Social Class Ladder

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As sociologists claim that social class position greatly affects your “life chances” in the world, it is safe to assume the majority of students at Westminster stand fairly high on the class ladder. This assumption would come from current ideas of status and class based on income and other assets. For me, I am no exception when it comes to the stereotype of a private school student. Although my family may not reach the top of the class ladder, we do live comfortable lives. As you read on I will discuss my family’s current social standing, the prediction of what my future family’s class standing will be in twenty years, and the effects my current status will have on me in the future. As I mentioned before, my family does not reach the top of Gilbert and Kahls six-class model of social class. We do however, live very comfortable lives living on the border between upper and lower middle class. I have created a 7th rung in Gilbert and Kahls model to accommodate where my family lies. My family lies in a middle-middle class position due to their education, economic, and occupational positions in American society. Both my parents have graduated from high school as well as a college, common in lower middle class positions. However, my father is an exception and went on to post-graduate study earning a bachelors degree in business, an MBA. This is an educational trait of being in the upper middle class. The second factor of Gilbert and Kahls model is income. Together, my parents bring in an estimated amount greater than lower middle class of $60,000 and less than the amount of upper middle class of $125,000. This firmly places them in the new category of middle-middle class in terms of economics. The occupational positions of my parent... ... middle of paper ... ...e to education. My parents were able to save and send me to college. Most parents recognize this and know that this is the best advantage in our society to increase a child social class position. This to me has been the biggest influence on my future because of my social class as of now. After writing this paper, I took a moment to reflect on everything that I have written, my parents have been the biggest influence in my life when it comes to my social class now as well as in the future. Social class position in the future is heavily influenced by our social class position now. This can provide many disadvantages as well as advantages when it comes to climbing the social class position ladder. I have gained a larger respect for my parents and all that they have provided for me in order for me to succeed and become something more than they have in their lifetime.

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