Social Standings Essay

Submitted By bemartial
Words: 1701
Pages: 7
Open Document
Our Social Statues Through the Generations Since the very beginning of civilization, humans have been segregated and placed into a system of hierarchy based on your social class. Society has changed drastically from what it was at the beginning of time, but the concept of social-class still remains in today’s world. Today our society has seemed to divide itself into three classes, an upper class, middle class, and lower class. Through the more recent generations, dating back to when my grandparents entered the workforce and began working their way up the social ladder, society in the U.S. has been going through a major change. This nation has been deindustrializing and headed towards a service economy. More people are working for service based companies and less people are working in unions. Yet this country continues to widen the inequality between the classes. The system in place seems to favor those at the top, while those more towards the bottom have struggled. The rich have gotten richer while the poor just got poorer, and the middle class has seem to diminish; decreasing in size year after year. When my grandparents first started to work the United States was currently more in an industrial economy. The majority of jobs at this time were labor involved. For example my grandfather started out as a farmer and eventually co founded a produce business. According to the New York Times “Where do you Fit in” exercise his occupation was in the 54th percentile for today’s standards, yet his income today is in the 98th percentile and his overall class rating is in the 86rd percentile. Your education today often can determine how much you are capable of making; usually the more education resulted in higher paying jobs. In his day it wasn’t as common to receive a college degree as it is today. He received some college experience but never graduated. Back in this time the country did not have as much of inequality problem, like it does today. There were more jobs available to the poor because there were more labor jobs available. Just getting the opportunity was enough for my grandfather to start from little and obtain wealth, now his wealth and income are in the top 3 percent of U.S. citizens. Today it is much harder to get a solid start with out at least a college degree. My family was lucky that my grandfather was able to succeed the way he did because that has helped pave the way for future generations. My father was then able to get a full college education and is currently a chief executive in his advertising company. My father is currently in the 99th percentile for wealth and income and is in the top 10 percent for overall social class. My grandfather was able to gain similar income and wealth but receiving less education, this is because the service-based economy creates a larger demand for college graduates while an industrial/labor economy helped create more jobs for the lower-middle classes. The social class of my family when my grandfather first started working was the middle-class. We were fortunate enough at the time to get headed in a good direction. Now my family would be considered upper class and in the top 2 percent financially. So to my family the widening in inequality has helped, because we have received more education with each generation. Meritocracy is the idea that someone is hired based on merit, meaning his or her credentials, education level, etc. Although it may seem unfair to higher someone based on meritocracy instead of personable skills. The problem is though that there is more college educated people today than ever before, so if you do not compete with others on merit you will not even get the opportunity. If I want to continue in the footsteps of my parents and grandparents I will most likely need to receive a masters degree. That is what I plan on doing because the work force is slim and so competitive at the moment due to so many qualified workers. There has also been a decline in
Show More

Related Documents: Social Standings Essay

Social Standing Earnest Essay

Reilly Killian, Macy Ford and Walker Smith Period 1 AP English 4 November 19, 2014 Social Standing in “Importance of Being Earnest” 1. Other differences that are evident in the questions asked and the answers provided are when Lady Bracknell asks if Jack knew everything or nothing. Jack hesitated before he answered because he did not know if she wanted him to answer yes or no. When he answered he knew nothing she “was pleased to hear.” Lady Bracknell did not approve of education becaus…

Words 819 - Pages 4

Essay on Movies: Sociology and Social Standing

teenager, she had chosen to uphold a clueless demeanor regarding romantic relationships. This paper will describe one of the scenes in the movie, and introduce a connection between the movie and an article describing the movie’s contribution to the social order. One of the most intriguing scenes in the movie happens when Tai visits Cher after she had failed her driving test. The failure had caused a measure of desperation to Cher. During such low moments for Cher, Tai seemed excited about her newly…

Words 1162 - Pages 5

The Role Of The Clutter Family In Truman Capote's In Cold Blood

family is made up of the father, Herbert, the mother, Bonnie, and their children, Kenyon, Eveanna, Beverly, and Nancy. Although most of the family meets their demise, it is important to understand what kind of family they were. Their social status, economic standing, and family values make the Clutter family an excellent use of the rising middle class of the 1950’s in Truman Capote’s, In Cold Blood. The Clutter family was extremely involved in the community and very well known. Herbert was the chairman…

Words 323 - Pages 2

Social Rank In The Great Gatsby

one’s sphere of social class, though the only change in social rank should be one that prioritizes personal character and goals. Within the pages of The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald is able to represent the definitive social classes that have always dictated our society, and how one moves within them. Many factors determine one’s social standing, and these factors play key roles in ascertaining if one can, and should, move social classes. One of the key factors that regulate social rank is financial…

Words 682 - Pages 3

Satire in Jane Austen's Pride in Prejudice Essay

the Satire of Social Class Within Pride and Prejudice Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice delves into the issue of why social standing in a society based solely on class should not be the most important thing when evaluating the worth of a person. Through several different literary techniques – such as letters and abundant focalizers – Austen conveys important information about key issues she has with the significance placed on social standing. The theme of class and social standing is echoed constantly…

Words 3662 - Pages 15

High Importance In American Culture

the consumer “American” culture if we don’t follow the trends of the “average” buyer. In this essay, I inspect the causes of why we as consumers acquire products or belongings that I might consider needing in order to have a legitimate or decent standing on the “diversity wheel.” As an illustration, the importance and significance of economic is of high importance in American culture. As an…

Words 437 - Pages 2

Samurai Swot Analysis

such amenities. You are lucky to have inherited your social standing. Iliana: Do you not worry about the tradition and culture that will be lost? Surely you are aware of the rising merchant class. Baily: Do you not worry about Japans future? Japan can only sustain in isolation for so long. Iliana: If we open our borders I will lose all my social standing as well as my privileges and power. Baily: You will lose more than just social standing if we keep in isolation. Japan will lose all its culture…

Words 508 - Pages 3

Harrison Bergeron: Satirical Analysis

The movie series The Hunger Games, the show Black Mirror, and the short story “Harrison Bergeron” are all examples of social commentary and can be considered satirical pieces. These works share some similarities in the way that they portray society, and there are also many differences between them because of the social commentary that they are trying to get across. The Hunger Games is a well known movie and book series. It focuses on a young woman named Katniss Everdeen, who lives in District 12…

Words 371 - Pages 2

Flatland: The Caste System

straight lines. A man's social standing is indicated by his shape, and women have no social standing. At the time of its writing, the book probably describes the social society somewhat accurately. However, since then some cultures have learned that a person is not defined by his/her shape alone. I am going to connect the social hierarchy in Flatland with similar social systems that exist today. The caste system in India consist levels in their society. A person's social status is dependent on who…

Words 510 - Pages 3

Social Norms And Social Values

Social norms and social values can be transmitted through this socialisation process in different ways. Social norms are seen as collective representations of acceptable group behaviour, whether it be cultural or societal expectation. Norms influence human behaviour as, through the process of socialisation that starts at infancy, they shape our decision making and our agency. Repeated socialisation with significant people in our lives, usually parents, will embed the standing norms of society into…

Words 316 - Pages 2