Social class is a significant aspect of the modern American society that is informed by individuals’ economic power and status in society. An individual’s social class determines the lifestyle that one will lead in terms of schooling, healthcare, and housing. There are four social classes in America, which are lower, working, middle, and upper in that progressive order. The four social classes point to vertical mobility, which would allow individuals to move up or down the social classes. The PBS website People Like US , affirms that social class is the hallmark of the American society since it determines one’s health, education, and interactions.
Focus on People Like US: Social Class in America
People Like Us: Social Class in America is an attempt to understand whether all Americans are created equal in terms of social class. The documentary refutes the nation’s deeply held ideals of fairness and egalitarianism as citizens are subjected to inequalities and class distinctions. This documentary affirms the enormous differences in income and wealth the American society by focusing on different socioeconomic groups. People Like Us showcases minimum wage workers from Ohio, African Americans in California, blue-collar employees from New Jersey as well as New York WASPS, a privileged group. These representations raise questions on how Americans categorize each other and how their inherited social class reflects on their expectations and self-perceptions. Additionally, these representations establish how race and social inequalities complicate the complexities of social distinctions in American society.
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Assessment of Whether Social Class Exists in America Today
The modern American society is divided along with social classes in as much as these classes are not only defined by economic differences alone. Members of a specific social class tend to form groups, which are associated with a similarity in taste, lifestyle, consumption, behaviors, and political views. These social classes determine one's neighborhood, schooling, fun activities, profession, and interactions with others. People Like Us explores the prevalence of social class mentality and the extent to which it defines American society. In as much as an individual from different classes interacts, their interactions are pegged on the differences. This assumption is advanced by a segment titled Trouble in Paradise, which features Laura and Scott who are engaged to each other. Laura belongs to the upper class and is from Staten Island’s crème de la crème neighborhood while Scott relates more with the middle class (Public Broadcasting Service, 2020a). Laura confesses to trying to convince Scott to change his town so that it could improve his social standing and their relationship.
Important Indicators of Class
The most important social class indicators are one's economic abilities, which in turn determines one's life outcomes. Individuals with people with more money are in a position to afford extravagant lifestyles while those with limited income are relegated to lower social classes. The documentary focuses on the WASPS, a privileged American class that claims that they stand, walk, speak, dress, eat, and treat people better than any other social class (Public Broadcasting Service, 2020b). This group even claims to be more cultured and smarter, a sentiment that points to a sense of belonging and uniqueness. People Like Us contrasts the WASPS with Tammy, a single mother who depends on welfare to provide for her four children. A lower economic ability is associated with struggles and conflicts considering that her son is embarrassed about their low status.
Reflection
The ideas about social class in the PBS website are representative of the actual situation in modern American society. Social status is so definitive that it determines interactions and one's chances of achieving vertical mobility. The segment on Trouble in Paradise resonated with the audience in that one’s social class will always come up even in romantic relations. Even though Laura is engaged to Scott, they are still tied to their social class differences. Scott confessed that individuals from the middle or lower class find it hard to visit rich neighborhoods since they feel that they do not belong. Scott represents my thoughts regarding the limitations that are associated with one’s social class and standing.
References
Public Broadcasting Service. (2020a ). People like us: Trouble in Paradise [Video]. https://www.pbs.org/video/people-us-trouble-paradise/
Public Broadcasting Service. (2020). People like us: More WASP lessons [Video]. https://www.pbs.org/video/people-us-more-wasp-lessons/
