Essay on Changing Social Class

Introduction

Social stratification is the grouping of people who have similar characteristics concerning their socioeconomic standards (Beeghley, 2015). Three major classes exist in terms of socioeconomic status namely, the upper class, the middle class, and the lower class. They all have different characteristics that will be analyzed in this essay. This paper focuses on the changes that can occur to a person upon winning a lottery.

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It is essential to understand the three major divisions that exist in the social strata. Several considerations are made to come up with different social levels. They include the wealth that a person has. This is one of the most common considerations that are made in the modern world. In addition to wealth, the person who has the most power is seen to be on a higher level than the others. Under this consideration, leaders in whatever group they are in may have a higher social stratum compared to the ordinary citizens or member of a group. Power and wealth sometimes tend to complement each other (Wesolowski, 2014). A wealthy person is likely to have more authority over the rest of the people since they can use their wealth to manipulate people and other factors to act in their favor. The occupation that a person has is also a significant determinant of the social group that a person belongs to. If a person is seen to be in a cushy job or one that the person around them sees as more preferable to others, the person tends to belong to a higher social group. These are some of the main determinants of an individual's ranking in the social status ladder.

In the case study, the main idea is whether the social status of a person would change if a person won a lottery. To begin with, it is very probable that the social standards of a person will change. In the modern world, money is one of the key forms of wealth, Having more of it means exposure to more opportunities. Take, for example, a student who has been studying in a small school with little development and access to very few facilities since it is what the guardian can afford. In a case where the individual wins a lottery, they are likely to move to a better-developed institution. If the person makes use of his new status, they may maximize their learning which means that there is a greater chance of succeeding in their education and their future life.

In addition to giving a chance a better educational chance, the money can be invested into a business idea. The winner of the lottery may decide to use the money to open up a new business or to expand an already existing business. In this case, the winner may choose to open up a business that they like. If the money is enough, they may open a job that the community around them views as a higher job due to the effort that is put into it and the outcome that the business offers in return. With this boost in income, there is an expected increase in the chance of success in life if the idea is appropriately planned for. Success, in this case, can also be used as a measure of class in society. Many successful people have enough capital to cater to their needs and at the same time have more to spend on their additional projects which may include leisure.

Moreover, the person may decide to clear some of the bills that may have been burdening them. If for example, the individual had a pending loan that significantly reduced the income that the individual was earning, they may decide to pay it. In the choice, they would now have a better plan laid out with the reduction in the deductions that were previously present. It would also make the person's plan of his or her life easier since they would have a more substantial amount of money in their average wage or salary. The win can also make an individual have greater goas in life. During planning or setting of goals, one must consider how they will accomplish them. It would mean that the individuals who have little income will have smaller goals compared to those with a more substantial income. Winning a lottery would imply that the individual can accomplish larger goals. The realization of this may mean that the individual may set higher objectives since they can afford them.

Conclusion

Winning would move one from a lower social class to a higher social level. The power that the individual has is also bound to increase as long as they have the wealth that the class deserves. The person may not be accepted in the class. This is because the person got into it was not very well planned for. Winning a lottery is a gamble that no one can be sure of. Compared to those who planned and worked hard to earn whatever they have, the individual may not blend in well with most of the people in that class. In most cases, the person who has won may not keep up with the trends of that social class due to poor planning and mismanagement of the money. It takes time to fit into a category that one got into via a somewhat unexpected event. If the person is not wise enough to plan for it, they may return to their earlier standards.

References

Beeghley, L. (2015). The Structure of Social Stratification in the United States, The, CourseSmart eTextbook. Routledge.

Wesolowski, W. (2014). Classes, Strata and Power (RLE Social Theory). Routledge.