Are people born into the social class they are now and “stuck” there for the rest of their life or are they able to work hard and change in which social class they fall into? In America there is 3 social classes. Upper class, those who don’t really work but still have money, middle class, those who have jobs in offices, and the lower class, those who work for everything. But social classes aren’t always just defined by the amount of money they have but their morals as well. I believe that with enough work and determination a person is able to grow and change their social class and my mother’s story is one of the many that have succeeded in doing so. Before I get into my mother’s story, I want to go further into detail about the division of …show more content…
3 brothers, one being mentally and physically disabled, and two other sisters. Having 6 children in their home meant a lot of financial responsibilities for my grandparents. When my mother was in the fourth grade, she was taken out of school along with some of her other siblings to help the family out by working. And that was enough for them back then, then my uncle’s health began to decline. In 1983, when she was 24, she decided to make the journey to the United States in order to help her family financially back in Mexico. A young woman, no taller than four feet eleven inches, and weighing only 120 pounds was willing to risk her life traveling over to The United States. She had no idea what to expect when she arrived, all she knew was that she was going to work hard for a better life, not only for herself but the whole family back home. When she got here she did not have a place or car of her own. So she was staying at a cousin’s house, sleeping on uncomfortable couches, for a couple of years. Sending the majority of her money back home. In this point of my mother’s life she would been considered lower class. She was single, had no car, no house, and no children. Then she meet my father and all that
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.
Living in one of the wealthiest countries in the world, our culture has naturally valued prestige and luxuries. We admire fancy items and often judge other individuals by the clothes they wear, the car they drive, and the schools that they attend. The “American Dream” serves as a motivational factor for people; believing that hard work and dedication can bring “success” to ones’ life. Although this is partially true, it is difficult for individuals in the middle class and lower class.
Social Class and Education”. It opens by discussing research conducted in the 1960’s in an effort to identify factors contributing to differences in the academic achievement of Whites and Blacks (Banks & Banks, 2013). Researchers hypothesized that the achievement gaps were mainly the result of disparities in school resources and characteristics, but found that there is a high correlation between achievement and socioeconomic status (SES) (Banks & Banks, 2013). Furthermore, attention is drawn to the class stratification which exists in our educational system and works to maintain inequality through exclusion strategies such as ability grouping and tracking (Banks & Banks, 2013). Evidence of the correlation between social class and education is presented with a glimpse into our higher education system. Despite the significant expansion in the number postsecondary institutions, and an increase in overall enrollment of low-income students, they are more likely to enroll in two-year, rather than four-year institutions, and privileged student attendance in highly selective institutions is increasing (Banks & Banks, 2013). The unintended consequence of the expansion of higher education institutions is an increase in class inequality, rather than a decrease, as more privileged students seek admittance to more selective institutions, locking less privileged students out (Banks & Banks, 2013). Greater access to the best universities helps privileged students maintain their class status, independent of their individual qualities. Consequently, privileged students have greater access to higher quality resources than do less privileged students attending less selective institutions, thereby inhibiting movement up the social class ladde...
There are many similarities and differences between the upper-class, middle-class, working-class, mixed income and low-income urban neighborhoods. There are many different social distinctions within each class and each class has their own way of living. Here are some of the difference and similarities between each class:
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.
Social class has existed in our society since its foundation. Working class, middle class, upper middle class, or upper class, whatever your standing, social class can affect your place in society. Social class can be defined by where you live, who you talk to, where you get an education, even by the clothes you wear. These may not be definite determinants of social class, but categorization of people becomes easier when looking at these factors. In previous papers, I have claimed that social class is a result of capitalism. Though, I still believe this to be true, there are many factors that can affect social class and vice versa. Theorists have looked at different aspects of how these can affect social class. In my paper I am going to explore capitalism, stratification, racism, segregation, and education and their relationship with social class and how this can cause social conflict; I will have a primary focus of how Weber, DuBois, and Marx views this relationship.
My mother was one of the four children that were able to come to the Unites States for a chance at a new life. My mother’s story of her journey to the United States really shows her courage she had to accomplish her dream. My mother and her older sister crossed together thru Tijuana in 1985. At the age of 15 my mother was terrified, but had a lot of determination to face any obstacle in the way. She remembers crossing the border late at night, and she will never forget the growling noises that she heard in the dark. She made it to Salinas the very next day in the evening, and was reunited with her sibling’s and
In Toni Cade Bambara’s short story “The Lesson” there is no hiding what she intended to portray to the audience, the fact that there is a huge gap between the lower class citizens and the higher class citizens. This becomes apparent during one of Miss Moore’s infamous outings with the kids when she takes them to FAO Schwartz in Manhattan to teach them about money. Through this outing with Miss Moore the children realize that their way of life is far different than of those in Manhattan and that they belong to a different class of people altogether.
Despite having financial struggles, they were able to have a celebration and part of this was due to help of family and friends. A year after their nuptial agreement my oldest brother was born. My mother struggled with getting pregnant for six years until my sister was born in 1986. The year my sister was born President Ronal Regan signed an immigration reform that changed the life of my parents and many others in the country who sought residency. From that moment on they no longer needed to hide because of their undocumented status. Two years after that my mother gave birth to me and four years after that she gave birth to my youngest brother. When I was two years old my father and his brother purchased their first home together. There I grew up with my siblings and four cousins. As I explained earlier, there was always a third family who had recently immigrated, for most of my childhood. I was always surrounded my many cousins, aunts, uncles, and family friends. My extended family was
Social classes are divisions of individuals based on the amount of money one has. These classes are defined by one’s wealth and economic success. Social classes can determine what kind of life one may have and some of the obstacles they may have to deal with. The social classes are like ideas of levels, the higher the level one may be on, the more opportunities they come upon. Within the United States, there are three social classes; these are lower class, middle class, and upper class.
Throughout my life I have always had one person who has stuck with me through thick and thin, my mother, Genoveva. My mother’s devotion was to her two daughters, she always prayed that my sister and I would have a better life then what she had and pushed through every obstacle for us. She is from Mexico, Puebla and is a very loud, assertive woman. She always believed in herself and whenever she put her mind to it, she always got the job done. She came to America in 1982 when she was just 16. Even though her journey was made from a rash decision, having to be forced to do something illegal and having to get accustomed to life in America she is just glad that she can now have a happy life with her family.
In America it is based on the relations of property and power and the division of social classes in the United States, the most basic class distinction is between the powerful and the powerless. Social classes groups are the upper class have a great deal of power which usually are viewed as the elites within their own societies. In general usage, the elite is a hypothetical group of relatively small size that is dominant within a large society, having a privileged status perceived as being envied by others. Various social and political theories propose that social classes with greater power attempt to strengthen their own ranking above the lower classes. The upper class has more power because there are some people who are wealthy and do have
It is perpetuated by the way wealth, power, and prestige are distributed and passed on from one generation to the next
Social class is something everyone has pretty much from the moment their born but of course this
Before I read the chapter on social class, I thought social class was a category about people who are put into class by how much money they make; you are either poor or rich. However, there is much more regarding social class than I had originally thought. Social class it separated into a four tier criteria. Beginning at the bottom is the “lower class”, or “underclass” which is referred to by poverty, homeless, and unemployment. This class, usually hasn’t finished high school, doesn’t have medical care and can’t afford sufficient housing. Many people mischaracterize these poor people as mothers who abuse the welfare system by baring several babies that they can’t afford and fathers who are able to work but do not due to drug addiction or their