What is social class? 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.
Social class ranks people in today’s society (Solomon, 2011). Individuals who belong to the same social class, typically work together in similar career fields and have similar lifestyles. Changes and prices make it difficult for all social classes by the products they offer. For example, attending college is different for each social class.
Social class plays a major role in a society. A person’s social class affects his/her education, respectability, and ability to get a job. Most people in America’s society are born into their social class, but it is easier now to move up than it was in 16th century England. Although there are some slight differences in these two social classes, the social classes of 16th century England are shockingly similar to the social classes of modern day America.
Society is set up into a hierarchical triangle that essentially determines social class. A social class is any person or group of people with the same educational, social or economical status. Social class can be broken down into many different categories such as race, age, gender, economic status, educational status and many more. Social class can be measured in many different ways such as financial status, family values, appearance, and demeanor. In America there are six main economical social classes which are the: Very poor, Poor, Working class, Middle class, Upper middle class, and the ruling class.
Titanic Titanic portrayed sexuality with attraction between a man and a woman. Rose was a beautiful woman whom her fiancée Hockley was the son of a rich and powerful steel mill owner. However, the sexual interest here was actually in the form of business. Rose was marrying him because of the money Hockley would inherit when his father died, a very prominent practice during that time. Men with power and money were shown to be desirable from all of Rose 's companions on the ship. This common theme of sexuality was broken from Jack 's introduction into Rose 's life. Jack was a polar opposite of Hockley, and he took on a different theme of sexuality of being free, seeing a woman as an equal, and not being rich. Jack ' sexuality was expressed in may forms different from Hockley. When he saved Rose from falling overboard, in his folk-style dancing with Rose, and in his chase of Rose which included kissing and having sex with her. Jack’s simple flirtation with Rose and his later aid in her freedom from the gender binds she was in became the cornerstone of the theme of the movie.
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
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 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.
Body of Research Social Class is a division of a society based on social and economic status. In today’s society there are three main social groups in America: upper, middle, and lower class; these rankings are contributed by mass amounts of factors, but one of the main factors that people cannot control is their race and ethnicity. Race and ethnicity, likewise as gender, can also play a part in a variety of other concerns such as, education level, income, and where you reside.
Social class can be thought of as a very important indicator of who a person is.
Social class is a very important factor proving everyone does not have an equal chance to become successful. The American Dream idea
Class is important as it can determine various aspects that will have a significant impact and influence on how people’s lives are shaped. Feminists have argued for other things to be included such as social divisions to show how they intersect with class. Economic inequalities can have an impact on class as they can determine a person’s status, wealth, income and lifestyle. Class is important as social inequalities exists amongst the rich and poor. Important social factors include poverty, health and education. A person’s identity is just as important as their class. People may face discrimination due to their identity, whether that may be due to their gender, age, ethnicity or disability. Social mobility is where people are in a different social class now from which they were brought up in. However sociologists argue that class is less important in contemporary society today than it once used to be.
Contemporary American Class Structure 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.
The social class that an individual is raised in is one of many factors that determine where that individual will end up in society. An excerpt from They Say/I Say suggests that gender can affect how individuals are viewed and treated in society. Monica Potts provides a fantastic viewpoint from poor white women. Potts’ excerpt, What’s Killing Poor White Women gives light to a not so widely discussed or recognized topic. Potts writes about the unending cycle of the need of welfare amongst generations. This is due to generation after generation being born into the same social class and situation. It is very difficult to escape this lifestyle. Potts writes, “If you are a woman, and you are
Class is the relative location of a person or group within a larger society based on wealth power, prestige, or other valued resources. In other words, class can be defined as a socioeconomic status in which one’s capital defines their class position thus giving us a ranking of financial status. This categorization of class position is based on economic status that can be determined through income, profession, or inherited wealth. Blue collar (working class), white collar, and upper class (professional services) are the three class categories based on economic status. This class structure is society’s way of determining between the haves and have-nots. One’s ability to be aware of the class system and one’s place within it is known as class consciousness or class standing.