Essay on Contemporary American Class Structure - 1328 Words

Contemporary American Class Structure 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. There are four categories of class in contemporary American society: upper, middle, working and lower. Of these four categories of classes, two are subdivide. These two are: upper class and the middle class.†¦show more content†¦Of this group, about 1/3rd belongs to the upper-middle class. The annual income of person belonging to this group is $70-$75,000. The jobs that the typical upper-middle class person holds would have a prestige rating of 65 or higher. 2/3rd?s of the middle-class population is the lower-middle class. White-collared individuals make up the majority of this class, earning anywhere from $30,000 to $60,000 a year. Lower-middle class Americans have a set standard of priorities. They take pride in the fact that they are financially stable, and promote hard work, and press on education. Without education, the members feel that they would not be where they are economically, and preach the importance to their children so that they, too, can live a life style very similar to that of theirs (Norton). Working class, mostly blue-collar, makes up 20% of the American population. The average annual income is from poverty level up to $45,000. Members of this group have little to no prestige. This is partially due to the fact that their income is solely income; they do not have investments. Education was not always highly preached, but sports for boys were and still are. It is seen as a form of ?moving up? for their sons (Norton). Among all the classes, education level, wealth, income and occupation decide which class a person belongs to (W.W. Norton, Co.). To obtain wealth, incomeShow MoreRelatedThe Nuclear Family910 Words   |  4 Pageswas highly valued in the American culture during the 1950s, where romantic love was the central reason for marriage in America; however, love in modern America is not enough to make a marriage last. Likewise, the 1950s was the time for many American marriages to undergo many socioeconomic changes including the rise of the gender minority in the workplace. Due to these developments, marriage is under enormous socioeconomic pressures have given the rise to family structures such as those headed byRead MoreIs it a Good Thing to have Class-Based Political Parties?1100 Words   |  5 PagesIs it a Good Thing to have Class-Based Political Parties? 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