1. SOCIAL CLASS & MOBILITY CSI – UNIT 5 – 2015

2. DEFINING SOCIAL CLASS  Division of society based on economic & social status  Individuals & groups classified based on esteem & privilege  Based on economic success & wealth  Socioeconomic status [SES] = social standing measured by education, income, and occupation  How can you tell what class someone is in?  A Nation of Tribes – How Social Class Divides Us [9:28] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nU5MtVM_zFs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nU5MtVM_zFs

3. DETERMINANTS OF SOCIAL CLASS  ***NOT just money***  Occupation  Prestige  Education  Wealth  Income  Components of Class Link: http://www.nytimes.com/packages/html/ national/20050515_CLASS_GRAPHIC/in dex_01.html http://www.nytimes.com/packages/html/ national/20050515_CLASS_GRAPHIC/in dex_01.html  Partner Activity: Rank these people, based on their occupations and perceived income & prestige, on the social ladder:  Teacher  Lawyer  Doctor  Secretary  Waitress  Bartender  Retail store manager  Walmart Greeter  Farmer  Drug Dealer (illegal)

4. GILBERT & KAHL MODEL  Developed 6-class model based on Weber  Top = Capitalist Class  Upper middle Class  Lower Middle Class  Working Class  Working Poor  Bottom = Underclass

5. CAPITALIST CLASS  1% of population  Typically millionaires  Investors, heirs, top executives  Attend prestigious universities  Don’t fear taxes or inflation  2 Types:  Old Money = inherited wealth; longer rich & more prestige  New Money = fortunes in business, stocks, inventions, entertainment, etc.

6. UPPER MIDDLE CLASS  15% of population  Typically earn $150,000+  Professionals (lawyers, physicians, architects) small business owners, upper managers  College graduates

7. LOWER MIDDLE CLASS  30% of population  Typical Income $70,000  Teachers, nurses, skilled contractors, lower managers, etc.  Usually college or technical training  Comfortable lifestyle, but threatened by taxes & inflation  Still feel hopeful to climb the social ladder

8. WORKING CLASS  30% of population  Typical Income $40,000  Blue & white collar workers – retail sales, secretaries, factory workers, service industry, etc.  Generally high school graduates; maybe some college  Jobs less secure & closely supervised

9. WORKING POOR  13% of population  Typical Income $25,000  Minimum wage jobs  Unskilled, low-paying jobs in retail & service industry  Many high school dropouts  Often need government assistance to stay afloat

10. UNDERCLASS  12% of population  Typical Income $15,000  Low-paying, menial, part-time, or temp. work  Little education  Little chance of climbing social ladder  Crime  Gangs  Pregnancy  Drugs  Environment  Often concentrated in cities

11. CLASS & POVERTY LINE >>> NOT ONLY THE UNDERCLASS’S PROBLEM  We will return to the “Poverty Line” later in this unit  Consider how expensive living is just by yourself:  Rent, at least $6,000 per year (500/month)  Groceries, at least $1,200 per year (100/month)  Utilities, at least $2,400 per year (200/month)  Transportation, at least $1,000 (<100/month)  Basic Necessities = almost $11,000 Persons in Household Poverty Guideline [Sept. 2015] 1$11,770 2$15,930 3$20,090 4$24,250 5$28,410 6$32,570

12. MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME IN NJ, 2013  State = $71,637  Washington Twp. $122,000  Green $114,000  Frelinghuysen $102,000  Independence $87,000  Allamuchy $86,000  Mount Olive $80,000  Hackettstown $71,000  Mansfield $69,000  Oxford $65,000  White $54,000  Rockleigh (Bergen) = $198,125  Camden = $26,705

13. SOCIAL MOBILITY MOVEMENT BETWEEN SOCIAL CLASSES

14. TYPES OF SOCIAL MOBILITY  Vertical = up or down  Secretary promoted to management  Horizontal = change job within a class  Doctor to lawyer  Intergenerational = changing within a family  Fireman dad; accountant son

15. INDIVIDUAL ACTIVITY  Write a short story of someone who changed social classes over his or her lifetime.  Describe which class s/he started in  Describe which class s/he ended in  Identify what type of mobility this is  Vertical  Horizontal  Intergenerational

16. HORATIO ALGER MYTH IS THE AMERICAN DREAM ALIVE & WELL?

17. ORIGINS  Author Horatio Alger Jr. wrote over 120 books for young working-class males  Popular after the Civil War  Rags to Riches stories  Led exemplary lives, struggled against poverty, and then achieved greatness  Realized the American Dream

18. THE AMERICAN DREAM  What does it mean to you? Make a list with your neighbors  Availability of opportunity?  Upward mobility?  Pursuit of material prosperity?  Reading: The Atlantic – Teenagers Are Losing Confidence in the American Dream

19. EFFECTS & CULTURE OF CLASS

20. CULTURE OF CLASS  In pairs, make lists of activities & characteristics of people in the Upper, Middle, and Lower classes  Careers?  Education?  Religion?  Political Affiliation?  Hobbies/Interests?  Sports/Activities?  Foods?  Are there advantages/disadvantages to being in these classes?

21. EFFECTS OF CLASS: PHYSICAL HEALTH  Lower class = lower life expectancy  Public clinics vs. expensive treatments  Lifestyle differences  Smoking  Eating habits  Drugs/alcohol use  Exercise  Unsafe sex

22. EFFECTS OF CLASS: MENTAL HEALTH  Higher levels of stress in lower classes  Layoffs; low wages; victim of crime; physical illnesses  Upper classes have advantages:  Take vacations  Afford psychiatrists  Greater control over lives

23. EFFECTS OF CLASS: FAMILY LIFE  Choice of spouse  Upper classes may limit ‘eligible partners’  Divorce rate higher in lower classes (more stress, fighting over money, etc.)  Parenting – sometimes more abuse in lower classes  Spanking vs. time out

24. EFFECTS OF CLASS: EDUCATION  Upper classes can afford better education  Richest: private elite schools  Rich: better public schools; move to better districts  Poor: local public school  Socialization – different curriculum  Creative thinking vs. following orders  Financial life skills not taught  Wealth of area impacts education through spending  Schools financed through local taxes  Hackettstown Per Pupil Spending 2013-2015 = $18,433  Top Ranked Schools (US News)  1 - Biotechnology H.S. (Freehold) $24,716  7 – Princeton H.S. (Princeton) $24,614  10 – Elizabeth H.S. (Elizabeth) $21,820  What does money have to do with quality of education?  Studies show per pupil expenditure has positive impact on student achievement  Also depends on HOW money is spent, not just how much!

25. EFFECTS OF CLASS: HIGHER EDUCATION  College is EXTREMELY expensive  Lower classes cannot afford tuition  Dependent on grants & loans  Grants can be difficult to obtain  Loans have high interest to repay (plaguing the middle class especially)

26. EFFECTS OF CLASS: POLITICS  Only general conclusions can be drawn  Higher class  More likely Republican  Liberal on social issues  Conservative on fiscal issues  More influential in politics  Lower class  More likely Democrat  Liberal on fiscal issues  Conservative on social issues

27. EFFECTS OF CLASS: CRIME  More lower class in prison  Less opportunity for jobs  Cannot afford good lawyer  Are police & courts more lenient toward upper classes?

28. SOME (OLD) RESEARCH: AVERAGE SENTENCES FOR CRIMES Bank RobberyDrug TraffickingFirearmsImmigration <5,000~9 months10.24 months 8 months2.75 months 5,000 – 9,000~4 months3.4 months1.75 months1 month 10,000 – 24,999~3 months2.4 months2.5 months1 month 25,000 – 50,000~1.75 months<1 months1 month2 months >50,000~3 years3 months1 month..5 months

29. REVIEW  Identify the consequences of class on:  Physical health  Mental health  Family life  Education  Politics  Crime