In our society, the “good things” are defined by laws, which govern the interactions of individuals. Some people copy their celebrities and role models in determining the good things. Religious beliefs also determine the good things for believers. We come to know the good things through parental teachings, in schools, in religious teachings, by the law and through our peers. In a caste system, there are minimal life chances because of the rigid nature of the caste system characterized with inequality and stratification (Dass & Deulkar, 2002). Social mobility is restricted in this system. For instance, a boy born into a Viashia caste would probably become an artisan or merchant.
On the other hand, in a social class such as in the U.S., stratification is based on economic factors (Rossides, 1990). Therefore, there are high life chances since mobility is not restricted. For instance, a person can change his social status by completing his education and securing a well paying job. Alternatively, a talented singer could transform from a lower to the top class. One-party communist systems have the highest life chances since there are no classes based on any criteria (Shambaugh, 2009). For instance, the government provides all children with educational and other needs equitably without segregation.
Good HealthCare: children born in poor families might not afford health insurance thereby seeking attention from low healthcare facilities. Their counterparts from the wealthy families access the best medical care (Sernau, 2010). Longevity: Low-income families have poor diet, exposed to risky environments, and cheap medical attention. Therefore, they might live shorter than the richer families who live with sufficient resources. Good Job: people often wish to perfect the jobs that their families do. For instance, a person born in a fishing family might consider owning his boat a good job. However, richer families have a greater access to good jobs than the low class families. Security: low class is associated with poor neighborhoods characterized by insecurity and vice versa. Status: people born in the high class are accorded celebrity status even without doing celebrated things. Wealth: being born in the higher class is attributed to wealth since children usually inherit wealth from their parents. Power: wealth of the high-class families is also attributed to power to control the low class families. Prestige: every class have things they hold prestigious distinct from the other. For instance, a child born in a low income earning family would consider things such as starting up a small shop and a pick up as prestigious. However, the children from rich families would consider managing their parent’s companies and owning a BMW as prestigious. Therefore, both classes have prestige despite the variations in the magnitude.
Life chances have both positive and negative effects on the life goals of individuals of different social status. On the positive effects, the ability to attain the good things in life always has an impact on the life goals. Low-class family children always study hard for competitive positions such as scholarship in order to accomplish their goals and improve the living standards of their families. There are also negative effects of these life chances. Children born in poor families might be discouraged from working hard because they lack motivation. Additionally, children from the higher class might misuse the resources they have and end up becoming miserable.
References:
Shambaugh D. (2009). China's Communist Party: Atrophy and Adaptation. Berkeley, California: University of California Press.
Sernau S. (2010).Social Inequality in a Global Age. Thousand Oaks, California: Pine Forge Press.
Rossides W. D. (1990). Social Stratification: The American Class System in Comparative Perspective. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall Publishing.
Dass A., & Deulkar S., (2002). Caste system. New Delhi:Dominant Publishers and Distributors
