Social Class Related to the Family
The dictionary states that social class is, “a division of a
society based on social and economic status.” I’m sure most of us know what
social class we are in. Perhaps it’s different in different settings. For instance,
in high school the social class I was in was different from when I was at a
church meeting, or in the general society. Why is that? Well, different
settings have different people. Each person is in a different class, so if you
are surrounded by people who are in a lower class then you, you will automatically
be classified as the “upper class” even if you are, in general, not in the
upper class.
This especially
becomes an issue in the family. There was a family who was a very low class.
They had hardly any money, no car and lived in a trailer. One of this mom’s
sons decided he no longer wanted to be part of that class. He decided he would
go to college and get out of that life. While his intentions were good, his mom
needed help and he was not able to fulfill his dreams. He stayed in the same
class and was not able to get out. This is often a problem for many people who want
to get out of their social class, more commonly when the lower class wants to be
part of the upper class. It is hard for those who have been in generations and
generations of one class to move up in class. It is what’s known, and those
families may have a hard time accepting those in their family who move up in
class because they may see them as “privileged” or “money-seeking”, no matter
the reasons of that family member. For example, I knew a girl who was in what
was considered the “lower class”. If she ever talked about wanting to be
popular or rich, her parents would ask her why she wanted to associate with “those
kind of people”. How often do we see that? How often do we see those who are in
lower and middle classes who want to become part of the upper class but can’t because
of the limitations of their family? They don’t have the resources or the availability
to continue the education or work they desire because they need to take care of
their family or other reasons. But they are not given the chance to pursue what
they want because of the social class they are born in.
The
opposite can also happen, even though it’s less common. A parent can lose their
job and with that the families “high status”. Also, with immigrants – they could
be in a middle or high class in their home country but if they move to a
different country, especially a more developed country, they can lose their
status. The dad or mom can have a harder time finding a reputable or well-paying
job, and the family won’t have the income they did before. While it is possible
to move up in classes, it is very difficult. The frustrating part is that you most
often born into your class. You are set what class you will be in as a baby – it
was found that what class you’re in is decided when your parents pick the preschool
you will go to.
Each
class is not better or worse than each other, per se, but they are very different,
and each have their different advantages and disadvantages. Families who are in
different classes often act different from each other and have different worries
and problems. It goes along with Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Those in the
lower class are concerned about keeping a roof over their heads, and making
sure their family has enough to eat, while those in the upper class are worried
about homework, friends and their relationships.
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