Social class is a paradigm that forms stereotypes in many people and often hinders substantial insights and cooperation (Gilbert, 1998). There are variances like appearances, which hinder the correct adherence to the correct judgments. There are certain appearances and traits that are physical and deceiving to the society. As an analyst, there are several means of detecting these appearance stereotypes. From the general appearance, one may decide to evaluate a person based on the skin tan, and dress code. For instance, a slightly tanned skin may depict a personality of higher social class that the one with a pale skin tan. These and other factors like the carriage may also influence their decisions. In one instance, one character had a beige trench coat, which passed for a working device. Many people may evaluate this appearance as coming from a middle class citizen as opposed to a lady with a tanned skin, mid twenty by age and has a bikini as well as a straw hat.
The following factors are necessary and often make the society to have their stereotypes at all angles. From the latter example, it emerges that the lady is a film star. Based on my previous perception of the lady and my stereotyping ability, I may ask the lady whether she is a film star. This is because the lady had the first appearance and outlook.
I may ask whether she is a film star because she has the characters that match my idea of a film star. From my mental image of a film star, one should have a tanned skin with a nice body. Her height may also have played a critical role because she appeared slightly tall and in her mid twenties. She also wore a stunning bikini and a straw hat, which to me showed a sign of affluence and enigma. Despite her not having any accessory, she carried the personality and posture of a model. Therefore, certain attributes are critical in ranking the social class of a person.
According to Scott, 1996, the following criteria are vital in ranking the social position of people in a society. The education level of a person has become a major indicator in many societies. In this sense, the language accent and posture as well as the mannerisms are markers of either a high social class or a low class. Williams et al (2005) asserts that a person’s health and nutrition is also a major parameter for social class placement. In many developing countries, a look at the children with a kwashiorkor or rickets ridden bodies depict a low class system that is pathetic. At a personal level, the individual may have a very subjective form of identifying social classes. For some, a look at the ethnic or racial background may elicit a social profiling. These are often coupled with the neighborhood of a person. Therefore, a person from the Ghettoes of New York or Chicago has a linkage to the low social profile unlike a group from Cincinnati affluent estates. This forms the paradox of social profiling. To many, the car model is a sure sign of social class. Next time you drive your Toyota Corolla or your Cadillac across the street, know that you are passing a great deal of information of your class in the society, an indirect intrusion into your bank account.
References
Gilbert, Dennis. (1998). Class Matters in the US. A living web on social phenomenon. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/national/class/.
John Scott, (1996). Understanding Society. Volume 2 P. 310. Retrieved from http://understandingsociety.com/2008/12/class-in-america.html.
Williams, Brian; Stacey C. Sawyer, Carl M. Ahlstrom (2005). The Class structure exemplified: An annotated bibliography. Stratification in Boston, 41(11/12), 1245-1283. doi:10.1108/03090560710821161
