Social Classes And How They Developed Over Time Essay

Many questions have risen in this day and age in which ones wealth can greatly effect almost every aspect of their lives. There has been much controversy as to whether the recognition of socioeconomic classes are for the benefit of society as a whole. Socioeconomic class is defined as some combination of occupation, education, and income level (Heimer 802). A good society consists of equality, support for the government, educated individuals, better living conditions, and low crime rates. As research will show, socioeconomic classes contribute to social inequality, lower support for the government, subpar education levels, income insecurity for some classes, lower living conditions, trouble transitioning into adulthood, and higher crime rates. Therefore, socioeconomic classes are a detriment to society and do more harm than good for the people.

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

In high school, social hierarchy is typically determined by perceived popularity. Adolescents experience many emotional, biological and cognitive changes during this time. Teenagers struggle with their identity as social acceptance becomes an increasingly important factor in their lives. Cliques are formed in high school as a representation of a small group of people with common interests. Cliques are joined mostly by girls because it gives them a sense of security and confidence they may otherwise lack, but boys are known to join cliques as well. Cliques provide adolescents with a strong sense of self worth and can in fact help one grow as an individual, sharing common interests and values. Adolescents who appear with high social power tend to have similar qualities and group together. Those who are less popular tend to isolate themselves more while befriending others with a similarly low social status. Often times, those who are socially dominant are generally “more influential, daring, physically attractive and socially appropriate.” (Closson 3) Cliques can foster community in a group of close-knit individuals. Different types of cliques provide adolescents with an opportunity to group together with those with similar interests. They allow teenagers to satisfy their psychological needs such as gaining a sense of belongingness and security. Although there are positive aspects of cliques, there is a correlation

America is a complex and diverse web of individuals marked by social stratification, a system by which a society ranks categories of people in a hierarchy (Macionis, 2011, p.204). The film People Like Us: Social Class in America discusses the class system, social stratification based on both birth and individual achievement, which the American people use to define others (Macionis, 2011, p.206). It explores the many variables that contribute to the determination of a person’s class; such as, ancestry, education, and money. Ancestry will be a main focus because it has such a strong influence on the class system of today. The film provided an informative and entertaining

Social class is a division of a society based on social and economic status which can include levels of wealth, success, power of authority, and influence. Status is can be defined or grouped having common economic, cultural, or political interests.

First, high schools do have cliques that unify students by groups. However, that doesn’t mean students confine in the groups they are “assigned” to, as shown in most movies representing cliques. In the movie The Breakfast Club, the five main characters used to represent the school all come from different crowds, which ultimately results in showing how they can still get along even though they don’t necessarily hang out with the same people. The characters are defined as “a brain, an athlete, a basket case, a princess, and a criminal.” These labels divide the characters into

In the famous movie, “The Breakfast Club, we see how five teenagers, each members of different high school cliques, who spend a Saturday in detention together and come to realize that they are all more than their respective stereotypes. High school cliques determine who, what and where they belong. Most of the high schools have "cliques"; which are groups of students with similar interests that hang out together. When looking at what really goes on in the average high school, and how friendships are formed, it is amazing. When observing the jock, nerd and the popular kids, one must wonder where they fit in.

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).

The social class structure in America is generally divided into mainly three strata: The rich constituting the upper class, the moderately affluent category comprising the middle class, and financially and socially backward people who form the lower class. There are also superimposing areas like the upper-middle class and the lower-upper class. The stratification is based on the social as well as economic environments. Although these classifications and entry to these statuses are not fixed, these three classifications give an overall perceptive of the social classification in the United States of America. (study.com)

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

In this paper I will contrast how Marx and Weber understood the undergirding social dynamics of capitalist society. Whereas Marx look at social classes and class struggle, Weber focuses on different spheres of status, class situation, and power group (being associations of people that tried to influence social actions). Durkheim, a structural functionalist, argued everything in society exist for a purpose, and that society is bounded together by ideas and social unity, what he calls: social solidarity. Weber focused on rationality and bureaucracy, he believed they were key elements of modern society and saw as central to their functioning the way in which people felt in their living situation. Marx, with a very different approach, looked at how capitalist came into being with a dominant class owning the means of productions, and a working class being compelled to selling its labor. Each of these school of thoughts have been picked up by sociologists in later era and form their own branches. With each focusing on different aspects of society, we can look at the tension between these schools of thought. As diverse as the theories are, there are still shared aspects but with different understandings/ arguments. For this paper, I 've chosen the concepts of social classes and class struggles from Marxian, and ideas on status and class situation in Weber, and also explain my own particular view on how these help us understand modern society.

The basis of the standard hierarchy is challenged by the rise of social media and therefore directly correlates with the influence of celebrities and people with a name brand. Most social scientists agree that society is stratified into a hierarchical arrangement of social classes. Social classes are groupings of individuals in a hierarchy, usually based on wealth, educational attainment, occupation, income, and membership in a subculture or social network. Social class in the United States is a controversial topic; there have been many competing definitions, models, and even disagreements over its very existence. Many Americans believe in a simple three-class model that includes the rich or upper class, the middle class, and the poor or working

How does social class affect different people from different time periods? George Bernard Shaw’s play, Pygmalion and Garry Marshall’s film, Pretty Woman both address the issue of social status and its impacts in the 19th and 20th century through the main characters. Both female protagonists in the text and film begin as lower class citizens who lack education, etiquette and in context of social class, are frowned upon. The impact of the theme of social class in these texts include the interaction and perception of these characters status with other classes, the character 's outlook on life or their goals, which can be evaluated to reveal the similarities and differences of the 19th and 20th centuries.

I chose to select high school as the time period to explain the social institution and social hierarchy as it relates to my high school. The reasoning for choosing this time period in my educational journey is because it is what I can remember the best. Social institutions are established or standardized patterns of rule-governed behavior. They include the family, education, religion, and economic and political institutions. In this case it would be the education portion. School is a setting for a substantial portion of a person’s life. Students learn facts, different skills, and a multitude of concepts that are taught to them via lectures and textbook information, but this is the time where students also learn the rules of membership in a social institution. Whether it be Student Council, Science Club, or any other group or organization on campus. This is where the interaction begins and the development starts to take pace. For example, in my high school classes were always filled to capacity, so when it came time to do assignments we were always allowed to work with a group of at least 3 or 4 other students to complete assignments. This was because it was easier for grading purposes for teachers to not have to grade 30-35 individual assignments, but rather oversee how the group is working with each other and deliver a grade based on that. When it comes to the social hierarchy of my high school that was something that was very clear, cut, and dry. You had your typical

As stated before, social clubs and boarding school are very similar due to the fact that they are able to meet new people that are in the same social status. Domhoff emphasizes this importance because it is the only things left that people of this upper class is able to retreat to in order to share their ideas and thoughts. This is shown in a study,