8 Conclusion Post

Over the course of this blog, I have looked at many aspects of Social Class. There are obviously many different factors that goes into one's social class, and social class has many effects on someones life and how they develop and find their spot in society. Although here in America, there is no official class system, it is apparent that we have somewhat created our own that everyone has a spot in. In other countries, it is more formal and official. I don't think that the social class system here in America is an inherently bad thing, but it definitely has its flaws. I think that the higher classes tend to think themselves as superior while the lower classes tend to be looked down upon and feel inferior. Also, the upper classes are thought of as more educated, when really there are plenty of lower class citizens that are educated as well. Unfortunately, there are less opportunities for success for the lower class. They have less access to resources to help them in life. This can make it extremely difficult to get out of the spiral of poverty. In reality, social class is an important tool that people use in all aspects of their lives. From choosing where they want to work, learn, and who they want to socialize with, social class is a big factor. People tend to follow what the rest of their class is doing and what the class "norms" are. This I think can cause stereotypes and generalizations to form, because the class tends to be grouped together and referred to as one. In a way though, social classes can be good for people. THey allow people to share a bond of financial status, wealth, image and other factors. Those factors are generally equal in the same social class so people can relate well with each other. There are pros and cons to social classes, but I think the system is definitely here to stay. No matter what, people of the same social and financial status will group together and form an informal kind of class system.

SOCIAL CLASS POST 7

http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/social_groups_crime.htm

In this article, it talks about the relationship between social class and crime in England. According to studies done in prisons, a majority of the inmates are from the lower social class. Also, most street crimes are committed by people belonging to the lower class.  The article also goes in depth about how certain crimes are more frequently committed by certain groups of people. For example, young people are more likely to commit street crimes because their lifestyle gives them more of an opportunity to commit crimes. Although being young does not have its own social class, one could argue that young people on their own typically could be considered a part of the lower social class because they usually have no way to support themselves fully without the aid of their parents/guardians.

I think that it kind of makes sense that most street crime is committed by the lower class. Usually, they live in areas where there is abundant crime, and it is almost just a way of life in some parts. In other cases, it is necessary for them to get by. In order to survive, they might need to steal food or money. They just don't have a choice. Also, the lower classes tend to be less educated, which means that they really aren't able to get high status jobs, so they usually earn minimum wage and can't break the cycle of poverty which keeps them in theese bad areas. As for the younger people committing more crimes, that makes sense as well. Young people have less stable lives and often get put or put themselves in risky situations where street crime could easily occur.

SOCIAL CLASS POST 6

ARTICLE: http://www.classism.org/about-class

In this article, they discuss something known as Classism. Classism is when someone is treated better or worse, because of the class that they are in. Or the class that someone THINKS they are in. It is similar to how racism or sexism works, except instead of race and sex, its based on class. Classism is shown institutionally through policies and practices, and culturally through norms and values. According to the article, classism shows itself when a higher class acts superior or arrogant toward lower classes, or when people think of higher classes as more educated or articulate than the lower classes. Because the higher classes have the most influence over society, they somewhat decide what the social "norms"are. Classism shapes the structures of certain institutions, so the higher classes have a lot of benefits. Classism hurts poor and working class people. Classism can lead to neglect to the poor and homelessness, hunger, and disease. Classism can also harm the upper classes. Being treated as superior, given more privileges and being more sheltered from the world can give people in the higher class a false sense of security and not provide them with interaction with the outside world. They might start to feel guilty, thinking that they don't deserve what they have and don't know how to share with others what they have. Classism can contribute to inequality between social classes, because one class can think that they are superior or inferior to another.

I think this article really puts a word to something that goes on almost all the time and nobody ever really knows what to call it. I see this in almost all aspects of life. In retail for example, someone who is perceived to be wealthier and in a higher class will usually get helped first. It isn't discrimination based on race, its based on class. Both are bad, but classism is making assumptions about someones class simply based off of their appearance. I don't think this is good to have in our society. It puts the higher class above everyone and puts an emphasis on having a pristine outer image, to show off your social class. It really isn't promoting equality among social classes.