“Most Americans do not
like the idea that there are social classes” (Donhoff). But in honest truth we
live in a society where everything is based on social classes. In a sense they
have come to define us as a people and a nation. Look around you, what do you
see? You notice individuals who seem privilege in every aspect and yet take
everything for granted not knowing exactly the value of what they have been
blessed with. On the other you can notice an individual who is not that privilege
and will do anything to make it in this world by any means even if it means begging
for change from strangers walking past him or her on the street.
Social inequality is
real and it is staring us right in the face. We as individuals are categorized
into groups of the “haves and have not.” Even in education. Majority of the individuals
in the upper level of the social class are where they are through families and
connections. These privilege individuals grew up used to having everything handed
down to them and they have no idea what it feels like to be in need and have no
means of acquiring and satisfying those needs. On the other hand some of these
privilege individuals have an understanding that they are blessed and actually
do help others in need by donating and helping them any way that they can.
I personally grew up in
single parent household where both my mother and I worked with the little that
we had. I used to be angry as to why my mother had to work so much and yet we
were never on the same level as my friends. My friends had everything and yet I
had almost nothing. I felt as though that no matter how hard a person tried to make
it they still found themselves in the same place with the same people and doing
the same things. I have been exposed to numerous of situation that actually
made me grateful for the little that I do have because there are others out
there who have less than what I am blessed with. Our society has placed so much emphasize on
social classes and social mobility that everybody wants to be among the upper
level.
The upper level of the
social classes is dominating over those below them. They have the “power” and therefore
they rule our society and out nation. In a way these individuals set the rules
and boundaries and the rest of us who fall below them have to live our lives
according to these rules. These social inequality tends to create tension
between groups in society because believe me nobody wants to feel as though
they are inferior to another individual due to their status in society or where
they come from. Hard work can get a person so far from where he or she started.
The main question that we as individuals of society have to answer is how do we
make our society equal on both sides? What can we do to lessen the tension?
Individuals who are in the “have not” categories have to work extra hard to get
somewhere in life and make something of themselves. There is no need in letting
society constrain you into a particular place. Everyone has the “power” to rule
themselves and make their own destiny. The question is what do you plan to do
with that power?
In my opinion, people who think that there are no social classes in America are ignorant. Differences in social classes can easily be distinguished anywhere you look. Whether it be in schools, the workplace, or even in small communities, the concept of different social classes is apparent. We may not like them, but they are there and we have to live with them. I agree with Fareed when he says that education is the main factor in social mobility. There are people who are born into the lower class and do not do anything about it and their are people who are willing to seek change as strive for social mobility. I think this is mainly done through furthering education.
ReplyDeleteBoth my parents were born in India and came to America seeking the "American Dream". They wanted to create a comfortable way of life for me and my brother, and they have. They were able to pay for my brother to attend UofM and are currently paying for me too. My mother is a nurse and still takes classes year round to further education which leads to a pay increase. My parents worked extremely hard to move up the social ladder and that's what I think people should do as well. Education is key.
Obtaining the American dream is not as easy as it is made to seem. It used to be, if you worked hard in life you were set to have a better future for yourself and your children. That is not the case today. There is just too large of a gap between the social classes in America that it makes it extremely difficult to move up the social ladder. No matter how hard you work, you are making little to no difference in your class situation unless you are one of the "privileged" that were already born into good social standing. You know the ones that knows someone who's father plays golf with a friend and has a cousin that plays tennis with their sister in the country club that can talk to her brother and get you an interview at the law firm. It is almost a game of "not what you know, but who you know" like Lampra Jones from the "In Climbing Income Ladder, Location Matters" article stated, “If you don’t know the right people,” “you’re not going to get anywhere. This has never been truer words especially in our society today.
ReplyDeleteBut not everyone have access to this connects. What about the rest of us who can't afford membership to country clubs or private schooling? Our solution like Fareed stated is to get an education. I honestly believe that an education is the key to pushing past the boundaries set by American social inequalities. We at a young age are taught that education is the key to success. Being an immigrant this is especially true while living in the United States. My parent instilled that belief on me and my siblings and it has been one of my life beliefs and values. In my family college and getting a higher education is not a choice, but something my siblings and I are expected to do. It is definitely the reason why I am here at this university. It seems that without education there is no chance of moving up in the social world and you have to almost be lucky in winning the life "lottery" in order to escape your low social standings.
When Thomas Jefferson declared, “all men are created equal,” he certainly did not mean to imply that they were done so with equal opportunity (mainly because he would have been dead wrong). As Millicent does a great job pointing out, the number of resources and advantages we begin our lives with depends on where and to whom we are born. In less privileged areas, education may not be held up to the same standard as in richer ones, and suddenly where we grow up becomes a determining factor for upwards mobility due to the regionalized differentiation in quality of schooling. Just as well, if at a young age you are in a financial position that requires you to split your focus between school and one or more jobs, you are automatically at a disadvantage compared to other students who can concentrate solely on their education on a day-to-day basis. In conclusion, upward mobility may certainly exist in the U.S. to some degree, but there’s no denying that managing it successfully involves breaking through some very durable barriers.
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