A class is a setup of people with similar status, who have comparable wealth and power. Sociology describes class as a form of social stratification. Different studies have identified race, gender and class as centered in a pattern of intersectionality (Gail, 2003). This is because; these facets have an ideological basis that forms social classes. The current American society is not only stratified using socio economic classes, but using different concepts, including color, race, gender, sexuality, and ethical issues.
An inquiry into gender and race seeks to articulate the concepts involved. An analytical approach to this would require us to define the terms. The definition depends on how we want them to help us, that way we shall be responsive of the aspects of ordinary usage, to aspects of extensional use. Gender is just a social word for “sex”, socially it means traditional roles for men and women. Using a focal analysis, the core phenomenon is to identify the social relations constituting gender. Is there anything social that female of different cultures, times and place have in common? Answering this question, will show how the sexual differences play a role as a physical indicator to distinguish the genders, this is used to justify or view the treatment of a particular gender (Norton, 2013). This is especially as the gender categories are hierarchical in a complexity of oppressive relationship. One group is positioned socially as subordinate to the other, in most communities men are considered more superior than the women, what is referred to as a male chauvinist society. America is more or less this kind of society, with social and economic oppression aggravating the issues.
In American societal set up, women are systematically subordinate and thus form a class of their own, along a particular dimension of politics, social or economy. A woman is identified by imagined features of the body, presumed to be a confirmation of the biological part in the processes of reproduction (Pulitano, 2003). Therefore in America, one’s sex has a different position in the society, putting one in a specific class and hierarchy. The variation though differs from one culture to another, especially because America is an agglomeration of different communities. As much as the genders may belong to a similar class, they interact quite differently, for instance a woman from a typical black-American community and one from a Latina community in this century will interact a bit differently. This is because of the original cultural pre-dispositions. What ties them as a class is the oppression as a member of a class that suffers from marginalization and exploitation among other things. Men on the other side have a class of their own that triumph over the women, and the same kind of stratification is applied (Weber, 2010).
Color is another facet of class segregation that slowly is diminishing in America but which formed a major landmark of social stratification. Using the social identity theory, instances like the black identity changes the orientation of the group variables, for instance, the attitude towards black, and the organizational membership among others. In America Black people and Latino were stereotyped, with particular machinery operated by the white, the historic oppression of these set of people dates back since time in memorial. The classes formed with respect to color created ethnic identity, these classes sprung up to develop ethnic identity, ethnic cultures and practices, and a sense of belonging. A study of sociohistorical events shows that Chicanos had different structures the Mexicanos; this is because of the cultural adaptation of the United States (Gail, 2003). Whereas Mexicanos were the first generation of Mexicans, Chicanos were the second generation who lived in U.S. the color and ethnic segregation forced them to change their cultures, forming a class that was distinctive.
Color created social ethnicity, a multidimensional facet in its own respect. In sum, ethnicity and racial identities born by color discrimination, has a class that work with some degree of similarity, especially on how they work, however, their structures and content differ largely. The lack of identity in America however, according to the social identity theory is first and foremost the main reason why the people with different colors seek particular social strata to fit into the society. Unfortunately, most of these set ups do not have original culturally diverse identity, they seem so different even with the similarity of color, and have to form a class so that they get a particular form of oneness, a class that has formed over time in America (Pulitano, 2003).
People with non-traditional gender inclinations have had a rough ride prompting them to create a cocoon, seemingly creating a class in the process. These kinds of people include lesbians, homosexuals and gay people, among others. Most of these people believe that they have a right to do whatever they are doing, and that the society is being irresponsive of them. This class believes for instance that homosexuality is normal, just like any other person has the right of loving and feeling loved in a relationship that is natural and satisfying. According to anthropologist, the lesbian, gay and bisexual are part and parcel of our culture, they are special since they cut across, the ethnic backlog, color restrictions, educational backgrounds and socioeconomic class.
However, this lot of people has had a great deal of discrimination, segregation and resentment, precisely because the ideals they practice are not including on any cultural value (Pulitano, 2003). As much as culture has its own parameters to check normalcy at different levels of social stratification this particular one has received condemnation from all walks of life, including religion, tradition and other social setups. What has followed is the formation of a huge class of individuals across the globe. They supposedly share similar grieves, feelings and the same conditions in their respective geographical diversities. This is perhaps the biggest class around the world that defies color, ethnic inclination and geographical boundaries (Weber, 2010).
In conclusion, with respect to the cultural stratification in America, classes develop due to specific cultural issues that have sprung up during the development of the country. Women have formed a cohort of their own, assuming roles and traits that set them apart, they form a class of their own, that is more or less internally homogeneous. On the other hand, the pre-dominant racial segregation, born classes of color, with people with particular skin color belonging into a certain setting that they can identify with, in terms of the cultural values, and organizational features. These communities mostly have weak social structures as they agglomerate from different regions. Lastly, the people inclined differently from the traditional values form a class that spans across the globe, as they share unique identities and form a class unique and distinct like no other.
References
Gail D. J. M. (2003). Gender, Race, and Class in Media: A Text-Reader. SAGE.
Norton, B. (2013). Identity and Language Learning: Extending the Conversation. Multilingual Matters.
Pulitano, E. (2003). Toward a Native American Critical Theory. U of Nebraska Press.
Weber, L. (2010). Understanding Race, Class, Gender, and Sexuality: A Conceptual Framework. Oxford University Press, Incorporated.
