The term “social class” refers to societal distinctions based on economic and social standing. People from the same socioeconomic class often have comparable levels of wealth, educational attainment, job type, and income. Members of social classes are exposed to diverse subcultures that prepare them for specialized roles in society. It is said that social class is an effective technique for allocating roles in society. A society establishes people’s social duties through role allocation.
An emphasis on objective social class comprises determining a person’s social class directly based on socioeconomic criteria such as income, wealth, education, and employment. The second approach to social class, which we are interested in here, is concerned with how individuals categorize themselves. Moreover, textbooks repeatedly stress how America differs from Europe in having less class inequality and greater economic and social mobility (Loewen, n.d.). Given the benefits of the higher class, it is not unexpected that individuals in positions of power tend to engage in activities and attitudes that sustain or justify their status.
The way of life of its members is influenced by their social status. As previously stated, social classes function as subcultures, and hence groups who live differently think and behave differently. As a result, we find a wide range of attitudes and behaviors among various socioeconomic strata. Many other types of group distinctions—racial, religious, and regional—are, according to some sociologists, truly class inequalities. As should be obvious, determining the number of social classes in the United States is difficult. A higher social class identification frequently translates into better income and non-financial benefits, such as establishing prestige position, improving one’s quality of life, and gaining social respect. Class influences whether someone gets admitted into a specific type of school, their chances of success in that school, the types of employment they have access to, the kinds of friends they make. In other words, the level of prestige, power, and privileges individuals enjoy or lack in their everyday lives.
Works Cited
Loewen, James. Lies my teacher told me: Everything your American History textbook got wrong. The New Press, n.d.