Classism In America

There is much debate about the issue of social class in the United States. There are arguments about whether social classes are distinctly separate or fluid, dependent upon one’s community or society as a whole, and if they are subjective or objective (Hughes and Jenkins). However, despite the debate surrounding social classes, it is still important to try to define them and analyze their effects, as they are such an important part of our identity and our opportunities in society. Although our society has tried to appear as though we have no classes, and it is becoming harder to tell what class someone is in by material goods, classes do still exist today (Scott and Leonhardt). The trend has been to divide the U.S. into four major

“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

Have you ever referred to someone as “high class,” “middle class,” or “low class?” The article “Class In America” is a very educated read and describes the way people are characterized by their “class.” I think that this article informs all types of readers and allows people to see how people are grouped based on themselves. “Class in America” is written to show and prove to society that people do not talk about “class” anymore, because of the way the world looks at it today. Gregory Mantosis is the author of the article, and he uses many facts and data to prove his points.

Classism is defined as a Relative social rank in terms of income, wealth, education, occupational status, and/or power. But is really is a negative or biased attitude due to the distinctions made between social classes. I believe that classism destroys the world due to the categories that society has invented in our minds. Classism is expressed in numerous amounts of ways; a few examples would be through social class, sexual preference, racism, and the media. The economy easily breaks down people into a certain class to define whether should be known as someone to remember or someone who can easily be forgotten. People who are wealthy are able to take advantage of the class they are put in, which is of course the superior class. They are able

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

with names like Deepwoods, Burgundy Oaks, or Chase Circle has virtually no crime at all.

Daniel Leyderman Ms. Haynes ENG4U1-7 March 1, 2024 How Have the Catalysts of Classism Changed Over Time, with Respect to Materialism and Self Worth, and How Does It Reflect on Opposing Positions? In both Love Yourz by J. Cole and The Necklace by Guy de Maupassant, the themes of classism and its connections to materialism and self-worth are explored through different mediums. Love Yourz is a contemporary hip-hop song reflecting on the personal struggles of a celebrated male rapper in the 21st century, dealing with the societal pressure of wealth and fame. The Necklace is a classic short story exploring a 19th century woman battling the consequences of materialism and social envy. Comparing both these texts offers contrasting views on the nuanced

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

There is much debate in America about how its society has fallen under the cowl of social stratification resulting in the unforgiving rise of class inequality. It is becoming more and more clear these days that these beliefs have seemed to turn into truth in the last couple decades. New York Times columnist and Nobel prize winning economic professor Paul Krugman discusses why and how upward mobility has become increasingly difficult in the past decades in his article “The Death of Horatio Alger,” which was first published on December 18th 2003 in New York City. His thorough explanation makes it easy to understand just how close the United States is to being a true caste society and the imposing danger of such an event. Harvard professor

The readings examined how classism has negatively affected economics in the United States, how oppression manifests in taking financial advantage of groups of people who cannot advance financially, and systemic issues contributing to low wage and inability to move out of one’s social class. I was struck by the idea that most people in the United States are disadvantaged financially based on the way the country has set up its economic policies. From the beginning, black people have been oppressed by the inability to attain wealth, which continued through the end of WWII. I unnecessarily read a chapter speaking about financial companies targeting poor people, particularly people of color, with money schemes so they are losing their hard-earned money to fees and interest rates. This scheme continues to keep people in debt and living paycheck to paycheck. I related to the reading about college loans creating a paradox that students with degrees enter the workforce unable to find a job in their their field of study. Then the added paradox of not being able to find work making

They’re many reasons why many Americans are disturbed by the topics of social classes, inequality, and the lack of class mobility. One reason is the way that the media portrays thing. The media makes it seems as if everything is fine, and that those who speak out about social class, inequality, and the lack of class mobility are just people who want “free things” or “did not work hard enough”. In the other hand the media always portrays those in the top bracket of the income as hard working Americans, who through struggling obtained their wealth. When in reality many millionaires did not earn their money instead they inherited it from their parents.

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.

Race still predominantly plays a role in everyday classism. Discriminatory housing practices traps minorities in the lower class for generations. Moreover, America’s healthcare system unfair to people who have low income. Also, Public transportation does not properly serve the needs of those who use it; as well as, it makes it formidable to secure, and maintain a stable job. Additionally, education for the poor unequal in graduation rates; along with, a social polarization against lower class students. Classism in America is an old, yet consistent problem that, creates an unfair economic divide of

Classism is the systematic oppression of subordinated class groups to advantage and strengthen the dominant class groups. It’s the systematic assignment of characteristics of worth and ability based on social class. ….Classism is held in place by a system of beliefs and cultural attitudes that ranks people according to economic status, family lineage, job status, level of education, and other divisions. Middle-class and owning- or ruling-class people (dominant group members) are seen as smarter and more articulate than working-class and poor people (subordinated groups)…(What is Classism, p. 1).

The wealthier a person is, the easier a life that person will live. Class discrimination, also known as “classism”, is a form of social discrimination which consists of individual attitudes, behaviors, systems of policies, and practices which are set up in order to benefit the upper class at the expense of the lower class. It can even be the other way around, benefitting the lower class at the expense of the upper class. In Paul Tough’s article, The Class-Consciousness Raiser, Ruby Payne states that if school staff and other professionals don’t try to see past class, or try to understand traditions and styles that occur in many different households, the obstacles that poor people face, including children, will never be understood or recognized. Payne claims that a person may remove himself from the class they have been associated with, but only if they remove themselves from certain relationships and also lose some inherent values, in order to enter the desired class. It is found to be difficult to truly understand how classism works in the real world, as the media, which has a huge impact and influence in a person's life, often will put a twist on it, or exaggerate the issue. Lower class people are often seen as uneducated, dirty, and gullible, while this may or not be true, it creates a misperception that is unfortunately accepted by the public . This puts a stigma on the lower class, by the media, which in turn creates problems for those people who have been labeled, as