The Importance Of Social Class In Society

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.

The concept of social class has been around for ages and is still a part of today’s society. Social class is not only based on the individual’s wealth but also on their social standing such as; monarchs, priests, nobles, merchants, and peasant class. The peasant class was practically ignored, which means that the higher classes would only pay attention to each other. This can be the case in society today, there are some people who feel that their career makes them higher than a janitor. Even though humans have been around for centuries, social class is still a big issue.

Social class describes the different "layers" that exist in society. These "layers," or classes in society, are a division that civilization has been running on ever since the beginning of mankind. In most modern societies, our system of social class division is one of opportunity. We experience a good deal of social mobility, where people through generations or in their own lifetime can move up or down the social scale. By examining the many different perceptions of social class along with S.E. Hinton's The Outsiders, it is illustrated that social class has an impact on people while they are growing up, and will usually deny them from rising above adversity.

The fictional stories Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, Really Really by Paul Downs Colaizzo, and A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens are all set in societies with classes that either dignify great importance or lack thereof. Character interaction, plot points, and demeanor of the characters are all influenced by their social statuses. In A Tale of Two Cities it’s nobility versus the working class. In the more modern story, Really Really, Leigh and her sister represent poverty in an affluent atmosphere. The futuristic society of Brave New World is completely centered on the differences between the Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, and Epsilon classes. The differences between the classes or castes are huge throughout all of these stories. Although the societies in the semester readings are set in different times, they are all the same and show that the hierarchical aspect of society is always based on the

This essay will explore the notion of social class and whether it is still relevant within today’s society. The Oxford Dictionary defines social class as ‘a division of a society based on social and economic status’ and is measurable in terms of stratification and inequality. Stratification suggests people are ranked hierarchically according to their attributes such as income, wealth, power, age, gender and status, whereas, inequality explains the difference between people in terms of their abilities and rewards

Social class as a result of differences in wealth or individuality are something that is a fundamental part in civilization. The book Brave New World by Aldous Huxley focuses on a futuristic dystopian society in which these things are magnified in order to create a rift in society. Each person is crafted specifically in order to perform their job well, and from birth they are divided into castes that dictate their way of living. By establishing a strict regime in Brave New World where the social classes are so well-defined that they are biological, Huxley makes a point about the world we live in by exploring the thought that our widely divided society will be one of our civilization’s greatest weaknesses and potentially downfalls due to

Many people tend to group people in to social classes. A social class is a broad group in society having common economic cultural, or political status. In Harper Lee’s book “To Kill a Mockingbird”, the social classes are well defined. The books take place in the 1930’s when people’s wealth as well as race determined social classes. People have a per conceived idea of what a perfect social class should look like.

The famous Greek philosopher Epicurus said “He who is not satisfied with a little, is satisfied with nothing” however today it’s because of the Industrial Revolution that society isn’t satisfied with the little and this has had a major negative impact on humanity.

Social class causes many rifts in relations. People let it determine who is worthy of something and who is not. In To Kill a Mocking Bird, written by Harper Lee, Scout and Jem see firsthand these rifts made. Some rifts cause injustice, some broken friendships, and others fights. Social class, a form of discrimination just as racism. Racism even has a part to play in social class, an African American was viewed lower than another which led to his unjust imprisoned. This eventually led to his death for a crime he never committed.

Kate Chopin, as a forerunner of feminist authors in 19th century, also interprets her understanding of how one’s social status can affect his/her ability to choose marriage suitors and make marriage decision. In the story, “love” or “affection" can be given up for reaching higher social ladder. People on “top” have more power to make decision on marriage than people with lower “ranks”; also, males have more power to make decision than women. As a result, female with lower “ranks” is more likely to attracted by males with higher “ranks”. But males want to find an equal or beneficial marriage for themselves. People follow these rules in marriage selection process in order to reach better equality in marriage. It reminds me of the traditional culture in China. In old times of China, young women cannot date or talk with males, and their marriages must be arranged by their parents in order to be equal. And even some people today still believe in that only equitable marriage will leads to happiness. In article “Ratoinal Choice and the Price of Marriage”, Robert Cherry defines equitable marriage as “one in which sexual behavior and the allocation of household time and income are determined by only comparative advantage and each individual’s endogenously-determined preferences….The actual services provided by each spouse in the typical marriage can deviate from those which should be provided in equitable marriages ” (Cherry, 1998).

The vast majority of the literary pieces that can be analyzed through a Marxist lens displays how the impingement of one’s social class affects our world. Throughout the novel Hamlet, by William Shakespeare there is a great deal of Marxism conspicuous. Marxism focuses on the “political, economic, and social principles and policies in the world” (Webster, Merriam). The Marxist viewpoint in the story allows the reader to realize the social dominance in Hamlet’s time, with the great importance around social hierarchy it becomes evident that a nation into certain class groups. Shakespeare’s Hamlet has a very interesting tale with many key incidents that all relate back to Marxism. Although there are other perspectives, Marxism is the most effective

After comparing the two texts, it was evident that values regarding social class have dramatically changed. During the early 1900 's, language, etiquette, birth/family and wealth were what decided where a person fitted into the social ladder, whereas two hundred years later, this is no longer the

There is an American belief that if an individual works hard they will be rewarded by success and money that can ultimately move them up in social class. There is also an American concept that if someone does not work hard they can fall in social class. Although this is very possible, it rarely happens individuals that are born into a specific social class tend to stay or move very little within their social class. This is what contributes to keeping the rich, rich and the poor,

Social class was a big thing in history and is still a big thing today. Social class prevents people from doing what they really want to do in life. Social class is a label that everyone has whether it's a positive or negative thing. The novel Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen was written in the 18th century when social status was a big thing. The first word of the title Pride refers to the characters treatments of others. And the word Prejudice is the tendency of characters judging one another. The novel Pride & Prejudice shows a variety of social classes from lower, middle, and upper class. The main focus in the novel was about the relationship between two characters Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy and the relationships between the different social

Social class is conveyed through many points throughout the novel by the characters and the way in which they present themselves throughout society. It is evident throughout both pieces that social class is unfair and prejudiced by the way in which it is determined whether you 're popular or not. This in comparison to Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen provides a similar view on social class; despite still