Essay about Social Class - 1016 Words

SOCIAL CLASS Social class refers to the system of stratification of the different groups of people in a society. These different forms of classification are, in most instances, based on gender ethnicity and age. Social class makes everyone’s lives extremely different. For example: How long one can expect to live. In a wide range of ways, from success, to one’s health class, social class influences people’s lives (Grusky,2003). Among the life chances affected as result of social class involve factors such as: How long people live (life expectancy), how healthy people are, how much and what they eat, the kind of housing they live in, the level of education they reach and the qualifications they achieve, how likely they are to be unemployed†¦show more content†¦The upper middle class consists of managers and professionals, while the lower middle class is made up of clerks, office workers, telephone sales and shop workers. These jobs are usually not very well paying and do not require very high qualifications. The petty bourgeoisie on the other hand are small business owners. This group may consist of people who may own a workshop or shop and may be employing a small number of people. The Working Class This class, like the middle class, consists of sub-groups of people. These include the skilled, the semi-skilled and unskilled workers. Social mobility has, however, affected the number of people in this class. Many people born in this class have been able to rise to the middle class, and as a result, there exists a case of embourgeoisement. According to the Marxist view, this is the class of people who are detrimental to the fate of the entire class system. He stated that these people were supposed to unite and overthrow capitalism. However, this is not what has occurred. The Underclass This is the lowest class in the social class stratification. While the majority of the working class now live reasonably healthy and prosperous lives, a low minority do not. These people cannot work. They include the long-term unemployed and the disabled and chronically ill. They are in effect, shut out of much of what most people can attain. This group ofShow MoreRelatedSocial Class And Social Work Essay1367 Words   |  6 Pagesof this assignment is to Examine the extent to which social class determines life chances in contemporary Britain, and explore the relevance of the issue for students on a social work degree. Within this document I will identify and explore key concepts and approaches in the sociological analysis of social differentiation in modern society. I will then use these concepts and apply them to contemporary britain in order to explain how social class influences an individual s life chances. I will alsoRead MoreSocial Class Vs. 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