Social Classes in the United States

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Many people in the United States like to think that our nation has no social classes that people are better off than the United States of the 20th century. People do not like to be informed about the social classes and when told about them they overlook the inequalities each class has. However, social class plays a major role in predicting social inequalities in areas such as work, education, and health. Even though many improvements have been done, that have benefited the population, people are still having disadvantages because of their social class. With all the predictions social class can make about a person’s life, it is one of the most extensive aspects that influences a person’s identity.
In the United States, poverty is at a high rate and is different all over the country. The rates are the highest among older people, minorities, people under eighteen, and women. The poverty rate in the United States is around thirteen percent, but that thirteen percent is eighteen percent of people under eighteen, fifteen percent of women, and twenty five percent of just African Americans, (Bishaw, Renwick). It is evident that poverty affects some more than others. Poverty plays a huge role in shaping a person’s life. When people are in poverty, it usually brings bad health and bad education. With what poverty brings it is ok to make the notion that poverty lessens the opportunities to get a quality education. If people cannot get a quality education then it is likely that it will be hard for them to get out of poverty because they can only get a minimum wage job. “With an annual income of $15,080, a full-time minimum wage worker's salary is just under the 2012 federal poverty threshold of $15,130 for a family of two. It falls ...

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Works Cited

Alder, Nancy, and Judith Steward. "Health Equity." : [EQ] Reaching for a Healthier Life. The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Research Network on Socioeconomic Status and Health., n.d. Web. 20 Mar. 2014.
Bishaw, Alemayehu B, and Trudi J. Renwick. "Poverty: 2007 and 2008 American Community Surveys." Census.gov. U.S. Census Bureau, Sept. 2009. Web. 20 Mar. 2014.
Landau, Elizabeth. "How Poverty Might Change the Brain." CNN. Cable News Network, 01 Jan. 1970. Web. 20 Mar. 2014.
Miller, Arthur. Death of a Salesman. New York: Penguin Books, 1986.
Parker, Kim. "Yes, the Rich Are Different." Pew Research Centers Social Demographic Trends Project RSS. Pew Research Center, 27 Aug. 2012. Web. 20 Mar. 2014.
Winterton, Scott G. "Minimum Wage Not Enough to Beat Poverty, Research Says."DeseretNews.com. Deseret News, May-June 2012. Web. 20 Mar. 2014.

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