Effects of Economics, Race and Class on Social Standing essays

Effects of Economics, Race and Class on Social Standing essays One of the great things about America is that we are supposed to have a class-less society. Some countries have a class structure that is impossible to break. If you are born poor, you will die poor. There is no hope to break the cycle. That should not be the case in America. We like to believe that anyone can find fame and fortune in this country. The promise is that you can work hard and make it big. With this egalitarian outlook, America sounds like a great place to live. The theory is that we are all equal, and have an equal chance of achieving the American Dream. The Dream itself has many definitions, but for my purpose, I am going to assume it means that we can be upwardly mobile concerning social standing. Americans can be born poor and die rich. Of course, there are many subtle levels in between. That is where we will find popular culture. You see, although we have a class-less society, that does not mean we are totally without classes in our country. It really means we are able to transcend those classes and move up or down. We most certainly do have classes amongst ourselves. Primarily, our class is designated by what material possessions we have at this given moment. Not even what we own or how much money we have. It is the perception of affluence, not the accumulation of wealth, which most Americans value. In America, how others perceive you is what determines your social standing. Popular culture is out there for the masses. It is to give the lower and middle class people something to strive for. It tells us that, to be successful, we must drive a car costing more than the average annual salary of most Americans. It tells us what clothes to wear, what music we should listen to or where to live. It is through popular culture that our economy is driven. If it were not for credit and leasing, most Americans would never own a home or have a car to drive. This vici...