Importance Of Social Class

For many years, social class has been one of the most widely discussed topics. Many experts (such as politicians, economists, and historians) believe that social class actually matters. Social class is defined as the division of society based on economic and social status. The most important factors of social class include income, education, and occupation. It is often necessary to combine these factors to identify some hidden facts that affect human interpretation of the role social class plays. Social class can potentially affect an individual’s future as seen through the interview with my aunt and Mike Lefevre. Social class not only determines the type of job opportunities open to an individual but it also determines the environment they grow up in and the education they receive. Education is one of the main aspect of one’s social status.

Occupation is not only an aspect of social class and an individual’s identity, but it is also an indicator of income and the level of education achieved. It is known that some kinds of work are better than others (i.e. engineers, doctors, and lawyers) and often hold a higher reputation in social stratification. However, sometimes occupational reputation can outweigh factors like income and education in determining someone’s social status. For example, professors are often thought to be a part of the upper class even though they generally have low income and are barely scraping by supporting their family. However, not all occupations are “energy thriving,” “time worthy,” or education required. This can be due to various reasons such as pay rate, supervisors, and number of hours working. An example of this would be Studs Terkel’s work, “Working.” In Terkel’s work, Mike Lefevre’s occupation is at a steel mill, an occupation listed under the social stratification as a working or middle class. According to Lefevre, his occupation is terrible which can be seen when he