It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Social structure of the United States. (Discuss)

The contemporary United States has no legally-recognized social classes. Elites exist, but are numerous and there is no universally recognized hierarchy of people. The absence of officially-recognized classes may reflect the desire of this society to become a market-oriented meritocracy, a reflection of belief in the "American dream" as well as traditional values of hard work, entrepreneurship, and individualism. It may also reflect the lack of a colonial peerage, the abolition of slavery and involuntary servitude, and the extension of universal suffrage. Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... It has been suggested that Class in the contemporary United States be merged into this article or section. ... Social class describes the relationships between people in hierarchical societies or cultures. ... Look up élite and elite in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Street markets such as this one in Rue Mouffetard, Paris are still common in France. ... As the suffix -cracy implies, meritocracy is strictly speaking a system of government based on rule by ability (merit) rather than by wealth or social position. ... The American Dream is the idea (often associated with the Protestant work ethic) held by many in the United States of America that through hard work, courage and determination one can achieve prosperity. ... The Peerage is a system of titles of nobility which exists in the United Kingdom and is one part of the British honours system. ... Abolition is the act of formally destroying something through legal means, either by making it illegal, or simply no longer allowing it to exist in any form. ... Involuntary servitude is the condition of a person laboring to benefit another against his will due to coercive influence directed toward him. ... Universal suffrage (also general suffrage or common suffrage) consists of the extension of suffrage, or the right to vote, to all adults, without distinction as to race, sex, belief or social status. ...

In practice, however, there are de facto social classes in the United States; this phenomenon is sometimes called " emergent elitism". Most likely, these social classes result from massive disparities in access to wealth, income, social access, and influence, as well as the tendency for people to associate with people of comparable social capital and financial means. Class is usually correlated strictly to ownership of productive, financial, cultural, social and human capital. For this reason, social class is often called socioeconomic status because of this inextricable connection. The connection is bidirectional, that is: Emergence is the process of deriving some new and coherent structures, patterns and properties in a complex system. ... Elitism is a belief or attitude that an elite — a selected group of persons whose personal abilities, specialized training or other attributes place them at the top of any field (see below) — are the people whose views on a matter are to be taken most seriously, or who are alone... Wealth usually refers to money and property. ... Income, generally defined, is the money that is received as a result of the normal business activities of an individual or a business. ... Social capital is a socio-economic concept with a variety of inter-related definitions, based on the value of social networks. ... Finance studies and addresses the ways in which individuals, businesses and organizations raise, allocate and use monetary resources over time, taking into account the risks entailed in their projects. ... Look up Culture in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Wikinews has news related to this article: Culture and entertainment Dictionary of the History of Ideas: Cultural Development in Antiquity Dictionary of the History of Ideas: Culture and Civilization in Modern Times Classificatory system for cultures and civilizations, by Dr. Sam Vaknin... Human capital is a way of defining and categorizing peoples skills and abilities as used in employment and otherwise contribute to the economy. ... In politics a capital (also called capital city or political capital — although the latter phrase has an alternative meaning based on an alternative meaning of capital) is the principal city or town associated with its government. ...

Capital begets class, because people with unusual amounts of capital are often sought by others and can make transactions on terms that are favorable to them. Unlike in some European societies where "upper class" is tied to nobility, capital can usually buy access to some, but not all, of the "upper class" elites. Generational social mobility is also pronounced; the children and grandchildren of "self-made" wealthy people may have additional social access that the initial generators of wealth did not, due to the stigma some associate with nouveau riche status.

Class begets capital, because individuals with social capital can often access other forms of capital more easily than others.

Class is reinforced by class traits, or characteristics of speech and behavior that signify a person's class. "Class ascendants", or social climbers, frequently attempt to emulate class traits of people in higher social classes. See snob for further discussion of this phenomenon. A satellite composite image of Europe Europe is the worlds second-smallest continent in terms of area, with an area of 10,600,000 km² (4,140,625 square miles), making it larger than Australia only. ... The Lords and Barons prove their Nobility by hanging their Banners and exposing their Coats-of-arms at the Windows of the Lodge of the Heralds. ... Nouveau riche ( Fr. ... A snob, guilty of snobbery or snobbism, is a person who imitates the manners, adopts the world-view and affects the lifestyle of a social class of people to which that person does not by right belong. ...

Five-class model

Exact class lines are difficult, if not impossible, for outsiders to draw, and there is no agreement on precisely where they lie. Some argue that class is more of a continuum than a phenomenon of discrete categories. For many individuals, social class is more a matter of self-identification in terms of how the person views his or her relationship to society, particularly along the most fuzzy borders, like that between "middle class" and "upper-middle class". Sociological models depict society as having as few as two or as many as nine social classes, with the admission of "fuzziness" at the interfaces of classes. Most Americans, when asked, describe themselves as some variant of "middle class". Many sociologists, and popular sociology, use a five-class model, which includes: Look up Continuum in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The word discrete comes from the Latin word discretus which means separate. ...

• An upper class consisting of multiple elites. Membership in one elite may or may not connote membership in another. Extreme wealth, a notable name or accomplishment, or celebrity will usually bring an individual into this class, although most enjoy membership as a legacy of inherited wealth or familial prominence. Some allege that the American upper class sustains itself, and secures continued advantage, through social connections and networking rather than hard work. It is true that most Americans remain at roughly the same socioeconomic level into which they were born. While drastic upward mobility is possible, it is not necessarily common. Statistically, most mobility occurs in small degrees. For example, one born into the "middle-middle" class may become part of the "upper-middle" class in adulthood. Nonetheless, there are instances of Horatio Alger stories. For example, Andrew Carnegie exemplified a "rags-to-riches" existence.

• A middle class divided into three subcategories:
  • A largely professional upper-middle class. Individuals within this class rarely have the elite social privileges lavished upon the upper-class, but normally have access to high-quality education. Individuals within this class typically make between $75,000 and $200,000 per year, though individuals with smaller incomes but valuable cultural capital (such as graduate and professional students) are sometimes included, as would be a well-to-do "stay-at-home" homemaker who declines occupational work by choice. Since class has as much to do with occupational prestige and lifestyle as with salary, highly-compensated blue collar workers are usually not considered "upper-middle class".
  • A "middle-middle" class that, some evidence indicates, is decreasing in number. Corporate downsizing and the loss of manufacturing jobs has eliminated many of the skilled unionized jobs that provide membership within this class. As a result, many individuals within this group have drifted either into more skilled work, in the professional sectors (upper-middle class) or have fallen downward into the service sectors (lower-middle class). The state of the economy at a given time depends which trend is more prevalent; during strong economies, laid-off people are more likely to be better- than worse-off in subsequent jobs. During weak economies, the opposite is true.
  • A lower-middle class, or "working poor". These individuals usually have very limited personal capital, and their occupational and educational skills are normally restricted to one type of work. Largely working in semi-skilled or unskilled service jobs, individuals within this social class often face varying hours, unpleasant occupational environments, and impersonal supervisors. Without higher education, they have very little social mobility— about 1/3 as much as those in Scandinavian social democracies like Sweden. By global standards, some of these individuals might be considered materially privileged, but they suffer from the same subjective ailments (low self-esteem, stress and high depression rates) experienced by the poor of other societies. The Paradox of Choice: Why More is Less, by Barry Schwartz, might explain this: material plenty has only a small effect of subjective happiness, while perceived low status leads frequently to a higher likelihood of depression, anxiety, poor self-image, and bad health. (However, these ailments affect some individuals in every social class, and therefore in many cases cannot be attributed to sociological causes.)

• A lower class of often impoverished and desperate individuals. Crime and hunger are daily threats for them, and illiteracy, homelessness (most U.S. job applications require that the applicant provide a home address) and, in some cases, previous criminal records ensure that their chances of securing work remain low.

Class delineations are sometimes considered artificial—formal class membership does not exist, and people rarely think of themselves, in any meaningful way, as members of a specific class. Furthermore, a person's social class may change throughout his or her life. Social classes, therefore, are more often used in aggregate sociological depictions than they are applied to individual people. While people may maintain ties to specific families, social or ethnic groups, and institutions, it is rare for a person to have meaningful ties to a social class. The term upper class refers to a group of people at the top of a social hierarchy. ... Look up élite and elite in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Lindsay Lohan and Nicole Richie - 21st Century Celebrities A celebrity is a person who is widely recognized in a society. ... Legacy could refer to any of the following: Subaru Legacy the rock band Legacy Fedora Legacy Legacy Virus Legacy Challenge Legacy Highway The Legacy In computing and other technological industries, the adjective legacy (see the Wiktionary definition) is often applied to qualify something as being obsolete, discontinued, deprecated, outmoded, superseded... A social network is a map of the relationships between individuals, indicating the ways in which they are connected through various social familiarities ranging from casual acquaintance to close familial bonds. ... Horatio Alger, Jr. ... The middle class (or middle classes) comprises a social group once defined by exception as an intermediate social class between the nobility and the peasantry. ... A professional works to receive payment for an activity (as a profession), which usually requires expertise and carries with it socially significant mores and folkways. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... A profession is a specialized work function within society, generally performed by a professional. ... A blue-collar worker is a working class employee who performs manual or technical labor, such as in a factory or in technical maintenance trades, in contrast to a white-collar worker, who does non-manual work generally at a desk. ... A corporation is a legal entity (distinct from a natural person) that often has similar rights in law to those of a Civil law systems may refer to corporations as moral persons; they may also go by the name AS (anonymous society) or something similar, depending on language (see below). ... Downsizing is a euphemism referring to layoffs initiated by a company in order to cut labor costs by reducing the size of the company. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Social democracy is a political ideology emerging in the late 19th and early 20th centuries from supporters of Marxism who believed that the transition to a socialist society could be achieved through democratic evolutionary rather than revolutionary means. ... In psychology, self-esteem or self-worth is a persons self-image at an emotional level; circumventing reason and logic. ... Stress (roughly the opposite of relaxa) is a medical term for a wide range of strong external stimuli, both physiological and psychological, which can cause a physiological response called the general adaptation syndrome, first described in 1936 by Hans Selye in the journal Nature. ... Clinical depression is a health condition of depression with mental and physical components reaching criteria generally accepted by clinicians. ... Barry Schwartz is an American sociologist. ... A boy from an East Cipinang trash dump slum in Jakarta, Indonesia shows his find. ... Hunger is applied literally to the need or craving for food; it can also be applied metaphorically to cravings of other sorts. ... Literacy is the ability to use text to communicate across space and time. ... A homeless American. ...

When asked to identify themselves with a social class, 90 to 95 percent identify as some shade of "middle class". Whether or not this is sociologically accurate is a matter of debate, since there are a number of models of America's class structure, each with a different definition of "middle class". But the very fact that so many people choose to identify with the middle class is nonetheless indicative of the extent to which Americans see themselves as living in a society in which liberty and equality are available to all. Liberty is generally thought of in English as a condition in which an individual has immunity from the arbitrary exercise of authority; it often also implies the right to exercise political rights such as standing for office. ... EQUAL is a popular artificial sweetener Equal (sweetener) Equality can mean several things: Mathematical equality Social equality Racial equality Sexual equality Equality of outcome Equality, a town in Illinois See also Equity Egalitarianism Equals sign This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise...

Middle class divisions

Some dispute the divisions within the middle class as specifically class distinctions so much as lifestyle disparaties resulting from the large range of income levels classified as "middle class." It's true that "upper-middle" and "lower-middle" class individuals live dramatically different economic lives, but class requires a specific type of sociological barrier. Class barriers are usually considered almost impossible to cross, except by attaining the favor of people within higher classes, or losing the favor of those within one's social class. The barrier between the lower and lower-middle classes, as well as that between the upper-middle and upper classes, is generally considered more rigid than any barrier separating the middle classes. The middle class (or middle classes) comprises a social group once defined by exception as an intermediate social class between the nobility and the peasantry. ...

Class and political leaning

The traditional assumption of 20th century political theorists (particularly those examining the United States) has been that upper-class individuals will tend to be more conservative while lower-class individuals are more liberal. In this paradigm, conservatism would tend toward opposing greater social mobility and distribution of wealth, while liberalism would support an expanded welfare state. By the late 20th century and early 21st century, there is evidence that this correlation has reversed: upper-class individuals may be more likely to be liberal or leftist in their politics. There are possible several theories for this reversal: (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999 in the... Conservatism or political conservatism is any of several historically related political philosophies or political ideologies. ... American liberalism (also called modern liberalism) is a political current that claims descent from classical liberalism in terms of devotion to individual liberty, but rejects the laissez faire economics of classical liberalism in favor of institutions that promote social and economic equity. ... There are three main interpretations of the idea of a welfare state: the provision of welfare services by the state. ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999 in the... In calendars based on the Christian Era or Common Era, such as the Gregorian calendar, the 21st century is the current century, as of this writing. ...

• Wealthier people may be more cosmopolitan, and therefore exposed to more liberal, urban environments.
• Wealthier people tend to be more able to afford formal education, which correlates with liberal-to-left politics.
  • Some allege that this is due to systemic bias within academia: repeated polls of university professors show that, even in traditionally "conservative" disciplines like economics, members of "left" parties ( Democrats, Greens, etc.) outnumber members of "right" parties (Republicans, etc.) by anywhere between 3:1 and 25:1, depending on the discipline.
  • Others attribute the correlation between education and liberal politics to a more global (as opposed to an ethnocentric) target of ethical concern among more cognitively advanced individuals (see: AQAL).
• Upper-middle class people have developed leftist tendencies out of a fear of "middle-class squeeze."
• The increased political salience of "culture war" issues has given social conservatism a populist appeal among many working-class and lower-middle-class Americans.

This reversal is probably less statistically significant than some may think, because conservatives on average are better paid than liberals. Also, there is evidence which shows that wealthy neighborhoods are more likely to vote conservatively than liberally. What may be evident, however, is the reality of the "limousine liberal," a grouping of extremely wealthy people who tend toward Left views, particularly, in the stereotype, among members of the Hollywood culture. Statistically, the reality seems to be a division among both the wealthy and the less wealthy. Portions of both groups are conservative, while portions are liberal. Many less-wealthy, and therefore less-educated, people are attracted to conservative politics because of their traditional cultural and social attitudes, while other less-wealthy and less-educated individuals are attracted to liberalism in the hope to achieving greater social equality. Among the more wealthy, some associate education and open-mindedness with the welfare state and social justice programs espoused by liberal political movements, while others among the wealthy tend to hold to a more traditionalist viewpoint, some in the attempt (consciously or unconsciously) to retain their high socio-economic position; the latter view paradigm of the attitudes of the wealthy is particularly stereotypical. Some correlations also exist in various wings of religious affiliations, either replacing class as a primary factor, or in addition to class. The term cosmopolitan refers to an individual who retains cultural roots in his or her country of origin, yet has adopted a wide taste for other cultures, and so lives both a local and global life. ... Urban area is a term used to define an area where there is an increased density of man-made structures in comparison to the areas surrounding it. ... Systemic bias is a neologism used to describe a bias which is endemic in or inherent to a system, especially a human system. ... Plato is credited with the inception of academia: the body of knowledge, its development and transmission across generations. ... A university is an institution of higher education and of research, which grants academic degrees. ... U.S. Economic Calendar Economics at the Open Directory Project Economics textbooks on Wikibooks The Economists Economics A-Z Institutions and organizations Bureau of Labor Statistics - from the American Labor Department Center for Economic and Policy Research (USA) National Bureau of Economic Research (USA) - Economics material from the organization... The Democratic Party, founded in 1792, is the longest-standing political party in the world. ... In United States politics, the Green Party has been active as a third party since the 1980s. ... Ethnocentrism (Greek ethnos nation + -centrism) is a set of beliefs or practices based on the view that ones own group is the center of everything. ... In the Integral theory of Ken Wilber, AQAL stands for All quadrants, all levels, and equally connotes all lines, all states, all types. An account or theory is said the be AQAL, and thus integral (or inclusive or comprehensive), if it accounts for or makes reference to all four quadrants... The term Culture Wars has been used to describe ideologically-driven and often strident confrontations typical of American public culture and politics since the 1960s, but especially beginning in the 1980s. ... Populism is a political philosophy or rhetorical style that holds that the common persons interests are oppressed or hindered by the elite in society, and that the instruments of the state need to be grasped from this self-serving elite and used for the benefit and advancement of the... ...

"Middle-class squeeze": does it exist?

Some observers of American society have raised the issue of "middle-class squeeze", or downward mobility within the middle class, possibly into lower-class status. While this "squeeze" is a relatively new phrase, the issue is not unique to 21st century America— similar anxieties are discussed in Barbara Ehrenreich's Fear of Falling. "Middle-class squeeze" is, at least, a real anxiety among middle- and upper-middle class Americans, particularly in the so-called generation X. To what extent it is a reality remains debated. The progress of any society at any time is always multi-faceted and complex — in some ways, conditions will be improving, and in others, they will be worsening. In calendars based on the Christian Era or Common Era, such as the Gregorian calendar, the 21st century is the current century, as of this writing. ... Barbara Ehrenreich Barbara Ehrenreich (born August 26, 1941) is a social critic and essayist. ... Generation X describes the generation following the post-World War II baby boom, especially Americans and Canadians born in the 1960s and 1970s and to a lesser extent Britons, although the exact dates of birth defining this age demographic are highly debated. ...

Cost of living

"Middle-class squeeze" refers to a multitude of related issues facing the middle-class. Some fear that these issues will constrict the middle-class, even to the extent that they knock people out of the upper-middle and middle-middle classes. Most prominent among these issues are cost-of-living issues (including healthcare and housing costs), unemployment, especially among the young, and quality-of-life issues ( work hours, mandated vacation). Health care or healthcare is one of the worlds largest and fastest growing professions. ... Houses in Fishpool Street, St Albans, England For other meanings of the word house, see House (disambiguation). ... Dorothea Langes Migrant Mother depicts destitute pea pickers in California during the Great Depression. ...

The salary of the median American has increased during the 2000s, but healthcare, housing, and education costs have, by all measures, outpaced these salary increases. Low inflation as defined by the consumer price index has been offset by cultural inflation resulting from recent growth in technology. For example, Internet access, which few people had in 1983 (the base year of the CPI) now has the status of a virtual necessity for middle-class life: students need Internet access to complete schoolwork. The necessity of automobile ownership in most of non-urban America has made the actual cost of living greater in the past century, and this is what one might consider "real" cultural inflation. // A salary is a form of periodic payment from an employer to an employee, which is specified in an employment contract. ... In probability theory and statistics, the median is a number that separates the higher half of a sample, a population, or a probability distribution from the lower half. ... Saddam Hussein shortly after his capture Major controversy over U. S. presidential election (November 7-December 13, 2000) September 11, 2001 terrorist attack on New Yorks World Trade Center and Virginias Pentagon killing almost 3000 people. ... Health care or healthcare is one of the worlds largest and fastest growing professions. ... Houses in Fishpool Street, St Albans, England For other meanings of the word house, see House (disambiguation). ... In economics, a Consumer Price Index (CPI, also retail price index) is a statistical measure of a weighted average of prices of a specified set of goods and services purchased by wage earners in urban areas. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A small variety of cars, the most popular kind of automobile. ... Urban area is a term used to define an area where there is an increased density of man-made structures in comparison to the areas surrounding it. ...

At the same time, however, other cultural costs of the middle class have declined in recent years. The spread of cell phones has rendered the use of costlier landlines less necessary, to the extend that the number of residential landline telephones is actually declining in the United States. The widespread use of e-mail has greatly reduced the cost of communication with relations and the search for employment; job searches once conducted through the post can now be conducted online, at a greatly reduced cost. The automobile has likewise reduced the cultural costs of Americans, as it has facilitated long-distance travel to sites of cultural importance and to new economic opportunity. Indeed, sociologists studying America in the 1920s and 1930s often found that Americans were less willing to give up their automobiles than nearly any other possession they owned, and placed greater emphasis on purchasing an automobile than on other purchases. As one farmer's wife famously told Robert Staughton Lynd in the 1920s when asked why her family had purchased a car in preference to a bathtub, "you can't ride to town in a bathtub." Access to town no doubt vastly improved the cultural and economic resources available to this couple and thousands like them in the same period. Cellular redirects here. ... Telephone This article is about telephone technology. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Social interactions of people and their consequences are the subject of sociology studies. ... Sometimes referred to as the Jazz Age or primarily in North America and in Australia as the Roaring Twenties . In Europe it is sometimes refered to as the Golden Twenties. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Robert Staughton Lynd (1892 - 1970) was a significant American sociologist. ...

Moreover, it is difficult to determine when cultural inflation is a real structural problem, and when it is merely psychological (in that people feel poorer on account of others' comparative material success). On the other hand, the proliferation of new recreational electronic goods (game consoles, stereos, etc.) does not constitute the same sort of cultural inflation since these are not necessary goods. Rather, this is an aspect of the undebated "rising tide" in technology and technological access over the most recent decades.

In many other respects, aspects of "middle-class squeeze" can be attributed to the attitudes and values of the middle class themsleves as much as, if not more than, to fundamental changes in the economic landscape. While it has been widely noted that the cost of housing has been on the increase lately, it has been less widely noted that much of this increase is due to land-use policies in suburban areas that make it next to impossible to replace single-family detached houses with multi-family dwelling or apartment buildings. These policies, enacted in the 1950s when much more land near urban centers was undeveloped, were designed to produce rising property values and so ensure the economic well-being of the middle class families who came to populate suburbia in those years. Although many children of the original settlers of places like Levittown, New York have found themselves priced out of these communities, this housing crisis could be largely eliminated if suburban communities would allow for higher-density development. Such development would allow the supply of available housing to keep up with demand, thus lowering housing prices overall. Houses in Fishpool Street, St Albans, England For other meanings of the word house, see House (disambiguation). ... // Events and trends The 1950s in Western society was marked with a sharp rise in the economy for the first time in almost 30 years and return to the 1920s-type consumer society built on credit and boom-times, as well as the the baby boom from returning GIs who... Levittown is a census-designated place located in Nassau County, New York. ...

Education

Primary and secondary education, for twelve years, are free in the United States, funded locally via property taxes. In the United States, the free state-run schools are known as public schools (the term is not used to describe private academies, as in other English-speaking countries). These vary widely in quality: many public schools are excellent and exceed even the elite private academies in educational performance; others are terrible and fail even to teach basic literacy and numeracy. In some locations (for example, New Orleans) the public schools are considered so poor in quality that most middle-class residents send their children to private or religious schools. In other areas, public schools are of such high quality that few people even attend private schools. Because the public schools are funded by local property taxes, public schools tend to be better in wealthy suburban areas, but poor urban schools sometimes excel under exceptional leadership. The quality of a person's primary and secondary schooling has a major influence on future economic fortune, since a strong secondary program will also increase the likelihood of admission to a high-quality university. Primary or elementary education consist of the first years of formal, structured education that occurs during childhood. ... Secondary education is a period of education which, in most contemporary educational systems of the world, follows directly after primary education, and which may be followed by tertiary, post-secondary, or higher education (e. ... // Property tax is an ad valorem tax that an owner of real estate or other property pays on the value of the thing taxed. ... The term public school has different meanings: In Scotland, Australia, New Zealand, the United States, and most other English-speaking nations, a public school is a school which is financed and run by the government and does not charge tuition fees. ... Literacy is the ability to read and write. ... Numeracy is a term that emerged in the United Kingdom as a contraction of numerical literacy. In the United States, it is familiar to math educators and intellectuals but not in the common usage. ... New Orleans is the largest city in the state of Louisiana, United States of America. ... Illustration of the backyards of a surburban neighbourhood Suburbs are inhabited districts located either on the outer rim of a city or outside the official limits of a city (the term varies from country to country), or the outer elements of a conurbation. ...

"Higher education", or tertiary education, is required for almost all middle-class professions, especially as technological advances have made even most traditionally "mechanical" (such as automotive repair) or clerical trades require advanced knowledge. Tertiary education is rarely free, but the costs vary widely: tuition at elite private colleges often exceeds $120,000 for a four-year program. On the other hand, the University of California schools are almost free for state residents, and many rival the elite private schools in reputation and quality. Also, scholarships offered by universities and government do exist, and low-interest loans are available. Still, the average cost of education, by all accounts, is increasing. In addition, in terms of class-access, most academic degrees are considered to have devalued by about four years since the mid-20th century; this makes education, for the purpose of maintaining or acquiring social class, ennormously more expensive. Tertiary education, also referred to as third-stage or third level education, is the educational level following the completion of a school providing a secondary education such as a high school, secondary school, or gymnasium. ... A mechanic works on the rear end of a car An auto mechanic is a mechanic who specializes in automobile maintenance, repair and sometimes modification. ... The University of California (UC) is a public university system within the State of California. ... Plato is credited with the inception of academia: the body of knowledge, its development and transmission across generations. ... Devaluation is a reduction in the value of a currency. ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999 in the...

"Squeeze" as a crisis

Some political theorists who accept the existence of "middle-class squeeze" believe that it represents a societal crisis. Correlating socioeconomic status with the political spectrum, they equate middle-class social status with political moderation. This correlation has a valid logical basis— middle-class individuals have some capital and, thus, stake in a stable society, but also have aspirations that would prevent them from being resistant to change. According to this theory, continued economic stress on the middle class would lead to a "collapse of the center" that could result in societal schism, radical Producerism, class warfare, or even violent revolution. Political science is a social science discipline that deals with the theory and practice of politics and the description and analysis of political systems and political behavior. ... A political spectrum is a way of comparing or visualizing different political positions, by placing them upon one or more geometric axes. ... The middle class (or middle classes) comprises a social group once defined by exception as an intermediate social class between the nobility and the peasantry. ... The word schism, from the Greek σχισμα, schisma (from σχιζω, schizo, to split), means a division or a split, usually in an organization. ... Grange poster depicting the independent, industrious farmer as the keystone figure in society. ...

Furthermore, many middle-class people in the United States have high aspirations with regard to education, personal growth, financial success and accomplishment. (See: American dream.) Ambitious middle-class individuals are also, sometimes, the initators and leaders of rebellions, revolting against society when their ambitions are frustrated by a constricting society. Some theorists, who accept believe that widespread frustration of middle-class ambitions may lead to massive societal upheaval in the United States, though the probability of a violent revolution is generally considered extremely low; a peaceful conflict is more likely. Furthermore, the individuals most likely to precipitate such a "conflict" tend to hold negative views of corporations, but neutral to positive views of government, especially at the grassroots level. More likely scenarios involve a "subtle conflict" wherein educated middle-class individuals, as well as wealthy leftists, infiltrate government and the NGO sector, then enact policies that place quality of life, equality, sustainability, and human and civil rights at higher priorities than property rights, resulting in dramatic changes in society. Some believe that this is already happening in Canada and the European Union nations. The American Dream is the idea (often associated with the Protestant work ethic) held by many in the United States of America that through hard work, courage and determination one can achieve prosperity. ... A rebellion is, in the most general sense, a refusal to accept authority. ... A grassroots political movement, inspired by the German word Graswurzel, is a movement organized by a network of citizens. ... A non-governmental organization (NGO) is an organization that is not part of a government and was not founded by states. ... The well-being or quality of life of a population is an important concern in economics and political science. ... EQUAL is a popular artificial sweetener Equal (sweetener) Equality can mean several things: Mathematical equality Social equality Racial equality Sexual equality Equality of outcome Equality, a town in Illinois See also Equity Egalitarianism Equals sign This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise... Sustainability is a systemic concept, relating to the continuity of economic, social, institutional and environmental aspects of human society. ... Human rights are rights which some hold to be inalienable and belonging to all humans. ... Civil rights or positive rights are those legal rights retained by citizens and protected by the government. ... This page deals with property as ownership rights. ...

Class ascendancy

Class ascendancy is a central theme in American literature and culture. This theme is not, however, unique to American culture; for examples in other cultures, see Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice and Stendahl's The Red and the Black. Some have posited that the dream of class ascendancy is the essence of the American dream. The more classic understanding of the American dream, however, is that each successive generation will have a higher standard of living than its predecessor. Such a definition has little to do with class ascendancy as such; if the standards of living of one's class improve, one's own standard of living will likely improve, as a rising tide raises all boats. This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... This article very generally discusses the customs and culture of the United States; for the culture of the United States, see arts and entertainment in the United States. ... Jane Austen, in a portrait based on one drawn by her sister Cassandra Jane Austen (December 16, 1775 – July 18, 1817) was a prominent English novelist whose work is considered part of the Western canon. ... Pride and Prejudice is the most famous of Jane Austens novels, and its opening is one of the most famous lines in English literature— The novel was written between 1796 and 1797, and was initially called Revised in 1811, it was published two years later in 1813 by the... The American Dream is the idea (often associated with the Protestant work ethic) held by many in the United States of America that through hard work, courage and determination one can achieve prosperity. ...

Because of its complete absence of officialized class distinctions, most Americans believe that anyone can reach the upper echelons of society. A large proportion of Americans expect to be wealthy in the future; if, however, American society maintains its current shape, it is likely that at least some of them will be disappointed.

American desires for class ascendancy reflect aspirations exactly opposite to the purported reality of middle-class squeeze. This is another reason why some political and social theorists predict massive societal upheaval in the 2000s or 2010s. In what some consider a paradox, though, the political culture of the United States remains predominantly conservative — despite Democratic hopes for high liberal voter turnout, President Bush was re-elected. Saddam Hussein shortly after his capture Major controversy over U. S. presidential election (November 7-December 13, 2000) September 11, 2001 terrorist attack on New Yorks World Trade Center and Virginias Pentagon killing almost 3000 people. ... 2010 in Topic // The Decade as a Whole This decade is expected to be called the tens or the twenty-tens, possibly the twenty-teens. ... Conservatism or political conservatism is any of several historically related political philosophies or political ideologies. ... The Democratic Party, founded in 1792, is the longest-standing political party in the world. ... Voters lining up outside a Baghdad polling station during the 2005 Iraqi election. ... George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the 43rd and current President of the United States. ...

Fussell's system

Paul Fussell lists nine classes in America: Paul Fussell (born 1924, Pasadena, California) is a cultural historian and a professor emeritus of English literature of the University of Pennsylvania. ...

• Top out-of-sight: the super-rich, heirs to huge fortunes

• Upper Class: rich celebrities and people who can afford full-time domestic staff

• Upper-Middle Class: self-made well-educated professionals

• Middle Class: most white collar workers (office workers, small business owners, the self-employed)

• High Prole: skilled blue-collar workers

• Mid Prole: factory workers

• Low Prole: manual laborers

• Destitute: the homeless

• Bottom out-of-sight: those incarcerated in prisons and institutions

For Fussell, class is more about culture and lifestyle than income bracket. For instance, people in his "High Prole" class may sometimes make more money than others in his "Middle Class", but they will spend it quite differently.

References

• Paul Fussell, Class: A Guide through the American Status System, ISBN 0671792253, ISBN 0671449915