between classes is not as bad as it use to be. School is an example of this. I grew up in Cobb County, Smyrna- Vinings area and I went to school with people who parents are CEOs of companies, successful entrepreneurs or even music artist. I would consider my family middle class but we did have students who were also lower class families. Some higher-class families enroll their children in private school. Private schools charges tuition whereas public schools are free of cost. The upbringing up children can determine their social status in schools. In this essay, I will discuss “cliques” and their differences in high schools.

America is seen as the land of opportunity across the world, but many people wonder if it is true. The truth is America does have opportunities and with dedication anything is possible though the opportunities are limited. Usually limited for those who belong to a lower social class. The main reason opportunities are limited are because of America’s social inequality. The social class of America is separated into multiple groups that struggle with each other due to the inequality of power and wealth on the daily basis.

The five social or economic classes in America are based on the large disparity of income gaps in the American class system. The naming of the different class systems may have different names depending on the author, but the American social class system has a wide income gap between the richest to the poorest in the nation. According to the article, “Who We Are” written by Emily Barone, the income gap is wider than ever before in America. “The income gap is wider than ever. Climbing out of poverty is increasingly difficult.”

At the very core of nearly every aspect of the modern life, social class can be seen pulling at the strings, orchestrating every move. From the obvious, like salary, housing, and friends, to the more subtle, like fashion, news, and art, social class is at the center of it all. However, one thing that social class is rarely ever attributed to, is religion. Surprising as it may be, social class directly affected American's choice of religion, and whether or not they have a religion, throughout the entirety of the 1900s.

During my research, I have found that depending on where you look there are a variety of Social Classes in the United States. The most obvious and probably the best known are the six social classes primarily used in the United States today. Below, I have compiled some facts that help describe and support each class.

One of the experiences from this class that has increased my multicultural competence within socioeconomic status was attending Richard Wolff’s event. He received his PhD from Yale University in Economics and explained why we as Americans hold on to our capitalistic economy even though it has collapsed twice before and is known for being unstable. I realized that I have also never before been presented alternative ways of economics. The capitalist economy, for me, was a given, and I was glad to be made aware of other solutions and ways other people have used other forms of economy and the ways they were benefited by their way of doing organizing society.

According to most, even though American Dream is possible to attain, it is significantly more difficult to achieve than it is made out to be. It relies as much on luck as it does on hard work, if not more. Though there are occasions where people move up and down the social ladder, certain qualities such as race, social class, and social status can determine the opportunities that allow for social mobility.

Social class has developed over the centuries into an obstacle we cannot ignore. I believe that social class exists and proves itself in stereotypes as well as in our government. Our world divides social class into three sections: upper, middle, and lower class. However, many also think that there could be multiple classes. The problems that we face with social class display themselves in the lack of opportunities for lower class children, the abuse of power by ghettoizing, and the addiction of money instead of longing for Jesus. We need to awaken to the world around us that daily struggles with the uncompromising chaos of their circumstances.

It is said that the United States is made up of around six different social classes, however the three main classes are better known as the Upper, Middle, and Lower class. The three remaining classes are better known as subcategories for each of the main classes. These subcategories help break the classes up giving them their individual class.

Social class refers to the system of stratification of the different groups of people in a society. These different forms of classification are, in most instances, based on gender ethnicity and age. Social class makes everyone’s lives extremely different. For example: How long one can expect to live. In a wide range of ways, from success, to one’s health class, social class influences people’s lives (Grusky,2003).

American society is a complicated web of networks that interconnect to produce a functioning system that people look to for guidance. History repeats itself all the time and society is always mirroring the past. Today, our societies’ boundaries are still debated about heatedly. Race, class, and gender help create these boundaries and as Foner wrote, “our imagined community will continue to be a source of political conflict and social struggle” (Foner).

In almost any city in the United States you can observe communities and individuals of different social classes and socioeconomic statuses. From the homeless man begging for change on the side of the road, to the CEO driving a brand new Mercedes, people of different social classes are found throughout society, usually living within proximity of each other. These are extreme, and observable examples of the different social classes in the United States, however it is not also easy to determine someone's social class by first glance. In the United States there are distinct differences among the classes of families ranging from marriage and parenting styles, to health and educational resources (Zinn & Eitzen). Income is a primary component that