1500 words 8 hrs

Social class in the United States refers to the idea of grouping Americans by measure of social status especially in terms of economy. The idea of social status in the American society is disputed and there are many competing class systems. Many believe that there are three different classes. The rich, the middle class, the poor. Other people disagree with the American construction of social classes. Most definitions of class structure classify its members according to wealth, income, education, type of occupation, membership within a hierarchy, specific sub culture or social network. Most concepts are not based on race or ethnicity as a characteristic within the stratification system although the factors are closely related.

Sociologists such as Dennis Gilbert, William Thompson, Joseph Hickey and James Henslin have proposed class systems that have six distinct social classes. These class models are; Capitalist class also called the upper class; this consists of the rich and the powerful. There is the upper middle class that consists of the highly educated and affluent professionals .There is a middle class which consists of college educated individuals who are employed in the white collar industries .Then there is the lower middle class members whose members are clerical and blue collar workers whose work is highly routinized and lastly there is the lower class divided into the working poor and the unemployed under class.

When sociologists are talking about social class they are referring to a group of individuals who occupy similar position in the economic system of production .There is much debate about the issue of social classes in the United States .Arguments about whether social classes are distinctly separate or fluid, dependent on one’s community or society as a whole, and if they are subjective or objective have been raised .Despite the debate on social classes ,there is need to define the classes and analyze their effects since they are an important part of our identity and opportunities in the society.

The American society tends to appear as though there is no social class and it getting even more harder to tell what class someone is in by material goods, however, classes still do exist. Social class stratification is an important part of how the United States functions. The ideal that is associated with the American society is a pluralist one which is ,all Americans should enjoy the equality to pursue their dream irrespective of class ,race or gender even though the ideal does not exist and there is only existence of inequalities and distinct social classes .The American society is need of this classes in order to perpetuate itself.

Many Americans are subscribing to the pluralist view. It is quite unfortunate that the idealistic America doesn’t exist. America is made up of distinct social classes and the movement within the classes, for most of the part, limited to the various classes in the middle where the lines of demarcating are blurred. Social class has become the backbone of the American society such that being a member of the upper class gives the people an advantage of a controlling position in the United States.