Social Classes and Their Role in American Society

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The role of class in American society is rather significant as it delineates the opportunities people can achieve and the amount of power they can access. Class may be defined as a set of perceptions focused on social categorization where people are assembled in hierarchical social groups. Most commonly, classes are divided into the lower, middle, and upper. Class division is illustrated rather well by the access to education and employment for people with different possibilities. For instance, children from lower-class families do not have the same possibility to receive education as children with middle- and upper-class backgrounds. As a result, there is a further distinction in job opportunities based on education divergences.

One of the best examples of class division in the system of education is the existence of boarding schools, the so-called “elite” schools for privileged young people (Cookson and Persell, Privilege and the Importance 15). Some scholars define academic failures as personal and not sociological problems and argue that education should be “blind to race, religion, sex, or national origin” (Cookson and Persell, Privilege and the Importance 14). However, it is a well-known fact that upper-class families can afford to send their children to elite educational institutions, graduation from which can later guarantee them better life opportunities.

Randall Collins argues that even if prep school graduates do not all belong to the upper class, they formulate a separate class by themselves (qt. in Cookson and Persell, Preps at Play 190). Alumni of such schools organize regular meetings and dedicate a lot of time and financial support to their alma mater. As Cookson and Persell mention, high society may be considered out-of-date by some people. However, for those who make large contributions to the development of their social status, hierarchy is not a “laughing matter” (Cookson and Persell, Preps at Play 191). Marriages between upper-class families strengthen the societal value of recognition and grow people’s understanding of the importance of being acknowledged and respected. The classical curriculum at elite boarding schools has always aimed at bringing up a real gentleman whose distinction from uneducated men was seen (Cookson and Persell, Cultural Capital 74). Explaining the issue of culture and society has been among the most crucial elements of such education.

In his article about investments in education, Porter expresses a rather interesting opinion. According to him, children’s disposition to being smart greatly depends not only on their family’s financial situation but also on their parents’ educational background (Porter). Thus, according to his research, no matter what elite school a child is sent to, his or her achievements are delineated by family educational history (Porter). Meanwhile, scholars’ attention is driven to the issue of social media’s role in education. According to Kimmons, media and digital literacy depend on people’s socio-cultural background (93).

While access to an education belongs to the crucial issues in the class division, it is not the most important one. In his article about the life of immigrant families, Toobin discusses the problems of employment and medical services along with education. The author describes what difficulties immigrant families are exposed to and how socially unprotected they are (Toobin). Toobin notes that to reach the same results as an average American family, immigrants have to work several times harder (Toobin).

Therefore, class distinction, even if not admitted by some people, exists, and it has a great impact on the lives of many people, especially those belonging to unprivileged classes.

Works Cited

Cookson, Peter W., and Caroline Hodges Persell. “Cultural Capital: Curricula and Teachers.” Preparing for Power: America’s Elite Boarding Schools, edited by Peter W. Cookson and Caroline Hodges Persell, Basic Books, 1985, pp. 73-93.

“Preps at Play and in the Power Structure.” Preparing for Power: America’s Elite Boarding Schools, edited by Peter W. Cookson and Caroline Hodges Persell, Basic Books, 1985, pp. 190-207.

“Privilege and the Importance of Elite Education.” Preparing for Power: America’s Elite Boarding Schools, edited by Peter W. Cookson and Caroline Hodges Persell, Basic Books, 1985, pp. 13-30.

Kimmons, Royce. “Social Networking Sites, Literacy, and the Authentic Identity Problem.” TechTrends, vol. 58, no. 2, 2014, pp. 93-98.

Porter, Eduardo. “Investments in Education May Be Misdirected.”The New York Times. 2013, Web.

Toobin, Jeffrey. “The Immigrant Families in Limbo.”The New Yorker. 2015, Web.

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