How Class and Identity Affect Myself and the Social World
Class and identity are a part of one's everyday life. Though one may not think about them everyday, they do affect who you are and how you act. "Class is a social ranking based primarily on economic position in which achieved characteristics can influence social mobility." (Schaefer, 189) One's income is the primary element used to determine the level of class one falls under. A majority of sociologists use a five-class system: the upper class, the upper-middle class, the lower-middle class, the working class, and the lower class. The upper-class consists of the top 2% wealthiest people within our population. These are people who should never have to work another minute of their lives and live quite comfortably. Many people have a mixed impression of this class. Some do act snobby and do not care about anyone else, but there are others that gratefully share their wealth in an effort to help others. The middle-class can be divided into two different groups, however, many group them together. People in these two classes live a comfortable life and are considered to have well- paying careers. The majority of our society falls under the lower-middle class and working class. Someone who has an average paying job within ou
Not only would they spend the night at the top of the line hotels every time we went out of town, but they would eat at the more expensive restaurants as well. Individuals usually cling to those with the a similar identity and the same class and this did not change through high school. While playing club soccer, I felt like I didn't belong with some of the teams I played for because of the different classes. Going to a private school just made me feel different. Since I went to an IPS school, I was probably seen as a lower class person along with the majority of the other students and families. Many of my teammates came from the upper-middle class to upper class and this was noticeable. However, because my parents knew soccer was so important to me, they made sacrifices. Today, these would most likely be the ones who fail to earn a higher education and pursue a career. The fee just to play was enough for my family, and we didn't have extra money most of the time to go out with the rest of the team. I was able to observe others and tell if they were wealthy, average, or poor just by their identity. Year after year we were in the same situation while others needed not to worry at all. I felt like I was special and not the same as my old friends who were still in the IPS system. Not only do some people not recognize the issue every day, but they also don't believe we live in a class system at all. Yes, it is a private school, but some people have priorities in their life. My own experiences, friends experiences, and sociology class have all assisted me in gaining more knowledge about the topic.
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