"Social Class in America" and "The Working Poor" Reading Response

Introduction

In the modern American Society, the issue of social class has created much controversy with a significant percentage of people arguing that .there are no social classes in the United States while others insist on the persistence of social classes that have enormously brought about social inequalities primarily on issues concerning work opportunities, health as well as education (Beeghley, 2015). However, in spite of the ongoing debate regarding social classes, the American society is often described as consisting of four primary social classes which include the upper class, the lower, the middle and the working classes. The classes are identified based on factors such as occupation, income, and education. Based on this perspective, the articles "Social Class in America" and "The Working Poor" acknowledges the presence of social class and social status that are both prominent contributors to the contemporary human experience.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Order now

In the article "Social Class in America," Aaron Swartz seeks to counter his father's argument based on the frequently spread propaganda by the New York Times and NPR as well as the media ignorance that social class does not exist in America. The author highlights that social class is a rare exception in America even though the media tries to depict everyone as middle class or implies that class is typically a cultural construction but not an economic one (Swartz, 2005). He argues that there is no adequate evidence to justify the lack of social classes in the U.S. and if the country were indeed a meritocracy, one would expect that 20% of nation's bottom quartile to have about 20% chances of making it to the top quartile instead of the current 7%. Besides, Aaron further emphasizes on his principal point by uploading a heartbreaking video within his article concerning the social class in America. The footage portrays a classic story of the whites languishing in poverty in the rural regions featuring the extra hardworking Tammy Crabtree who is forced by the harsh life circumstances to walk many miles to her job (Swartz, 2005). Watching the clip, although Tammy did not fulfill her dreams of becoming a teacher, she is still a hardworking citizen, but it is apparent that certain jobs are meant for the lower class or the poverty level.

Additionally, in the article "The Working Poor" Tim Jones who is a well-known national correspondent of the Chicago Tribune provides a critical overview of the growing concern that the poor citizens in the United States are invisible. He notes that the poverty line for the government is approximately $12, 490 for two individuals and a family comprising of four people is estimated to be $18,850 (Jones, 2004). However, this poverty level according to Jones is unrealistic primarily because people earning above this level can hardly survive. The author also reveals that some national data from the United States Department of Agriculture indicate that between the year 1999 and 2002, a substantial percentage of the Americans suffered food insecurity, implying that they didn't have any reliable means to cater for their next meal. The exact number had increased from thirty-one million to thirty-five million (Jones, 2004). Justifying his `point regarding the poor working class, Jones states that these statistics are upsetting since no human being should at any point worry about lack of enough food because it is a primary need, yet this is a usual thing for millions of Americans today.

Conclusion

However, in both articles, the issues raised by the authors are significant in today's society. Concerning the social classes, even though majority of the people continues to assume that classes do not exist today, the persistent of social classes is still evident and very disturbing mainly because in America and one of the wealthiest countries worldwide, a considerable percentage of the population has what is required to survive while an equal percent lack or have nothing (Beeghley, 2015). The principal cause of suffering for people grouped under the lowest social class is primarily the lack of adequate resources as compared to others, which in turn increases their vulnerability to a variety of risks. Besides, overcoming poverty which is the primary cause of the different social classes in the current society is the most effective solution that would also ensure the inequalities associated with the levels are overlooked.

References

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

Jones, T. (2004). "The Working Poor" Retrieved from https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2004-04-25-0404250538-story.html

Swartz, A. (2005). "Social Class in America" Retrieved from http://www.aaronsw.com/weblog/001686