In order to better understand social class and the structure of inequality, a couple key terms will be identified. Social Stratification is the division of society into groups arranged in the social hierarchy. (Ferris & Stein. pg,182.) Social class is a system of stratification based on access to such resources as wealth, property, power, and prestige. (Ferris & Stein. pg., 184.) According to the text, it is difficult to put exact lines between social classes. For instance, I would be labeled as the working poor because of my income level but I do not have a job that consists of seasonal work or manual labor. My education would categorize me into the middle class because I have a two-year degree. I also have worked in a lower-level manager job; therefore my job would categorize me as the middle class as well. …show more content…
When I was growing up, my best friend was categorized in a different social class than my family and me. I am not too sure what their income was, but I would just guess they were in the upper-middle class. They never made me feel less than thought. They were always so welcoming and my friend never treated me like I was not worthy of being her friend because of the amount of things she has and the amount of things I had. I think I decided to go to college because of my social status. It is not that I really care about being categorized; I am more worried about giving my daughter more than I had growing up. I never lacked anything that I needed for survival but I always wished that we could travel. I not only want to have my education but also have a job that I love to do. My mother never had any of that and she always told me not to stop until I had reached my
Despite the debates about social class, the United States is usually described as having four major social classes, the elite or upperclass, the middle class, the working class, and the lower class (Goldscmidt). Classes are generally differentiated by income, education, and occupation although other factors do have an effect. The upperclass consists of about 1% of the population making 750,000 dollars or more a year as investors, top executives, or heirs to large fortunes (Hughes and Jenkins). There tends to be no question about who is in the upperclass as they are pretty clearly isolated in their power and wealth. The middle class makes up about 40% of the population making anywhere from 40,000 to 749,999 dollars a year (Hughes and Jenkins). The large disparity in income and wealth have led to a further division of this class into upper-middle class and middle class in some circles. The middle class usually work white collar jobs as professionals and managers, however some highly skilled blue collar workers are included. Those in the middle class have usually obtained higher education degrees and place a high value on individual responsibility for one’s class (Goldschmidt). The working class is composed of about 50% of the population earning 13,000 to 39,000 dollars a year (Hughes and Jenkins). Some also divide this class into a working class and a
“The percentage of Americans who say they are in the lower-middle or lower class has risen from a quarter of the adult population to about a third in the past four years, according to a national survey of 2,508 adults by the Pew Research Center” (http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2012/09/10/a-third-of-americans-now-say-they-are-in-the-lower-classes/). Today’s adults stating that they are in the lower class are most likely to have had a rough life growing up, and can now not escape the lower class. Social class is the idea of “a division of a society based on social and economic status” (http://www.dictionary.com/browse/social-class). Social class has the greatest impact on who a person turns out to be and what decisions they make because those
The very poor class contains all citizens that have a very low economic status. Most have no economic security, are unemployed, and have no education after high school. American citizens in this class have just enough money to survive. The poor class includes any American citizen who does not have enough money to have basic necessities. The working class includes American citizens who have enough to provide basic needs for their family. They do not have some of the simple luxuries; if they do; they have to save up to buy it. In the middle class, most citizens go to college. People in the middle class do not necessarily live paycheck to paycheck, but have enough money to spend on leisure. The next social class in America is the upper middle class, whose citizens mainly attend private or charter schools. ( Hancock, 1998). They hold professions such as doctors and
When it comes to my inner identity I think I would classify it with my social class and race and ethnicity. I would consider my social class to be middle class, but many of my family members consider us to be upper class when they compare their lives to us. I would have a cousin who would constantly define my family as rich because of the big house we have, the nice neighborhood we live in, and all the things that we own. I guess when I compare my life to theirs I can see why they would define us like that, but I continue to see us as middle class. On the outside my family may seem like the dream life with the big house and having no worries, but in reality it was not like that. At one point my mother had a gambling problem and we ended up going into bankruptcy. This really took a toll on my family and we would really have to limit the things we would buy. It would turn into asking
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.
This is the lowest class in the social class stratification. While the majority of the working class now live reasonably healthy and prosperous lives, a low minority do not. These people cannot work. They include the long-term unemployed and the disabled and chronically ill. They are in effect, shut out of much of what most people can attain. This group of
Most people can determine what class a person is by just looking at the house that person lives in. If someone lives in a million-dollar home, then more than likely they are from the upper class. Middle class people usually own homes that are just big enough
The United States is often seen by many as a country of equal opportunity. A place where social classes do not exist. Unfortunately, thoughts such as these are wrong because the US is far from being the only country to escape this exception. When observed closely there are signs that each person manifests that distinctively show what social class they belong to. Although money is the most common marker of class, education along with health related topics such as heart disease and eating habits are strong inicators of class.
There are many factors that can contribute to what class someone is a part of. The amount of money, education or the employment that someone holds can help identify your class or rank. If someone is born into a lower class status then they might work even harder to try and achieve a higher class, this might require more effort and longer working hours on the individuals end. Sometime it is hard to get a good paying
The issue of sustainability is one of the most fundamental and important subjects in economics. Thomas Malthus’ bleak evaluation of humanity’s prospects in the face of overpopulation heralded a new age in economics where pessimism became the undisputed ruler of discourse. John Stuart Mill’s efforts to banish this pervasive gloom by appealing to the capabilities and intelligence of his fellow men is both inspiring and devastatingly effective. In a broader context, the struggle between Thomas Malthus and John Stuart Mill cannot be viewed as merely a peripheral debate on a singular issue; it is a battle for the very soul of economic analysis.
Social class is defined as a label that categorizes individuals based on their economic status, wealth, and
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.
The good and bad sides of intellect and knowledge have baffled people for centuries. From the beginning of time, man has struggled to draw the line between knowledge and science, and religion, and have fought countless battles over it. However, this is no one-sided matter. The benefits and consequences of intelligence and knowledge are determined only by how it is being used.
As we all know, Canada is a democracy with parliamentary government; Canada has tenth largest economy in the world and Canada is a member of OECD and the G-8; nowadays, Canadians have a satisfying income, a good education and most of whom dominated middle class or higher; Canada is the leading nation in science and technology especially the internet and digital communication. India is a democracy government and the political environment is influenced by government’s policies, politician interest and so on, which means the business environment is affected by the political factors; the economy in India is exceedingly stable due to the industrial reform policies; the social factors of India comprise of a multitude of social trends and changes such as values, languages, belief, demographic features and so on; even though India posses one of biggest IT sectors in the world, most of technology sectors in India is far behind other powerful nations.
Social class can be thought of as a very important indicator of who a person is.