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The distribution of wealth john r commons
Discuss unequal distribution of wealth
Discuss unequal distribution of wealth
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The socio-economic status and class division of society has greatly influenced everyday life in North America. Once designated a certain socio-economic status, it is very difficult to move freely in-between the classes. “The lower class typically encompasses a wide variety of class identities, from working class (blue collar) to working poor to unemployed.” This class is seen as the foundation of the social ladder, the bottom of society. Many people in this class work either minimum wage jobs or labor jobs. The lower class usually is employed by jobs that require little to no post-secondary education. “In 2007, the high school dropout rate among persons 16-24 years old was highest in low-income families (16.7 percent) as compared to high-income …show more content…
The middle class is the largest of the Socio-economic classes and often divided into two different niches: lower-middle class and higher-middle class. The Middle class is essentially the backbone of society. It provides a medium between the wealthy and poor; it is said to represent the typical person. The middle class is also referred to as the bourgeoisie. According to the German philosopher Karl Marx, the bourgeoisie is “the ruling class of the two basic classes of capitalist society, consisting of capitalists, manufacturers, bankers, and other employers. The bourgeoisie owns the most important of the means of production, through which it exploits the working class” . The middle class is said to be essential to every economy, a necessary part of a working …show more content…
The upper class makes up the smallest percent of the population in any given country; however, it controls the largest amount of the wealth. “Perhaps 3-5% of Canadians fall into this class. Much of their wealth is inherited. Their children go to private schools and they exercise great power in occupational positions. Although this group has historically been primarily of British origin, it is now more widely distributed.” The highest of Canada’s upper class is called the upper-upper class. It makes up the richest one percent of Canadian society. The people in the upper class traditionally own what some may call “old money”. They inherit most of their wealth from family and companies owned by their families. These people, Canada’s elite, are typically well educated and in good health due to access to private schools and the best medical
Social and economic class is something we as Americans like to push into the back of our minds. Sometimes recognizing our class either socially or economically can almost be crippling. When individuals recognize class, limitations and judgment confront us. Instead, we should know it is important to recognize our class, but not let it define and limit us. In the essay, “Class in America”, Gregory Mantsios, founder and director of the Joseph S. Murphy Institute for Worker Education at the School of Professional Studies, brings to light the fact that Americans don’t talk about class and class mobility. He describes the classes in extremes, mainly focusing on the very sharp divide between the extremely wealthy and extremely poor. In contrast, George
America is divided into two main groups, rich or poor. There is some grey area among these groups which is referred to as the middle class. The problem with the middle class is that most people think they belong in the middle class because they do not want to associate themselves with neither rich nor poor; there are stigmas attached to each side of the spectrum.
If you have ever read the book 1984 by George Orwell, then an interesting topic may have crossed your mind. The way the classes of people break down can be quite similar, and very different at times. In the United States, we have classes like the lower class, the working class, and the middle class. In 1984, there were such classes as the Proles, the Outer Party, and the Inner Party. The way the classes are broken down in 1984 reminds me a little bit of my old history class. When I studied medieval times and the classes back then were broken down into the nobles, the bourgeois, and the serfs.
With each class comes a certain level in financial standing, the lower class having the lowest income and the upper class having the highest income. According to Mantsios’ “Class in America” the wealthiest one percent of the American population hold thirty-four percent of the total national wealth and while this is going on nearly thirty-seven million Americans across the nation live in unrelenting poverty (Mantsios 284-6). There is a clear difference in the way that these two groups of people live, one is extreme poverty and the other extremely
In the “Class Of America” article, the author Gregory Mantsios displays his point of view on what society says class individuals are in and how that affects their lives further than people in America think. Mantsios believes that citizens in the United States prefer not be put in different social categories like higher, middle, or lower class just because of the income value. Mantsios elaborates on his beliefs about class categories in America and disproves them by using statistics for evidence. In example, he claims that the class you are placed in will affect your lifestyle. Mantsios also debates that whatever class you fall under reflects on how well you will prosper in life, just like schools connecting test scores and the level of schooling the student receives. Whatever class a person is categorized in defining their future in life, even, if they choose to not see it that way that’s how it is.
Diversity is part of the American lifestyle. America is a country built on capitalistic principles, where a countries’ economy is controlled by a small number of people. People who tend to have power in the society tend to separate themselves from the rest. Looking back at different time period of American history diversity has shaped up the lives we live as Americans, whether it is because of gender, sexual orientation, race, religion, socioeconomic background, and capabilities/ disabilities, there is always diversity in society. Although, diversity is increasingly being viewed positively, and as much as people are proud of their differences. There will always be a way for human beings to diversify themselves into groups in which share similar interests.
the middle and upper class. The essay was first presented in the winter of 2006.
In the United States there are four social classes : the upper class, the middle class, the working class, and the lower class. Of these four classes the most inequality exists between the upper class and the lower class. This inequality can be seen in the incomes that the two classes earn. During the period 1979 through the present , the growth in income has disproportionately grown.The bottom sixty percent of the US population actually saw their real income decrease in 1990 dollars. The next 20% saw medium gains. The top twenty percent saw their income increase 18%. The wealthiest one percent saw their incomes rise drastically over 80%. As reported in the 1997 Center on Budget's analysis , the wealthiest one percent of Americans ( 2.6 million people) received as much after-tax income in 1994 as the bottom 35 percent of the population combined (88 million people). But in 1977 the bottom 35 percent had about twice as much after tax income as the top one percent. These statistics further show the disproportional income growth among the social classes. The gr...
The bourgeoisie class was the class in control in the Gilded Age, yet Marx's views exposed the flaws in their social system and gave the proletariats a new social order. As the Gilded Age progressed, the bourgeoisie became more ...
The members of the upper class invested in rising businesses, gaining the benefits of an increase in wages and shorter workweeks. They reveled in the increase of wages by enjoying leisure time and adapting to a newly affluent lifestyle. The individuals in the upper class regarded themselves as superior to everyone else; this mentality could be seen in their attire, attitude, and interests. The upper class was further divided into two sections; “old money” and “new money”. Those with “old money” acquired their wealth from an established family inheritance passed down from generation to generation. While those with “new money” were not from wealthy families, but gained their wealth from the economic upsurge in the
The ideal concept of American society is one in which all of the citizens are treated equal in all every realm and situation. Class, race or gender does not divide the utopian America; everyone is afforded the same opportunities and chances for success. In this chimerical state Americans are able to go as far as their dreams allow and with hard work and perseverance any thing is possible. Many Americans subscribe to this pluralist view of the Country, believing that within our democratic system it is the majority who maintains control and sets policy. Unfortunately this idyllic country does not exist nor has it ever existed. America is made up of distinct social classes and the movement within those classes is for the most part, limited to the various classes in the middle where the lines of demarcation are blurred. Although the majority of the Country's population would attest to the myth that America is a classless society, the distinctions definitely exist and influence the entire life scope of most Americans. Housing, health care, education, career prospects and social status are all dependent on the amount of wealth one has and their class standing. Our system needs the built in inequities of the class system in order to perpetuate itself and the upper class needs to have their interests as the dominant determiner of corporate and governmental power and policy.
Inequality in Canada is a growing problem. As income rises for the rich and remains the same for the poor, a gap is forming between Canada’s highest and lowest earners. This gap has sparked outrage by some, resulting in the Occupy Movement, and apathy in others. However, it can indeed be said that in Canada “the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer.”
Wealth Wealth is often defined as something that has monetary or exchange value, however possessing great amounts of wealth can also lead to powerful relationships, economical power, as well as political influence. Zweig argues that “economic relationships are the foundation of classes” (Zweig, 17). These classes can be segmented into groups based on power and other key factors operating throughout society, from which the elite create a network of political and cultural leaders. Canada has a wide landscape of class and its most elite capitalists create the ruling class. Properties of the ruling class can be seen within the 100 wealthiest people in Canada.
The bourgeoisie “has sprouted from the ruins of feudal society” (Marx and Engels, 1848). The bourgeoisie or capitalists are those who purchase and often exploit labour power in order to maximise their surplus value. The b...
Money is an essential part of life where every people can satisfy whatever they need and every person in America has a chance to find a job. However, some of the people in the country wanted to go on with their life freely by being a part of a welfare. Furthermore, distribution of wealth is a huge demand of every citizen. Everyone today is trying to look down for every people in the lower class, as they did not give any benefit to the country, waiting for the benefits that they will receive from the government. For instance, when most lower class people have gone through a financial crisis due to overspending, insufficient fund or pay for their work to support themselves and/or their family. The example shows that lower class people made the economy of the country unstable, however, the middle class and the higher class is at fault as well. Furthermore, even though the benefit of that the lower class received is from the middle class, the middle class as well benefits from the higher class. To sum up, every class is at fault towards giving the country’s economy a positive