1. The American Class System

3. Class in America
Sociologists disagree on the number of class divisions there are
3: upper, middle, lower
5: upper class, upper-middle, lower-middle, working class, and lower class

4. With a partner:
Write down 5 characteristics you associate with the following social classes:
Upper Class
Upper Middle Class
Working Class/Lower Middle Class
Working Poor
Lower Class/Poverty

5. Look at the following pictures. For each picture answer the following:
1. What social class do you believe this person belongs to?
2. What indicators did you use to make this assessment?

6. Picture 1

7. Picture 2

8. Picture 3

9. Picture 4

10. Picture 5

11. 3 techniques
Sociologists use 3 basic techniques to rank individuals according to social class
1. Reputational Method: individuals rank others in their community- Problems?
2. Subjective Method: individuals are asked to determine their own rank Problems?
3. Objective Method: social class is defined through occupation, income, and education

12. The Upper Class Upper-upper class
“Old money”- wealthy families for generations- INHERITANCE
Rockefellers, Vanderbilts, Kennedys
Born into an atmosphere of wealth and power- attend prestigious schools
Seen in exclusive places, know the most famous people

13. The Upper Class Lower-upper class
“new money”- acquired wealth through their own efforts
Not as prestigious as old money
Not as established in society, but still wealthy!

14. The Upper Class Expensive houses Luxurious cars Fine art collections
Top government positions
Charity work
Tend to hold traditional views and be politically conservative
Conspicuous consumption
The purchase of good for the status they bring, rather than for usefulness

16. The Upper-Middle Class
High-income and business professional people
College educations/advanced degrees
Large houses and cars
Yearly vacations
College educations for children
Class membership is based on income, not assets
Career oriented, active in the community-local level

17. The Lower-Middle Class
Traditionally hold “white collar” jobs- no manual labor
Require less education- provide a lower income
Nursing, middle management, and sales
Owners of small businesses
Live a comfortable life, but work hard for upkeep
Also hold traditional values and tend to be political conservative

18. The Working Class The largest segment of the American population
Jobs that require manual labor- “blue collar” and “pink collar”
Factory workers, tradespeople, unskilled workers, and some service personnel
Clerical, low-level sales, serive jobs that don’t require manual labor
Some jobs pay as much or more than the lower-middle class,
but carry less prestige
Fewer financial reserves- emergencies a problem

19. The Lower Class People in the lowest-paying jobs
Unemployed, some of the elderly, the homeless, the unskilled, and those on public assistance
Some members move into the class from other classes- others are born into poverty
Individuals survive from day to day
Lack of education and opportunity effect future prospects

20. Social Mobility US is an open class system
Social mobility (movement between or within social classes) is possible
Vertical mobility: movement between social classes (up or down)
Horizontal mobility: movement within a social class (job to job)
Intergenerational mobility: differences between your original status and your current status (status of your parents)