Phillip Smith

March 31, 2014

English 1102
Ms. Hofmann
What are classes
In this da and time there is a constant press!re to "e in a "etter class sstem
than one ma alread "e pertained in. In this there is almost a competition "et#een
indi$id!als "eca!se of social classes. %hese social classes are in some #a either
predetermined, or "ased off of ed!cational stat!s, creati$it, or hard#or&ing ethical
practices. 's each indi$id!al ta&es a step "ac& and anal(e their personal standing the
)!estion, *Ho# do 'mericans associate themsel$es sociall and economicall in
toda+s c!rrent economic recession,- "ecomes e$er so forthcoming.
'fter a three or fo!r ear recessional e.tent the o!tcome of man peoples
pre$io!s class str!ct!re. %here #ere mo$ements from the !pper class to middle class
and then e$en from the middle class all the #a do#n to the lo#er class. %his co!rse
of e$ent ca!sed man indi$id!als to feel a sense of disco!ragement "eca!se some
people lost all that the had , "eca!se the tried to sta afloat and sta *a"o$e- the
#ater. %o go f!rther there are man s!"le$els that are incl!ded in the three categories.
%he are the !pper class, !pper/middle class, middle class, the #or&ing class and last
the lo#er class. %hese class str!ct!res ha$e constantl "een modified or re/e$al!ated
e$er since the recession "!""le has "eg!n. %his sstem " #hich #e ha$e associated
o!rsel$es #ith has "een a constant social "!""le in #hich each indi$id!al aims to
increase their social #ell/"eing. Some factors that increase this are ed!cational le$el
s!ch as 0high school degree, "achelors degree, and1or a master degree2. It all seems
that social classes contin!o!sl increase "ased off the need for ed!cation
ad$ancements and this ed!cational ad$ancement increases the odds that people #ill
ha$e a "etter chance to increase the social standing. 'ccording to the 3o!ndless
so!rce the 'merican dream is *one+s mem"ership in a partic!lar social class is "ased
on ed!cational and career accomplishments.- %his seems to "e the effort made "
each indi$id!al !nder the 'merican $ision to "etter their o#n position, and to tr to
define their social and economic position.
In todas societ there is a constant mo$ement in class sstem. %his constant
stratification has allo#ed for people to e.perience the finer things in life, that in other
meas!res ma not ha$e "een a$aila"le "efore. In the 4e# 5or& %imes, it #as
descri"ed #ithin the article that *40 percent of 'mericans "elie$ed that the chance of
mo$ing !p from one class to another had risen o$er the last 30 ears6- %his
statement descri"es the constant change that societ is seeing #ithin itself "eca!se of
the e$er so #idespread changing paradigm that 'mericans ha$e. %his perception ma
"e "ro!ght !pon the media and statistics that are constantl "eing p!t forth. So, in
this, societ ma ha$e created this stigmatism that there are class str!ct!res and onl
the elite ma "e a"le to progress or create the opport!nit. 3ased off of the
information #ithin the 4e# 5or& %imes there has "een a * period in #hich the ne#
research sho#s that it has not.- %his statement concl!des that there is not an
progressional stance "et#een the social class standards, s!ch. as the mo$ement from
poor to !pper class. %here has "een a constant le$eled plaing field #here the present
da mental state of the 7nited States is centered aro!nd a str!ct!re sstem that still
s!pports an idea #here the 'merican 8ream is a common goal. %his #hole idea of
social classes #as started " 9arl Mar. d!ring the nineteenth cent!r. His idea of a
t#o class sstem is #hat #e ha$e "ased !pon on o!r c!rrent class and economic
str!ct!re. %his idea "eing the "o!rgeoisie and the proletariat In this the "o!rgeoisie
are the capitalist and the proletariat are those #ho are considered the #or&ing class.
%o contin!e to address ho# 'merican+s see themsel$es #ithin the c!rrent economic
recession, and according to 9arl Mar. * the s!ccessf!l mem"ers of the middle class
#o!ld "ecome mem"ers of the "o!rgeoisie, #hile the !ns!ccessf!l #o!ld "e forced
into the proletariat.- %his statement addresses the c!rrent sit!ation that #e see in the
not onl 'merica "!t also the entire #orld. %he constant stratification to "elong to a
gro!p or identit p!shes indi$id!als to tr and conform to an idea that #e are p!shed
to#ards " o!tside forces.
:rom this data"ase #e see that there is a fl!ct!ation of ideas on the middle
class. Seeing families s!rro!nding one, #here o! gro# !p changes o!r perception.
%he #a o! carr o!rself and contin!e allo#s for the general ass!mption to "e
la"eled !nder certain categories. ' person #ho has a higher degree of ed!cation, and a
higher ann!al income has more of a ;o" sec!rit. In saing this, societ "egins to
s!pplement the idea " la"eling each other. %he !pper class can "e la"eled as *those
#ith great #ealth and po#er- and also the *nation<s political and economic
instit!tions as #ell as in the media.- It generall means there is too m!ch po#er gi$en
to those and so the more mone o! ha$e the more po#er o! ha$e to control the
largest sectors #ithin life. %here is too m!ch interest and ad$ancement for those #ho
classif in this class sstem. In a poll cond!cted " the 4e# 5or& %imes the had
a"o!t 40 participants. In this the too& fo!r of the participants response to sho# the
different perceptional changes that #e ha$e "ased off of factors. %hese factor0s2 are
mostl centered on income. %his income factor separated these fo!r indi$id!al into
different categories of classes. 'lso the thing that separates them f!rther is that the
each ha$e a different present circ!mstances and ;o" position. %he range from
"!siness o#ner1mar&eting e.ec!ti$e to a #ido#. When it #as f!rthered e.amined it
can "e seen that peoples o#n personal li$es s!ch as ta&ing care of lo$ed ones,
ingen!it. People "egin to craft their li$es "ased off of ed!cation, life sit!ations, and
the career field. So, to ma&e amends people classif themsel$es "ased off of those
indi$id!al s!"fields. %his is #here 9arl Mar.+s ideas "egin to ta&e form and o! ha$e
the "o!rgeoisie and proletariat formed in societ "eca!se the are sectored " their
occ!pation. 'lso !nder the Pream"le, it mentions that the goals of the 7nited States
for the citi(ens are *=ife, =i"ert and the P!rs!it of Happiness.- %his en$elops the
'merican dream, "eca!se e$erone in the #orld #ants to increase their social
standard and li$e the life in a "etter sit!ation than one is alread in. Monetar
standards are "ased off of inherited financial methods or the creati$e ideas, or e$en
the hard #or& on an occ!pation that one ind!lges in.
Wor& >ited

8o""s, =o!. War on the Middle >lass? Ho# the @o$ernment, 3ig 3!siness, and
Special Interest @ro!ps 're Waging War on the 'merican 8ream and Ho# to :ight
3ac&. 4e# 5or&? Ai&ing, 200B. Print.
CMar. on Social >lass.C Mar. on Social >lass. Sociolog 2D0, 03 Ect. 2002. We". 01
'pr. 2014.
Scott, Fann, and 8a$id =eonhardt. C>lass in 'merica? Shado# =ines %hat Still
8i$ide.C %he 4e# 5or& %imes. %he 4e# 5or& %imes, 14 Ma 200D. We". 24 Mar.
2014.
Staff, 4PG. C:or =3F, %he War En Po$ert Was Personal.C 4PG. 4PG, 0H Fan. 2014.
We". 24 Mar. 2014.
C%he >lass Str!ct!re in the 7.S.C ? Stratification, Ine)!alit, and Social >lass in the
7.S.4.p., n.d. We". 24 Mar. 2014.