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Social Stratification and Social Mobility
Systems of social stratification
The systems refer to the manner that the society utilizes in ranking individuals in a hierarchy. Undeniably, the classifications suffice the reality that some groups of individuals possess greater wealth, power, and status compared to others. Differences in the groups of individuals describe the nature of social stratification. Social inequality occurs as a significant aspect of the society as it facilitates the smooth operation of the society. For example, high rewards lure and motivate highly talented individuals to perform involving tasks such as brain surgery. On the other, most individuals can perform blue-collar jobs such as cleaning toilets and mowing grass thereby limiting its level of returns.
The open class system allows social interactions between classes that rely on achievements, prevalent in industrialized nations. On the other hand, the closed class system confirms on the social status of individuals and ancestral occupations prescribed by birth, prevalent in less industrialized nations (Gane, 2005).
The social class in the United States
Upper Class
Individuals in this category constitute of close to one percent of the U.S. population. Most of the members in this category have inherited wealth from previous family generations (Gane, 2005). Recognizable families such as Kennedy, DuPont, and Rockefeller occur as examples in...
population. Most of the members in this category have earned their money rather than through inheritance. Celebrities including Oprah Winfrey, Bill Gates, and other athletes lie in this category.
Middle class
Members in this category, close to thirty-four percent of the U.S. population, earn money through professional jobs such as doctors, teachers, managers, and lawyers. They are considered as the primary drivers of a developing economy.
Working class
Individuals in this category carry out blue-collar jobs that include jobs such as carpenter, police officer, and truck driver.
Working poor
Members in this class work at minimum-wage jobs, have low educational levels, and work part-time in most jobs.
Consequences of the Social Class System
Social class occurs as a strong social health determinant. The correlation of the occurrence of environmental hazards and social class determines an individual's risk factor to diseases or sustaining injuries. Upper and middle classes access preventative healthcare programs, exercise facilities, and fresh market produce that curb the prevalence of diseases. On the other hand, lower socioeconomic classes depict difficulties in accessing better healthcare services due to low levels of health insurance. The aspects of family life, education,…
References
Gane, Nicholas (2005). Max Weber as Social Theorist 'Class, Status, Party'. European Journal of Social Theory, 8(2):211-226
Resnikoff, Ned (2014, November 11). Global inequality is a rising concern for elites. Aljazeera America. Retrieved from http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2014/11/11/global-inequalityisarisingconcernforelites.html
Goodyear which effectively denied employees the right to sue for wage discrimination after the passing of 180 days that "Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg was so incensed she read her scathing dissent aloud from the bench. She defended Lilly Ledbetter's right to sue her employer, Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., Inc. For pay discrimination on the basis of sex, giving a not-so-gentle reminder of the realities of the American workplace."
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