Social class difference entails the unequal distribution of opportunities and resources in an individual society by the different categories within a society. In most communities, there exist three prominent classes, that is, high class, middle class and the low class (Hurst, Gibbon &Nurse, 2016). Those in the high classes have a lot resource in their possession including wealth and access to most of the amenities in the society. Those in the middle class do not have much but they have a lot to cater for their daily needs, and they can easy access most resources in the society. Finally, the low-class don does not have much, and they struggle to make ends meet. In an ideal society, opportunities and rewards should be shared equally among all the residents in the society regardless of the class (Hurst, Gibbon &Nurse, 2016). Unfortunately, this is not always the situation in most societies and the privileges are enjoyed by those in the upper class to the extent that they have them in excess and those in the middle and lower classes have no choice but to share the remaining resources. The situation has created quite a visible divide between the classes.
Just like most other countries, in the United States, resources and opportunities are highly stratified by class. Most Americans have testified of having experienced social class inequality in one way or another. The inequalities have several dimensions such as income, wealth, and power (Hurst, Gibbon &Nurse, 2016). Income entails what one earns from their work or investments. In most cases, those in the upper class have most investments that regularly reward them with a lot of cash compared to those in the lower and the middle class. Also, they usually occupy the high positions in the employment sector, and thus they have excellent salaries as well. Wealth, on the other hand, refers to the total assets that person has. Because those in the upper class have several sources of money, their total assets regarding money and properties make them quite wealthy (Hurst, Gibbon &Nurse, 2016). Those in the middle class have just enough wealth with them while the lower classes are poor. Poverty entails a situation where one does not have sufficient resources to take care of their needs a situation where most people in the lower class are.
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In America, people have different views about social class inequality where they have different explanations about what causes the variation. There are two main arguments where some blame the poor while some blame the society. The first group that blames the poor claim that people are responsible for their poverty (Hurst, Gibbon &Nurse, 2016). They argue that America offers equal opportunities and resources to achieve their dreams, but some are just not willing to take up the opportunity. People fail to take up the opportunity due to issues such as lack of motivation or the necessary skills to secure employment. On the other hand, those who blame the society argue that employment is the most contributor to poverty (Hurst, Gibbon &Nurse, 2016). Those who do not have jobs do not have any source of income and thus live under poverty lines. They claim that the society does not offer equal employment opportunities for all and that's the reason some people are poor, and others are not in the same society.
According to most sociologists, inequality includes the differences in race, sex, and class. Most communities are comprised of people from different races occupying the same geographical area. The different races are expected to share the resources and opportunities in the area equally without discrimination. This is not usually the case because some races consider themselves as superior to others due to some reasons such as being the first inhabitants of the place or being the majority in the area (Dorling & Dorling, 2015). The ‘superior' race always wants to control the opportunities within their societies, and they believe that nobody should have a share of what is available before they have had their share. In most cases, the other races apart from the ‘superior' one are comfortable with their position, and they no longer fight for opportunities and they gladly accept what is left for them (Dorling & Dorling, 2015). Thus, inequalities by race are so much prominent in most societies.
In most cases, women enjoy fewer opportunities compared to their male counterparts. Discrimination occurs in all sectors such as in education, employment and families (Dorling & Dorling, 2015). For the longest time, a woman’s voice is not heard in a society and is expected to take directions from a man. It has been a struggle to try and strike equality between a man and a won, and though milestones have been made, there is still much to be done to achieve equality. In the employment sector, the senior positions are given to men and women take up positions such as tea girls or secretaries. In families, the man is considered as the head of the family, and sometimes they misuse the authority to the extent of abusing their wives physically (Dorling & Dorling, 2015). Therefore, race, sex, and class are crucial factors in social class inequalities.
References
Dorling, D., &Dorling, D. (2015 ). Injustice: why social inequality still persists . Policy Press.
Hurst, C.E., Gibbon, H. M.F., & Nurse, A.M. (2016). Social inequality: Forms, causes, and consequences . Routledge.
