Social Classes in America
The American dream is what many people hopes to attain in their lives. Many Americans, or even non-Americans who migrated to America, pursue a goal in life that they call the American Dream. Within this dream is an objective of being in the American workforce. Sad as it is in reality, however, this dream has been categorized by many into classes -- classes that distinguish the higher from the lower groups of people in society.
To be called a "professional" makes one feel proud of the achievements that he is attaining in life. A lot of people perceive that the term "professional" means that an individual had attained a college diplomas, or even masters and doctoral degrees. However, if we are to consider the following few meanings of the term, we can conclude that a "professional" is not only those who holds a diploma, but someone who makes…...
mlaBibliography
Ohanian, S. The Mind at Work: Valuing the Intelligence of the American Worker.
Retrieved on Nov. 16, 2004, from Susan Ohanian.Org Online.
Web site: http://www.susanohanian.org/show_research.html?id=59
For example, in discussing his childhood in "Southie" a poor neighborhood in Boston, Patrick MacDonald talks about the willful ignorance of the people in the neighborhood when he was a child. "They were all here now, all of my neighbors and friends who had died young from violence, drugs, and from the other deadly things we'd been taught didn't happen in Southie" (MacDonald, 1999, p.2). In other words, the reality of the poverty that defined the lives of the people in his neighborhood was less important than their concept of what it meant to live there.
However, while MacDonald makes it clear that the people in Southie considered themselves blessed to live there, he also makes it clear that they dealt with some very real struggles and that these struggles impacted how they viewed the world. They understood that they were disadvantaged compared to other whites. Therefore, like many groups…...
mlaReferences
MacDonald, P. (1999). All Souls: A Family Story from Southie. Boston: Beacon Press.
McCall, L. (2008). What does class inequality among women look like? A comparison with men and families, 1970-2000. In a. Lareau & D. Conley (Eds.), Social Class: How Does it Work? (pp.293-325). New York: Russell Sage Foundation.
Newman, K. & Chen, V.T. (2007). The Missing Class: Portraits of the Near Poor in America.
Boston: Beacon Press.
Social Class And Health During the Renaissance and Medieval Times
THE ASIS OF PRIVILEGE
The Diet of the Rich and the Poor
What the rich and the poor ate in those times was vastly distinct (Cheng et al., 1999). The nobles and the wealthy could well afford and were served a wide variety of foods by cooks. Poor peasants, on the other hand, subsisted on a few and affordable types of meat and vegetables. Even the dishes they ate in common were nonetheless prepared differently. Those served to the rich and nobles were made from the best selected ingredients and carefully prepared, served fresh and more palatable. They were more varied than the ordinary, often with expensive spices from the Orient. The dishes prepared by peasants, on the other hand, had only little meat, which was also stored for long duration and served in the simplest manner. If spices were added, these were…...
mlaBIBLIOGRAPHY
Cheng, A et al. (1999). The rich and poor. Woodland Senior Public School: Tripod.
Retrieved on March 14, 2012 from http://www.members.tripod.dom/med_food/richpoor.html
MacDowell, S. (2012). What are the cooking supplies for Renaissance food? eHow:
Demand Media, Inc. Retrieved on March 14, 2012 from http://www.ehow.com/info_8435592_cooking-supplies-renaissance-food.jtml
These families provide their children with the suitable training within the same social class. The social status is considered to be normally the generalized asset of the family and it cannot be personified. In absence of proper terminology the social classes are attempted to be distinguished as highest, upper, middle, lower and lowest. (Headrick, 66)
To conclude, the social class that is always a contentious and contested topic can be realized as a large group and the study of social class dynamics is therefore considered mutually informative with the study of large group dynamics. The description of the contemporary social classes involves prioritization of individuals and groups in accordance with their access to resources and accumulated material or social wealth. The prioritization significantly implies a ladder of meaning or value there by placing a large number of people below the standard. An existence of a strengthened force molding the psychological…...
mlaReferences
Headrick, William Cecil. A Study of Social Stratification with reference to social class barriers and social class rigidity. Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at New York State University. December 1, 1941
Rummel, R.J. Understanding Conflict and War: The Conflict Helix. Beverly Hills, California: Sage Publications, 1976
Storck, Lauren E. 'Reality' or 'Illusion'? Five Things of Interest about Social Class as a Large Group. Group Analysis. Volume: 35; No. 3, 2002; pp: 351-366.
Wouters, Cas. The Integration of Social Classes. Journal of Social History. Volume: 29; No: 1; 1995; pp: 47-53
IT is commonly asserted that there are in the United States no classes, and any allusion to classes is resented. On the other hand, we constantly read and hear discussions of social topics in which the existence of social classes is assumed as a simple fact. "The poor," "the weak," "the laborers," are expressions which are used as if they had exact and well- understood definition.
Karl Marx, a famous philosopher and sociologist, studied social classes as part of the human society. According to him, social classes is a form of social inequality that caused problems and differences between people of different social status. He defined social classes as a creator of gauging the living status of an individual. From International Socialist Group Online, it was indicated that Classes emerge at a distinct point in the evolution of human society on a particular economic foundation. The social inequality which leads to…...
mlaBibliography
N. Smelser. Sociological Approaches.
1994. SocioUmas Online. 2004. http://www.sociumas.lt/Eng/Nr3/smelser.asp
Analyzing and Resolving Class Conflict.
2000. Conflict Research Consortium. 2004. http://www.colorado.edu/conflict/full_text_search/AllCRCDocs/rubenst.htm
SOCIAL CLASS SYSTEM IN THE U.S.
Classism' refers to distribution of national wealth is such a manner that it benefits the highest social class, the elites, and leads to the creation of social hierarchy. "Classism is made up of falsehoods about the frugality and seriousness of the upper class and the profligacy and frivolity of the lower" (Dugger, 1998). While in the Britain and other imperial countries, social classes took birth because of the presence of monarchy and aristocracy, in America it came with capitalism. United States, the greatest champion of democracy, developed the principle of individualism to remove the insidiousness associated with classism. However its efforts in this connection resulted in the development of capitalism and with industrialism and capitalism came the problem of wealth distribution, which eventually paved way for classism as the elite always got the biggest share.
Classism or social class system in the United States is thus…...
mlaReferences
Ayres, Clarence E. Toward a Reasonable Society: The Values of Industrial Civilization. Austin: University of Texas Press, 1961
Dugger, William M., Against inequality. (Income inequality). Vol.32, Journal of Economic Issues, 06-01-1998, pp 286(18)
W. Lloyd Warner; Marchia Meeker; Kenneth Eells; Social Class in America A Manual of Procedure for the Measurement of Social Status: Science Research Associates: Chicago: 1949
Jurgen Ruesch, Martin B. Loeb, et al., Chronic Disease and Psychological Invalidism; a Psychosomatic Study (New York: American Society for Research in Psychosomatic Problems, 1946).
That changes your view of yourself and also influences the way people interact with you. They want to listen to you; they like being in your company and you are invited to almost all the best parties around. It was a superb life and one that I was enjoying beyond belief. I no longer cared about the various coupons you could find in newspapers because I could afford almost everything. I almost had half of my money invested in stocks. And with all this money, I now started thinking more about investing in my education. I had barely gone beyond high school and even my high school education was nothing to write home about.
A got myself enrolled in one of the best colleges and began thinking about a career in advertising. I realized just how many opportunities you could have with money at your disposal. My life had not…...
In "producing something," workers elevate their status in life by justifying that their work is meaningful not only to them, but to society, for they contribute to the economic machinery of capitalism everyday.
The following passages from various interviews in "Working" demonstrate the concepts of "producing something" and "making sense" as the avenues through which workers momentarily suspend or escape their marginalization in American society:
The *****in' world's so *****ed up, the country's *****ed up. ut the firemen, you actually see them produce. You see them put out a fire. You see them come out with babies in their hands. You see them give mouth-to-mouth when a guy's dying. You can't get around that *****. That's real. To me, that's what I want to be.
"I worked in a bank. You know, it's just paper. it's not real. Nine to five and it's *****. You're lookin' at numbers. ut I can look…...
mlaBibliography
Houseman, S. And M. Osawa. (2003). Nonstandard work in developed economies: causes and consequences.
Michigan: W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research.
Terkel, S. (1985). Working: people talk about what they do all day and how they feel about what they do. NY: Pantheon Books.
Thiessen, V. (2002). "The social distribution of youth's images of work." Canadian Review of Sociology and Anthropology, Vol. 39, Issue 1.
' Even "very bright students now come to college and even law school ill-prepared for critical thinking, rigorous reading, high-level writing, and working independently" (Goodwin 2013).
In my personal experience in Guatemala, students suffer even more extreme discrimination through the public education and private education systems. Government-run schools are substandard, compared with private schools which are attended by children of the rich. The fact that so many wealthy and influential students attend private schools takes a great deal of pressure off the public schools to perform to a high standard. This is one of the fears that many American educators have regarding the discrepancies between schools in the American system: the more unequal the resources of rich and poor schools, the more isolated students will be from wealthier areas, and the fewer parents of students from richer districts will care about the suffering of under-educated poorer children. Thanks to the discrepancies…...
mlaReference
Goodwin, Michele. (2013). Law professors see the damage done by 'No Child Left
Behind.' The Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved:
Therefore, other strategies such as guest talks and city council meetings, as well as church groups, must also address such differences and promote tolerance and understanding. While it is imperative that society functions without prejudice, in a smooth, diversity-promoting way, competing interests could always overthrow this delicate balance. Certain institutions must therefore conduct a never-ceasing effort to promote understanding through communication and interaction, for only in this way can one find a lasting solution to race and class-based prejudice.
The above paragraphs have discussed how prejudice has been fostered in two segments of society. These two groups include Arab-Americans and African-Americans. With respect to the latter, it has been described that African-Americans have suffered at the hands of prejudice, both racial and class-based, for centuries, and that this continues to this day. In the case of the former group, it has been shown that Arab-Americans have only recently been discriminated…...
Social Class, followed, by Age and ten Income seem to sow te most significant associations in various entertainment categories, indicating tat, in tat specific order, tese tree are te most important categories for expensive restaurants to consider.
Movies seem to be te most relevant in Income, Age, and Life Cycle. Golf is relevant in Income. Bowling in Life Cycle. In-state travel seems to be somewat (toug moderately significant in bot Life Cycle and Age. Skiing seems to ave minor insignificance in Age alone. Dining at restaurants possesses low to moderate significance and inges on Age, Income, and Life Cycle. Professional atletic events and Nigtclubs are two variables tat are significant at te .01 level in Life Cycle in bot instances.
Explain te statistical test tat is reported.
Warner's Index of Status Caracteristics - also known as te Index of Status of Caracteristics (ISC) is used in researc dealing wit consumer beavior in order…...
mlahttp://design-marketing-dictionary.blogspot.com/2010/04/index-of-status-characteristics-isc.html
Lantos, GP (2010) Consumer Behavior in Action: Real-Life Applications for Marketing Managers. Google -- Book
Race and Social ClassThe relationship between race and class remains one of the most hotly debated issues in todays society. The modern society is increasingly multicultural because of increased globalization. Race and class have attracted the concerns of many stakeholders including professionals across different disciplines, policymakers, and the public. This comes at a time when racism is still a major issue in society despite the numerous efforts undertaken in the fight against racial prejudice and discrimination. The United States has had a long and uncomfortable history of class conflicts and tensions with race relations. The long-standing issues relating to race relations and class conflicts are indicators of the strong link that exists between race and social class.Generally, race and social class are intimately intertwined despite being usually unrecognized (Hirschberg & Hirschberg, p.178). According to the American Psychological Association, recent studies have shown that an individuals social class and status are…...
mlaWorks Cited
American Psychological Association. “Ethnic and Racial Minorities & Socioeconomic Status.” American Psychological Association, American Psychological Association, July 2017, www.apa.org/pi/ses/resources/publications/minorities.
Hirschberg, Stuart, and Terry Hirschberg. One World, Many Cultures. Pearson, 2018.
Weeks, Matthew, and Michael B. Lupfer. “Complicating Race: The Relationship between Prejudice, Race, and Social Class Categorizations.” Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, vol. 30, no. 8, 2004, pp. 972–984., doi:10.1177/0146167204264751.
Social Class and Access to Justice
Introduction
The concept of justice is often associated with fairness, equality, and the protection of rights. However, one crucial factor that impacts an individual's ability to access justice is their social class. Social class refers to a person's socio-economic status or position in society, based on factors such as income, education, and occupation. Unfortunately, individuals from lower social classes often face significant barriers when seeking justice, leading to a stark disparity in access to legal resources and outcomes.
The elationship Between Social Class and Access to Justice
The relationship between social class and access to justice is a complex one, deeply rooted in the fact that unequal access to resources often results in unequal access to legal representation and, by extension, justice. While the intent of the legal…...
mlaReferences
American Bar Association. \"Legal Services Corporation.\" American Bar Association, 2020.
Banks, R. Richard, and Jennifer L. Eberhardt. “When It Comes to Pleading Guilty, The Poor Suffer From Inadequate Legal Advice.” Stanford Law Review, vol. 69, no. 2, 2017, pp. 513-555.
Engel, David M., and John P. Heinz. “The Civil Litigation Process in Poverty Law Cases.” Law & Society Review, vol. 32, no. 1, 1998, pp. 23-91.
Harris, Alexes. \"A Pound of Flesh: Monetary Sanctions as Punishment for the Poor.\" Russell Sage Foundation, 2016.
Dismissed: How TV Frames the Working Class directed by Loretta Alper. Specifically it will evaluate how work and social class is perceived in this documentary film and other television shows. The working class always seems to be the brunt of negative humor and satire on television and this documentary explores that phenomenon, from the 1940s to the present day. If a person bases their opinions about the working class only on television, they will come to see an uneducated, group of buffoons who are entertaining but certainly not enlightening. Instead of poking fun at the working class, the media should acknowledge the contribution most working class families make to the American culture.
The film opens with the statistic that about 62% of Americans are members of the working class, and that means they are the average people you might meet on the street, stroll a shopping mall with, or dine…...
Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, better known as Miguel de Cervantes. The first section will be a brief biography of his life and times. Following will be an examination of his works, including Don Quixote, La Galatea, and Entremeses. Focus will be on how different classes of people appear in his works with examples of characters of lower, middle and upper class standing in Cervantes' world. The paper will conclude with ideas of class in general.
Miguel de Cervantes Saaverdra
Miguel de Cervantes Saaverdra's reputation rests almost entirely on the most famous figure in Spanish literature, Don Quixote. Known by most as Miguel de Cervantes, his production of novels, plays and poems was considerable. According to Jean Canavaggio, author of "Cervantes," a contemporary of Cervantes, William Shakespeare, had read Don Quixote. (1990) In spite of his fame throughout Europe, Cervantes spent his life as a poor man. Cervantes life was unsettled from…...
While it is impossible to escape the similarities between the French Revolution and American Revolution and there is no question that the American Revolution helped inspire the French Revolution, there are a number of important differences between the French and American revolution.
Location was an important difference. America was a colony that was revolting against a ruling government that was separated from it by a large distance, while the French Revolution occurred in France and was aimed at the monarchy in that country.
Social class played a much more important role in the French Revolution than the American Revolution. ....
That sounds like an interesting essay, because Swift’s “A Modest Proposal” is so-often held up as the prime example of satire. Would be a fascinating read, especially if you are arguing that “Huck Finn” offers a more effective use of satire. Here are a few ideas for essay titles.
Social class is an incredibly complex concept. Many people assume that it is primarily defined by socioeconomic status. However, while wealth or the lack thereof may play some role in determining social class, it is not the only determinant. Other factors in addition to class can help determine social stratification. In the United States, this concept can often be looked at new money versus old money. If these delineations are preset, is social mobility even possible?
To really understand this issue, it is important to look at the concept of social class and stratification. Social class....
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