When asking the question, “Race versus Social class: Which really matters?” there are several important concepts that must first be addressed in order to approach this very complex query sufficiently. First, what do the terms “social class” and “race” signify? Also, in determining which really matters, the context of this question is crucial, in other words, to WHO or to WHAT or WHEN or WHERE or HOW each of these terms matters. All of these more specific questions are directly relevant to the answer and each may produce a contextually different explanation. So let’s define the terms we are evaluating and comparing and at the same time attempt to identify which really matters and in what context. What is social class? Generally, social class is the status group by which we are identified within our society. Dictionary.com defines social class as “a broad group in society having common economic, cultural, or political status.” As this definition illustrates, social class is tied to status and status is typically associated with lifestyle, prestige and achievement. While a primary basis of social class is economic, there are other significant factors which determine class. These factors can include cultural, political, occupational and social components. The importance of varying social class tiers has also tended to be fluid throughout history and the tendency to value this hierarchal class system has been more relevant at certain times and in certain places than at other times. Changes in social class can be affected by the economic stability, cultural growth and political climate that occur during different times throughout history. Historically, concepts of social class and social class structure have been affect... ... middle of paper ... ...r health disparities and whether the focus should be on race or class, it seems that as long as we are arguing about which is more important, we are only maintaining the status quo. By misdirecting our focus to an “either/or” position and not working to improve the situation for “both” we wrongly sustain a social atmosphere which breeds inequality. It seems important, if not obvious, to note that a lack of agreement as to the significant and far reaching implications of both terms: race and class only serves to create additional obstacles to any type of answer to the question. I will submit here the also obvious conclusion that to those individuals who are defined by either or both class and race, that both of these are undeniably significant. They both are arbitrary socially defined concepts with life shaping consequences. They both matter. Neither should.
I will be analyzing the essay “Class in America --2012”. The topic of this essay is talking about does it matter what your social and economical standings are, and do they play a role in if you succeed in life. I personally agree with this. If someone is hard working and willing to do the job then I feel that they can be successful. Their background, race, and social and economical standings don’t justify everything that they are.
...of skin, language and social status. Class affects social status in the society but people should treat each other equally.
There is a specific meaning to race and how its role impacts society and shapes the social structures. Race is a concept that “symbolizes social conflicts and interests by referring to different types of human bodies” (Omi & Winant 55). In other words, Omi and Winant get down to the crux of the issue and assert that race is just an illusion. Race is merely seen as an ideological construct that is often unstable and consisting of decentered social meanings. This form of social construction attempts to explain the physical attributes of an individual but it is constantly transformed by political struggles. The rules of classifying race and of identity are embedded into society’s perception. Therefore, race becomes a common function for comprehending, explaining, and acting in the
class is an ordering of all persons in a society according to their degrees of economic
Class can be defined as a way society separates people into groups based on their socioeconomic
While categorizing individuals by race, class, or occupation seem wrong, in reality it provide structure and organization to any society. The cultures of Hindu India, Medieval Europe, and Mesoamerica used social class for those exact reasons. Hindu India used race and occupation to divide their people into 4 main Varna’s. Medieval Europe relied on the church and the estates to provide a flexabile yet strong social pyramid. Finally, Mesoamerica and the Andean regions used religion, family ties, and the poor workforce to emphize the importance of their social structure. No matter what the civilization or culture, people have naturally or forcefully divided themselves into organized social structures and will continue to do so for future civilizations.
The social inequalities that are present in our society are also present in our health care. A person from a minority group who experiences racial discrimination is more likely to become ill. When they do become ill, they will find it more difficult to become well due to the inadequate health care. This explains why racial health disparities exist. Conflict theorist claims that larger social systems are intergraded, but rather separated by race, class, and gender( ____). According to this theory, people are in constant battle between power and
No citizen shale ever be ignored no matter their race, state of health, or class. In the US “barriers generally stem from forces within the organizational environment of the health care delivery system or within the broader social system itself” (Barr, 2011, p. 273). This is why health policy scholars need to study health disparities so that equal care can ultimately be reached. Currently some disparities that are obvious in society are unequal dispersion and quality of care between racial groups, genders, and those with low middle class income. The health care system needs to be fixed and in order for that to happen health scholars must study better procedures so that the best possible outcome can be reached for the American
Race has been one of the most outstanding situations in the United States all the way from the 1500s up until now. The concept of race has been socially constructed in a way that is broad and difficult to understand. Social construction can be defined as the set of rules are determined by society’s urges and trends. The rules created by society play a huge role in racialization, as the U.S. creates laws to separate the English or whites from the nonwhites. Europeans, Indigenous People, and Africans were all racialized and victimized due to various reasons. Both the Europeans and Indigenous People were treated differently than African American slaves since they had slightly more freedom and rights, but in many ways they are also treated the same. The social construction of race between the Europeans, Indigenous People, and Africans led to the establishment of how one group is different from the other.
Race, in the common understanding, draws upon differences not only of skin color and physical attributes but also of language, nationality, and religion. Race categories are often used as ethnic intensifiers, with the aim of justifying the exploitation of one group by another. Race is an idea that has become so fixed in American society that there is no room for open-mindedness when challenging the idea of racial categories. Over the years there has been a drastic change with the way the term "race" is used by scientists. Essentially, there is a major difference between the biological and sociological views of race.
Class in the American Culture is based on economic and social differences, and it remains a powerful force in American life and has come to play a greater role in today’s society. American culture classified social classes as three different levels, the higher class which is classified as the wealthier and have the most money and a certain lifestyles and clothes. The middle class more like the businesses, people who have a reasonable income. And the last class is the low class which are the working class people. Those in the upper middle classes enjoy better health and live longer than those in the middle classes, who live longer and better than those at the bottom. That 's because money, good jobs and connections help the better-off get the best medical care. People in the upper class also maintain a certain lifestyle and sometimes different clothing lifestyle than the ones in the lower classes.
In Anderson and Collins’, chapter on “Why race, class, and gender still maters” encourage readers to think about the world in their framework of race, class, and gender. They argued that even though society has change and there is a wide range of diversity; race, class and gender still matters. Anderson and Collins stated, “Race, class, and gender matter because they remain the foundation for system of power and inequality that, despite our nation’s diversity, continue to be among the most significant social facts of peoples lives.” (Anderson and Collins, 2010) When I was a little girl, I never knew that people were classified in to groups such as race, class, gender. I knew there were people that had a different color of skin than my color of skin. I knew that there were rich people and poor people, and that there were girls and boys. I saw everyone as being human beings, as being the same and not classified as something. As I was growing up, I started to see the differences in classifications in groups. It was not because I just woke up knowing that there were different classifications, but because I was taught about them in school and society. Anderson and Collins stated, “Race, class and gender shape the experiences of all people in the United States. (2010) This means that experiences that we have gone through in life are formed from a race, class, and gender view.
In her article “When Class Became More Important to a Child’s Education Than Race,” Sarah Garland (2013) argues that money income is more important to a child's education than race. In this article Sarah states that children who have parents with low incomes do not get the same opportunity as children with parents who have higher income.
Seeking to position lower socioeconomic status above racial/ethnic biases or vice versa is irresponsible to the goal of eliminating healthcare delivery differences at large. Both these are realities of a group of people who are not receiving the same level of care from the healthcare professionals although they exist within one of the most resource rich countries in the world, the United States. According to House & Williams (2000), “racism restricts and truncates socioeconomic attainment” (page, 106). This alone will hinder good health and spur on disparities as racism reduces the level of education and income as well as the prospect of better jobs. Blacksher (2008) cites the nation’s institutionalized racism as one of the leading factors
What is social class? It is a term used to describe a large group of people who share similar social or economic positions in society based on wealth, income, job status, education, skills or power in the political sphere. Class is not just about what you own or earn but also who you know. Class affects not only how we feel about ourselves, but how others judge and consequently treat us. Those at the top of the class structure, the elite, have more power than those in the middle and even more power than those at the bottom who are of lower class. Education is a highly valued commodity in our world. In his commentary on society Freud, claimed, “ No feature, however, seems better to characterize civilization than its esteem and encouragement