Social Class
Class or social class refers to a group of individuals in a society having the same socio-economic status. Other than being significant in social theory, the idea of social class as a group of people with similar economic conditions has been often utilized in censuses as well as research on social mobility. There are three forms of social classes, including lower (working), middle, and upper classes. Depending on various factors, including wealth, education, and earnings, a group of individuals is placed on a particular socio-economic class. Change in these factors can contribute to the free movement of people from one social class to the other (Savage, 2015). The video ‘Tammy’s Story’ tells a story of poverty and inequality in the US. This essay responds to the questions provided using evidence and examples from the video.
Characteristics of Social Class
The video features Tammy, a single mom of four kids, off welfare after 18 years, who tries to hold her family together and cope with her son, Matt, who uncomfortable with their low status. Tammy walks about 10 miles to her work at Burger King, which shows the kind of poverty some people are facing in America. Tammy belongs to the lower social class because of the place she lives with her family, the type of work she does, education level, and her general day-to-day life. Basically, each social class has individual attitudes, behavioural norms, values, and beliefs that vary from those in other social classes. Each social class has people sharing the same economic resources, which heavily influences the form of lifestyle they are capable of living. Looking at the life Tammy lives, she is not able to afford a decent car and proper housing, which is common in people of her social class.
The upper class is made up of wealthy people, industrialists, top executives, and employers, while the middle-class consists of professionals and most white-collar employees. Next, the lower (working) class is made up of people in blue-collar jobs or manual jobs (Savage, 2015). This is the case of Tammy, who works as a cleaner at Burger King; hence she can only afford the type of life she is living with her family. She, therefore, cannot afford decent clothing, leisure activities, and other ‘good’ things that people from the other classes can afford. Tammy’s neighbourhood lacks suitable housing, and the environment looks deserted. Due to a lack of education, she is not able to get a decent job to improve her life and that of her family. Therefore, education is a crucial determiner of the class one belongs to.
Class and Self-Image
Social class is mostly determined by one’s income, occupation, and education levels (Savage, 2015). One’s social class dramatically influences the life one lives, mainly those with kids, like Tammy. Belonging to a specific social class can affect how a person views themselves and even affect their self-esteem. For example, a person in the lower social class may not want their friends meeting their family or knowing where they live because they like ‘outcasts.’ This is the case of Matt, who feels embarrassed to have his friends visit him and is also about the appearance of his mother and siblings. People like Matt may view the world as unfair and full of inequality and may work hard to get out of the situation. It is the opposite with people of other social classes since they can afford much more and live better lives, hence a better self-image.
References
Savage, M. (2015). Social class in the 21st century. Penguin UK.