Consider how socio-economic status has influenced the ability of Americans to “succeed”
There are many different aspects of life that contribute to the success of Americans. One of which is the socio-economic status a person is born with. The status is not something that is chosen, but is something that could be changed. Americans socio-economic status has an influence on the ability for an American to succeed because there are more doors already open for the privileged than that of someone from the lower class. Some people's path is a little smoother than others.
The privileged already start at that curtain level where it would be easier to keep moving up. To think of it as a stepstool would be exemplary. The people who are born into privileged
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The radical difference of the environment in the hood compared to the environment the privileged live in is immense. In the hood, for example, the environment people live in is extreme; there are things people have to worry about on a daily basis such as being safe and or making sure there is food on the table. Some of my peers in high school actually had to have a job to help their parents out financially. That was the only way their entire family was able to keep afloat. As a young teen, the need to go to work meant they had to travel home late at night which put them in potentially dangerous situations. Of course they were able to cope with their living situation, but you would never find someone who is socio-economically better placed going through something of that nature.
Whereas in say a suburb, where the socio-economic status is much healthier, the environment is much more relaxed. People can go about their day not worrying about things that in reality no one should have to worry about and actually focus on what will get them ahead in life. All a student has to really worry about is getting their school work done. The student in that area are the ones that you see with the success stories at a younger age. They have less roadblocks in between the them and success; everything is easier to
Today, privilege is one of the main factors that plays into success in America. Being born into an economically stable family leads to a good education which leads to a higher paying job. This can be compared to someone who is born in unstable economic circumstances, placed in the public school system and is subject to more emotional and social instability. Overall, privilege today has everything to do with the family you are born into and the overall economic status of your family. This is the reason many people immigrated to America.
Whether they want to become an astronaut, or a veterinarian they are told that they can do it. While this is true it can be a lot harder for some. JD Willms has shown “that children that come from a lower class home, on average achieve less academically than those children who come from upper class home”. This can carry on into adulthood and can leave adults into depression and anxiety. Lower class children grow up to be less assertive and less confident adults.
Eugene Lyons wrote about the realities of the idealistic notions of rags-to-riches. His life was riddled with hardship as he was growing up as an immigrant on the East Side of New York. In his essay, “Revolt against Ugliness,” Lyons spoke of how deep emotion feelings were invoked in people when they heard the stories of folks pulling themselves up by the bootstraps. He pointed out that the stories of success are not written by those who never get a leg up, but rather the “true or near true stories” are authored by the few and far between who make it out of poverty and hardship. The grim truth he spoke of was that even the youth had to work in order to help their family earn money for the bare necessities of food, shelter and clothing.
People have dreams, and sometimes those dreams can be destroyed. Many times this devastating event happens because of either money or social class. In S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders, the Greasers understand and realize they belong to the working class and that mobility up the social class ladder is nearly impossible. With the money disadvantage of the working class, even the most plausible chance to move up the social class ladder cannot.
Although some maintain that success comes easier to people who come from a higher class family, giving them a better opportunity, those who come from a lower class family have a more difficult time succeeding, I argue that no matter what class you come from, being able to succeed is the same amount of effort because success is different for everyone. According to George Packer, author of Sam Walton/Jay Z, success comes easily to those who come from higher class, like Sam Walton, founder of Walmart. Sam’s father exposed him to money, and how important it was. His father got a job repossessing farms during the Great Depression and brought Sam along when he was on the job.
“Nothing is permanent in this wicked world, not even our troubles.” (Charlie Chaplin). The issue is whether the Greasers struggle more than the Socs. There is more evidence for the Greasers to be struggling more from the sacrifices they make and the violence they face. One either believes that the poor kids with close friends struggle or the rich kids with no support structure struggle more.
The characteristics of the environment in which they are raised matter, especially taking into account those of the direct family in which they are raised in. When considering the difference between children who have experienced poverty, those who grew up in better neighborhoods are more likely to complete high school, finish four years of college compared to children who were raised in neighborhoods with a high crime rate, and where the financial difficulties of them are mirrored in their peers. Children are not given the same opportunities as their counterparts based upon the location of their birth. Children who are raised in poverty are automatically and unfortunately members of the cycle of poverty, in which crime rates are high, and education quality is
There is lower, middle, and upper class, but there are also subcategories that fill the gaps in between, like the impoverished and the top one percenters. “Class in America”, written by Gregory Mantsios, addresses the myths and realities about socioeconomic class in America and how they affect American lives. His article highlights the unequal divide that has persisted over the course of history and will continue to manifest in the future. To introduce the existence of this issue, Mantsios states that this country’s citizens “don’t like to talk about class...or class privileges, or class oppression, or the class nature of society” (Mantsios 378). This is the case in America today because people are neglecting to acknowledge the existence of these elusive
Being born into a particular family determines how well off you are. Class in America determines the people that influence you, and the better opportunities you are exposed to. In Gregory Mantsios writing of “Class in America” you can understand the many differences between class and how one might have better success. Mantsios shows three profiles of three different people born into different classes. One of the profiles shows how the lifestyle might be born into a wealthy family.
The American dream is a dream of a land in which one can prosper with ambition and hard work. This idea has created many illusions for some because in reality the American dream is proven to be something that is rarely achieved. No individual is guaranteed success or destined for failure, but it is apparent that women, people of color, and those born into poverty will face greater obstacles than others, despite being a greater part of the American population. An author that tackles the issue of class in the United States is Gregory Mantsios. In his essay, “Class in America-2009”, Mantsios aims to prove that class affects people’s lives in drastic ways.
Within social mobility, many people fail to have a sense of the realization of the American Dream because of the fewer advantages and more problems minorities have to struggle through. Therefore, our social class affects our ability to realize the American Dream because we face challenges to make ends meet, intersectionality and education because of high status.
There are people who work 40 hours a week and are still in poverty; this is a highly prominent issue. The uneven distribution of wealth, known as wealth inequality, is a problem that plagues not only America but also the world. With wealth inequality, there are two main issues and one solution to those issues. The problems are that the wealth in America is unevenly distributed and there people in America who work 40 hours a week and still have very little money. Wealth inequality is the root of all problems faced in America.
The idea of an egalitarian society has been a part of the American dream since the American dream itself came about. However, not many people are aware of what an egalitarian society is or what it stands for. An egalitarian society is the removal of inequalities from that civilization so that everyone is equal in social status. But what is the American dream? The American dream means innumerable things to many different people.
America is the land of opportunity with many different career choices and educational experiences for anyone despite their different social classes. Although defined by social classes, I believe people can choose to progress from the social class they are born into. In order to fulfill the “American Dream,” someone must work hard, have courage, and determination, then they can prosper and achieve success. Stated simply, Ben Carson said, “Through hard work, perseverance and a faith in God, you can live your dreams.” No matter what social class a person comes from, they can overcome any obstacle in their lives as long as they set their mind to
Therefore, in a stratified society, the individual’s opportunities are always determined by his or her social class. In this essay, I will be arguing that even though mobility exists in the social class system, the opportunity to change status is relatively open for everyone but the distribution of opportunities among the members of a social class is not relatively equal to all. I will demonstrate this point by showing how participation of an individual in a specific social class will decide the opportunities in terms of attaining education and achieving a well-paid job. Education has a significant role in promoting social mobility; it enables people to acquire knowledge and certain skills in order to promote their social status. Nowadays, people believe that societies are based on meritocratic