Social Class And Its Impact On Society - 1894 Words

Reda Kobeissi November 11, 2015 Professor Composition II Social class identity is the expression used when referring to what the variations social classes hold, such as different cultures, norms, and values. There is much debate on the subject of social class in the United States. There are disputes about whether social classes are clearly separate or fluid, conditioned upon one’s community or society as a whole, and if people are subjective or objective (Hughes and Jenkins). The government uses the objective view, based on the economic status of the person, to be able to distinguish them into a specific social class. Though, despite the debate circling social classes, it is still essential to try to define them and interpret their†¦show more content†¦Education has become crucial in the placement of one into social class, or the ability to move upward in class, even though the education one receives is largely based on the social class one is in to begin with (APA). Family structure is also affected by social class. With t he increase in dual-earner couples, defining social class among husbands and wives is more difficult than ever (Scott and Leonhardt). Parental values also differ among the classes, as parents often bring their occupational values and attitudes home with them (Hughes and Jenkins). In a society that puts such a stress on individualism and self-identification, social class and its effects are as powerful as ever. Despite the debates about social class, the United States is usually described as having four major social classes, the elite or upper class, the middle class, the working class, and the lower class (Goldschmidt). Classes are differentiated by income, education, and occupation although other factors do have an effect. The upper class 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 upper class as they are pretty clearly isolated in their power and wealth. The middle class makes up about 40% of the population making