Traditionally, people have lived in highly stratified societies based on several factors. These include wealth, race, gender, religion, or other factors that distinguish one person from another.in the USA; the situation has only become worse as the societies have become more stratified. Social stratification leads to the formation of a social hierarchy, which is simply the classification of people in a given society based on their economic power, race, religion, or gender. The factor that has contributed to social hierarchies, especially in the USA is the economic power. The latter has led to the division of the society into three main social classes based on the economic power of each.
The upper class comprises the people that are the top of the social hierarchy in the country. The term is used to describe individuals who live a highly prestigious life and some who do not have to work to acquire their wealth. According to Elaheh (1), Americans in this class are less than five percent of the country's population. Notably, people in this social class are inherently privileged. According to many social scientists, people in this group continue dominating most social, political, and economic circles, which leaves little space for people in other classes to improve their living.
The second class is the middle class. Around 47-49 % of American belongs to this social class (Elaheh, p.1). Regardless of their socio-cultural background, income, education or background, people in this category are not extremely wealthy or rich. Most people in this category are managers or business owners and have been observed to inhibit people from climbing the social ladder by paying low wages, imposing strict working conditions, and offering little opportunities for growth of the people below them.
The third classification of the American population in terms of their economic power is the working class. Around 32 to 45 per cent belong to this class (Faricy p. 142). A distinct characteristic of people of this class take orders from people from the middle class or upper class. Last in the classification is the lower class, which includes people who cannot access formal work or those who are unemployed. People from these classes are relatively poor, which makes them a victim of abuse by those above them.
These include people from the upper and middle class. This factor also makes them vulnerable to discrimination by people from classes above. Although not a direct form of discrimination, people from this class are treated only as second fiddles while those from higher classes receiving preferential treatment. During national disasters such as hurricanes, people in this class do not receive special help as people from the upper and middle classes. More often people from this class are also the subject of abuse from those above them (Faricy 213). Additionally, individuals in the above two categories are usually unable to access quality education and medical care as those in other classes.
The responsibility of perpetuating these hierarchies is done by the individuals in the class to some extent and partly due to the conditions that people in the said class. Most people in the upper class do not have to work hard to maintain the status quo of their livelihood. However, those from lower classes face many challenges and discrimination while trying to climb to the next class. As such, it is the responsibility of institutions such as the government and humanitarian organizations to address the matters affecting people in the working and lower classes (Faricy 128). This would ease the discrimination, and social challenges such as difficulty in accessing quality health and education have little impact on their attempts to move up the social ladder.
Works Cited
Elaheh Jarrahi. "Social Class in the United States." N.p., 21 Jan. 2008. Web. <http://ezinearticles.com/?Social-Class-in-the-United-States&id=939641>.
Faricy, Christopher G. Welfare for the Wealthy: Parties, Social Spending, and Inequality in the United States. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2015. Print.
