Essay on Class Distinctions in America

In Mantsios article “Class in America” he states that Americans hold beliefs that blind them to social classes, citizens in America have four myths they use to ensure talk about the classes never take place. America has the largest gap between rich and poor in the world, and the lower class has no means to an end they can’t afford health care or quality education. The upper class avoids talk about social class the most; wealthy people don’t want to admit that they are better off than others. While the lower class sees how much better off others are than them, but they still don’t like to label themselves. I agree with Mantsios that most Americans avoid talk about classes although I am not one of them. Also I

The emerging inequitable class systems and antagonisms of the nineteen twenties saw the traditional order and moral values challenged, as well as the creation of great wealth for few and poverty for many. The Great Gatsby, written by Francis Scott Fitzgerald, explores the causes and effects of the unbalanced class structures. Fitzgerald outlines the idea that the desire to accumulate wealth and status is a common ambition amongst the lower classes; when that desire is reached, the traditional upper class is challenged by the emerging newly wealthy, which finally leads to destructive consequences. By creating rigid class structures, traditional upper class, new wealth, and the poor in The Great Gatsby, it is

Mantsios believes that people in the United States do not like to talk about classes, whether it is upper class, middle class, or lower class. He outlines four beliefs that are widely held about class in the United States, and then thoroughly refutes them with statistical evidence. He argues that the class

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 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.

Although the United States was a British Colony in the early 1700s, the differences between the two were definitely noticeable, especially in the socioeconomic fields, mostly due to the fact that slavery played a much larger role in the United States.

On Christmas Eve in 2010, my grandmother received a gift from a hospice nurse who was assisting with my grandfather’s deteriorating health. Initially both surprised and embarrassed by the gesture, her emotions quickly changed once she removed the wrapping. A single package of Ramen Noodles was revealed. Embarrassment changed to confusion as she attempted to wrap her mind around what she had received. The hospice worker drove a 1997 Plymouth Voyager that she regularly complained about not being able to run properly for more than a week. She wore old worn out clothing and my grandmother claims she had never seen the woman wear jewelry before. It was evident that she was not wealthy. Although she could not afford a gift, the nurse in her

An inequality in society, economy, wealth distribution, and political corruption and the influence in cooperation of government led to

If only America saw all its inhabitants as having the potential for greatness, because we all are, and if it found some were negligent in pursuing personal development, meaning assessing of skills and abilities, considering their trajectory, and setting goals to accomplish them, America would step in and consider all variables. “How can we get all our citizens moving and being productive?” Classism is not a proper route. Segregation and labeling are archaic and laced in ignorance, and fear, and breed contrary beliefs. We need a movement of support and collaborative effort to bridge gaps, and debunk myths.

To many families coming to the United States, America is the land of dreams and progress, this is a narrative that has been retold time and time again. Many immigrate families come to the U.S. seeking a progressive life for themselves and their family. Many enter America being lower class citizens with the hope that hard work will bring them closer to that comfortable “American lifestyle”. This dream is arguably skewed or does not exist all together to many Americans. Why is this? America has built a nation on inequality. Covert racism lurks in many American institutions. And people are not adapt to recognize the privilege their race or socioeconomic status (social class) awards them. While all these conditions may seem bleak for the working lower classes of the United States, class progression is not

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.

Everyday in America, every citizen faces the burdens and restrictions of the class structure. But America is known as the “Land of the Free,” so how can these restrictions and burdens exist? Unfortunately, Americans are not as free as we think, because we are as equal as we think. Due to the class structure, most Americans can no longer reach the “American Dream.” The issue is a lot easier to notice than you may think, and it is easier than you may think to do something about it. Because change is already occurring within America, and it’s not too hard to add to it. So, the question is, what can you do?

Americans used to teach their children that words can’t hurt you. This was a way for parents to comfort their children when they were faced with bullying. In society today, that thought process has changed. Words and labels can hurt people, just not physically. According to Herbert Gans, he believes that labeling a group of people can hinder their mobility in a society.

In the United States, social structure and the status of the classes have been topics of debate for decades. Arguments arise over whether classes are becoming more powerful or more divided. Trends have shown that the latter of the two seems to be coming true. While there are many things to blame for the division of classes in the U.S. there is one obvious contributor— technology.

s and attitudes that maintain or justify their position. A 2013 paper by Kraus and keltner in the journey of someone’s personality and Social Psychology, as an example, found that people who see themselves as relatively high class are more likely than those who see themselves as lower in rank to view class as inherent, innate and fixed.People in a higher class also are more likely to endorse punishment over rehabilitation for criminal offenses, and to see the world as a just and fair place.