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. On the historical questions see Social Class in American History. Social class refers to the hierarchical distinctions between individuals or groups in societies or cultures. ... Look up elite, élite in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A physical marketplace in Portugal enables buyers and sellers of produce to do business with each other. ... This article or section is missing references or citation of sources. ... Historical American flags in Washington, DC: the Betsy Ross flag hangs on both ends and the classic Old Glory is to each side of the current 50 state version. ... For the Peerage in France, see French peerage. ... 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 to all adults, without distinction as to race, sex, belief, or social status. ... Social Class in American History has been an important theme for historians of the United States for over 100 years. ...

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 derives from the old English word weal, which meant well-being or welfare. The term was originally an adjective to describe the possession of such qualities. ... 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 defined as the value that is created through the application of social networks during non-organizational time. ... 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. ... The word culture, from the Latin colo, -ere, with its root meaning to cultivate, generally refers to patterns of human activity and the symbolic structures that give such activity significance. ... 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. Europe is conventionally considered one of the seven continents of Earth which, in this case, is more a cultural and political distinction than a physiographic one, leading to various perspectives about Europes borders. ... The Lords and Barons prove their Nobility by hanging their Banners and exposing their Coats-of-arms at the door 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 he either belongs or aspires. ...

In the technical language of social science, the social of the United States is characterized by moderate social mobility. It is a generally open society in which there are few legal barriers preventing change of social status either up or down. However, there is much debate over how effective public policies and institutions are at promoting and facilitating changes in status. Moreover, the United States has great extremes of relative wealth and poverty. Social class, in the sense discussed in this article, essentially consists of three factors: wealth, power and prestige. For historical perspective see Social Class in American History. Jargon redirects here. ... Terms like SOSE (Studies of Society & the Environment) not only refer to social sciences but also studies of the environment. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... An open society is a concept originally developed by philosopher Henri Bergson. ... Social status is the standing, the honour or prestige attached to ones position in society. ... A policy is a plan of action for tackling issues. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Social organisation. ... Wealth derives from the old English word weal, which meant well-being or welfare. The term was originally an adjective to describe the possession of such qualities. ... World map showing percentage of people living under national poverty lines. ... Social class refers to the hierarchical distinctions between individuals or groups in societies or cultures. ... Sociologists usually define power as the ability to impose ones will on others, even if those others resist in some way. ... Prestige means good reputation or high esteem. ... Social Class in American History has been an important theme for historians of the United States for over 100 years. ...

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 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.) However it has been common in the past 60 years or so for children from a working poor family to work their way up to eventual middle or upper class.

• A lower class of often comprises 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. Upper class refers to a group of people at the top of a social hierarchy. ... Look up elite, élite in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A celebrity is a person who is widely recognized (famous) in a society and commands a degree of public and media attention. ... Look up legacy in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... 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. ... Andrew Carnegie (November 25, 1835 – August 11, 1919) was a Scottish businessman, a major philanthropist, and the founder of the Carnegie Steel Company which later became U.S. Steel. ... 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 provides a service in exchange for payment in accordance with established protocols for licensing, ethics, procedures, standards of service and training/certification. ... 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 person which, while being composed of natural persons, exists completely separately from them. ... Downsizing is a euphemism referring to layoffs initiated by a company in order to cut labor costs by reducing the size of the company. ... Manufacturing is the transformation of raw materials into finished goods for sale, by means of tools and a processing medium, and including all intermediate processes involving the production or finishing of component parts (semi-manufactures). It is a large branch of industry and of secondary production. ... The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ... 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. ... The factual accuracy of this article is disputed. ... Clinical depression is a state of sadness or melancholia that has advanced to the point of being disruptive to an individuals social functioning and/or activities of daily living. ... Barry Schwartz is an American sociologist. ... World map showing percentage of people living under national poverty lines. ... For the 1983 horror film, see The Hunger. ... World illiteracy rates by country Literacy is the ability to read and write. ... This article or section is missing needed references or citation of sources. ...

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 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... 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...

The Lower Class

The lower class in the United States consists of about 20% of the population and is deficient in all three factors. The lower class is generally poorly educated, with low literacy and other employment skills. Their health is often relatively poor, with a life expectancy below the rest of the population. As a rule, they have a low rate of political participation. There is a high rate of unemployment and physical disability. Lack of money defines the class, as does lack of power and prestige. A significant portion of the lower class, especially single women with children, the disabled and the elderly, receives welfare. A social class is, at its most basic, a group of people that have similar social status. ... World literacy rates by country The traditional definition of Literacy is the ability to use language ie to read, write, listen and speak. ... World map showing Human Life expectancy Life expectancy is the average number of years remaining for a living being (or the average for a class of living beings) of a given age to live. ... An 1837 political cartoon about unemployment in the United States. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... An example of Money. ... Welfare is financial assistance paid by the government to certain entities or groups of people who are unable to support themselves alone, or are perceived by the government to be able to function more effectively with financial assistance. ...

Farmworkers

A number of groups in the United States correspond to the European and Asian peasant. Historically there was a slave caste and, after the American Civil War, a system of sharecropping in the deep South. There is still a small impoverished class of agricultural laborers. In contemporary times large numbers of migrant agricultural workers, in large part Hispanic-indians, perform field and packing work. See agricultural history of the United States and Social Class in American History. World map showing the location of Asia. ... In a detail of Brueghels Land of Cockaigne (1567) a soft-boiled egg has little feet to rush to the luxuriating peasant who catches drops of honey on his tongue, while roast pigs roam wild: the 16th century was a good time for European peasants A peasant, from 15th... The history of slavery in the United States began soon after Europeans first settled in what in 1776 became the United States. ... Caste systems are traditional, hereditary systems of social stratification, such as clans, gentes, or the Indian caste system. ... Combatants United States of America Union Confederate States of America Commanders Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee Strength 2,200,000 1,064,000 Casualties Killed in action: 110,000 Total dead: 360,000 Wounded: 275,200 Killed in action: 94,000 Total dead: 258,000... Sharecropping is a system of sharefarming in which farmers work a parcel of land which they do not own in return for a portion of the parcels crop production and/or a wage. ... In geopolitics, the term The South is often used to refer to the poorer, less technologically advanced nations of the world as opposed to The North, which is richer and more developed. ... The agricultural history of the US is long and complex. ... Social Class in American History has been an important theme for historians of the United States for over 100 years. ...

The Working Class

About 70% of the population is made up of working class people who work for wages in blue-collar, white-collar and agricultural occupations. The 30% of the population which works in blue-collar work is sometimes characterized as the "lower middle class". While they may be unemployed from time to time, in general, members of the working class earn a modest income through some skilled or semi-skilled occupation. Although they are subject to some economic insecurity due to fluctuations in the economy and layoffs due to plant closings, in general they have a stable and dependable income. A small part of the working class, especially those in organized occupations, enjoy an above-average income. Working class people often have some training and education, may belong to a labor union and have a modest level of political participation. Their life is generally not organized about their work, but around their personal life with an emphasis on recreational and family activities. See labor history of the United States The term working class is used to denote a social class. ... 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. ... White-collar workers perform tasks which are less laborious yet often more highly paid than blue-collar workers, who do manual work. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... The business cycle or economic cycle refers to the ups and downs seen somewhat simultaneously in most parts of an economy. ... Income, generally defined, is the money that is received as a result of the normal business activities of an individual or a business. ... Training refers to the acquisition of knowledge, skills, and attitudes as a result of the teaching of vocational or practical skills and knowledge that relates to specific useful skills. ... A union (labor union in American English; trade union, sometimes trades union, in British English; either labour union or trade union in Canadian English) is a legal entity consisting of employees or workers having a common interest, such as all the assembly workers for one employer, or all the workers... The Labor History of the U.S. involves the history of organized labor, as well as the more general history of the working people. ...

The Lower Middle Class

Owners of small business with modest wealth and income can be considered as the lower middle class -- in Marxist terms, the petit bourgeoisie. The petit bourgeoisie has been stereotypically considered a socially conservative class, a characterization which often does not apply in the contemporary United States. Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Marxism is the philosophy, social theory and political practice based on the works of Karl Marx, a 19th century German socialist philosopher, economist, journalist, and revolutionary. ... Petit-bourgeois or Anglicised petty bourgeois is a French term that reffered to the members of the lower middle social-classes. ... Conservatism or political conservatism is any of several historically related political philosophies or political ideologies. ...

The term could also apply however to lower level managers - people who are responsible for the work of ten or twenty people inside a bigger company.

The Upper Middle Class

10% or so of the U.S. population can be characterized as upper middle class. This is the well-educated, highly skilled portion of the population which works in executive and professional fields. Their work plays a central part in their lives and in their self- and public-image. They are often leaders in their communities and are socially, culturally and politically active. They may have modest investments in industry and business, but generally depend on income from remunerative work. A portion of the upper middle class are owners of small businesses. The historical bourgeoisie, considered as a class which supports itself through investment and management of capital, is split in the United States between the upper middle class and the upper class. This graph shows the American definition of social class according to the New York Times using the quintiles as measruement for class. ... A profession is an occupation that requires extensive training and the study and mastery of specialized knowledge, and usually has a professional association, ethical code and process of certification or licensing. ... Personal life (or everyday life or human existence) is an individual humans personal, private career (including, but not the same as, their employment career), and is a common notion in modern existence -- although more so in more prosperous parts of the world, such as Western Europe and North America... In common usage, leadership generally refers to: the position or office of an authority figure, such as a President [1] a group of influential people, such as a union leadership [2] guidance or direction, as in the phrase the emperor is not providing much leadership capacity or ability to lead... This article or section needs a complete rewrite for the reasons listed on the talk page. ... Wall Street, Manhattan In economics, business refers to the social science of managing people to organize and maintain collective productivity toward accomplishing particular creative and productive goals. ... bourgeoisie is basically a trem that meens middle class. ... Investment or investing is a term with several closely-related meanings in finance and economics, related to saving or deferring consumption. ... Management (from Old French ménagement the art of conducting, directing, from Latin manu agere to lead by the hand) characterises the process of leading and directing all or part of an organization, often a business, through the deployment and manipulation of resources (human, financial, material, intellectual or intangible). ... Capital has a number of related meanings in economics, finance and accounting. ...

Farmers

Less than 5% of the population of the United States is engaged in agriculture as the proprietors of independent farms. Once the dominant American social class, this group diminished in overall numbers during the 20th century, as farm holdings grew more consolidated, farming operations became more mechanized, and the majority of the population migrated to urban areas. Today, the agricultural sector has essentially taken on the characteristics of business and industry generally. In contemporary usage, a "farmer" is someone who owns and operates a farm, which more often than not will be a sizeable business enterprise; "agricultural workers" or "farm workers," who perform the actual work associated with farming, typically come out of the lower classes; indeed, they are often near-destitute immigrants or migrant farm workers. In this respect, farming mirrors big business: like any enterprise, a farm has owners (who may be a family or a corporation), salaried managers, supervisors, foremen and workers. With the number of farms steadily diminishing, the stereotypical humble homestead is increasingly the exception, for viable farming now means agribusiness; the large amounts of capital required to operate a competitive farm require large-scale organization. Modern American agribusiness farmers, though their "income" in the strict sense is relatively low, are at least upper-middle-class; more often than not they are very wealthy, especially in California and other Western states with large holdings operated intensively. The large landowners in California's Central Valley, Coachella Valley and Imperial Valley fall squarely within the upper class. Among farmers, "income" in the conventional sense is not an accurate standard of wealth measurement, because many farmers typically keep their official income low by placing their assets into farming corporations rather than drawing the money directly. Subsidies, which can be enormous, are considered "tax fees" and not as gross income under the Internal Revenue Code. The stereotypical poor, marginal farmer "eking out a living" from the soil, an image deeply ingrained in most Americans' minds by folklore, films, and even history texts, has now been largely displaced by agribusiness, which has bought them out and consolidated their holdings. See agricultural history of the United States. The agricultural history of the US is long and complex. ...

The Upper Class

1% to 3% of the American population can be characterized as upper class. The wealth of the top 1% in the United States equals the wealth of the lower 95%. There are a number of ways that people fall into this classification, wealth being the most obvious, but leaders in any profession, business, or cultural area can be characterized as upper class. Portions of the upper class are highly educated, cultured and influential. Part are simply rich with only modest personal skills and achievements. Families who have been upper class for generations display a distinctive lifestyle. Newcomers, the nouveau riche, often do not share this culture, but may through socialization in private schools and other elite institutions acquire it over time. A tiny portion of the upper class is highly influential and has an advantage as its members seek high office in government or engage in efforts to influence events. Throughout the history of the United States opportunities have arisen for the accumulation of great wealth. A portion of the current upper class consists of the descendants of those who were lucky and aggressive enough to take advantage of those opportunities. Although a few émigrés may be encountered there is no American nobility, a grant of nobility being explictly forbidden in the Constitution. See economic history of the United States. Upper class refers to a group of people at the top of a social hierarchy. ... In common usage, leadership generally refers to: the position or office of an authority figure, such as a President [1] a group of influential people, such as a union leadership [2] guidance or direction, as in the phrase the emperor is not providing much leadership capacity or ability to lead... The word culture, from the Latin colo, -ere, with its root meaning to cultivate, generally refers to patterns of human activity and the symbolic structures that give such activity significance. ... Private schools, or independent schools, are schools not administered by local or national government, which retain the right to select their student body and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students tuition rather than with public (state) funds. ... Look up elite, élite in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The history of the United States has occurred at the regional, territorial, state and local level. ... Émigré is a French term that shows how Martin B. loves stephanie. ... The Lords and Barons prove their Nobility by hanging their Banners and exposing their Coats-of-arms at the door of the Lodge of the Heralds. ... The economic history of the United States has its roots in the quest of European settlers for economic gain in the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries. ...

Class in American Popular Culture

The above definitions bear little resemblance to those used by Americans when they discuss class. As commonly used, "lower class" usually refers to the poor, "upper class" refers to the rich, and "middle class" refers to everyone else. The middle class is sometimes similarly divided into sections, with professionals and successful small business owners comprising the upper middle class, and the others, among them white-collar workers, comprising the remainder. This class is considered to be the largest. In this context, "working class" usually refers to blue-collar workers. The term "lower middle class" is often used as a synonym for working class. See Culture of the United States for an overview of its culture. 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 small business may be defined as a business with a small number of employees. ... This article serves as an overview of the customs and culture of the United States; for the popular (pop) culture of the United States, see arts and entertainment in the United States. ... The word culture, from the Latin colo, -ere, with its root meaning to cultivate, generally refers to patterns of human activity and the symbolic structures that give such activity significance. ...

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. ...

"Third-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. This article or section is missing references or citation of sources. ... Barbara Ehrenreich Barbara Ehrenreich (born August 26, 1941, in Butte, Montana) is a social critic and essayist. ... Generation X is a term for the generation of people born in the Western world (especially people born in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, the United States and the United Kingdom) following the post-World War II baby boom generation. ...

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). ... An 1837 political cartoon about unemployment in the United States. ...

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. 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. 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, a median is a number dividing the higher half of a sample, a population, or a probability distribution from the lower half. ... This article or section is missing references or citation of sources. ... 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. ... By the mid 20th century humans had achieved a level of technological mastery sufficient to leave the surface of the planet for the first time and explore space. ... 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... CPI may stand for: Center for Public Integrity Central Port Injection, see fuel injection Centre Permanent Informatique Communist Party of India Congrès paléoethnologique international Consumer price index Cour pénale internationale This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... This article or section is missing references or citation of sources. ... An urban area is a term used to define an area where there is an increased density of human-created 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 extent 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. ... The telephone or phone (Greek: tele = far away and phone = voice) is a telecommunications device which is used to transmit and receive sound (most commonly voice and speech) across distance. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Social interactions of people and their consequences are the subject of sociology studies. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Social issues of the 1920s. ... This article or section is missing references or citation of sources. ... Robert Staughton Lynd (1892 - 1970) was a significant American sociologist. ...

Moreover, it is not very easy 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).

In many other respects, aspects of "middle-class squeeze" can be attributed to the attitudes and values of the middle class themselves 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). ... The 1950s were a decade that spanned the years 1951 through 1960. ... Levittown is a census-designated place located on Long Island 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 usually 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 consists of the first years of formal, structured education that occurs during childhood. ... Secondary education - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... // 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 (and in some cases contradictory) meanings due to regional differences. ... World literacy rates by country The traditional definition of Literacy is the ability to use language ie to read, write, listen and speak. ... 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, public colleges and universities typically charge much less (for state residents), and many, such as the University of California system, 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, enormously more expensive. Students attend a lecture at a tertiary institution. ... 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 in 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 an academic and research 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. ... 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 (IPA: or ), 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 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 usually considered very 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. Historical American flags in Washington, DC: the Betsy Ross flag hangs on both ends and the classic Old Glory is to each side of the current 50 state version. ... A rebellion is, in the most general sense, a refusal to accept authority. ... In politics, 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 a non-profit group or association that acts outside of institutionalized political structures and pursues matters of interest to its members by lobbying, persuasion, or direct action. ... 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; literary examples from other contexts include Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice and Stendhal'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. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... 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 an English novelist whose work is considered part of the Western canon. ... Pride and Prejudice book cover Pride and Prejudice is the most famous of Jane Austens novels, and its opening is one of the most famous lines in English literature— Its manuscript was first written between 1796 and 1797, and was initially called First Impressions, but was never published under... Stendhal [1783-1842] - French Writer Marie-Henri Beyle (January 23, 1783 – March 23, 1842), better known by his penname Stendhal, was a 19th century French writer. ... Le Rouge et le Noir (The Red and the Black) is a novel by Stendhal, published in 1830. ... Historical American flags in Washington, DC: the Betsy Ross flag hangs on both ends and the classic Old Glory is to each side of the current 50 state version. ...

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.

Fussell's system

Paul Fussell, in Class: A Guide Through the American Status System lists nine classes: 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 "Old Money" wealthy who avoid public exposure (in part, due to experiences during the 1930s, when it was not to one's advantage to be wealthy).

• Upper Class: a group of those who are not only wealthy, but usually born into the wealth, and who espouse a different set of values than wealthy middle-class people or "proles".

• Upper-Middle Class: much better off than the majority, this class still lives primarily off earned income derived from professional status requiring expensive education: doctors, attorneys, upper-middle management, and so forth. Dentists and accounts are somewhat more problematic. This class is characterized by intense interest in higher education, and is generally the target audience of mainstream but elitist publications such as The New Yorker, The New York Times, and so forth.

• Middle Class: most "white collar" workers, including many of the self-employed, and a group most afflicted with status anxiety and confusion, envying the refinement of the upper-middle class and the leisure of the uppers.

• High Prole: skilled, often wealthy manufacturing or service workers, who may outearn middle and even upper-middle class people but maintain a distinctively "lowbrow" culture.

• Mid Prole: an intermediate level of often poor workers, but with stable employment and relative security.

• Low Prole: the working poor, with difficulty finding steady employment.

• Destitute: the homeless underclass.

• Bottom out-of-sight: those incarcerated in prisons, or otherwise outside the purview of sociology; like top-out-of-sights, they fall so low in society as to become effectively invisible.

Like most who have studied social class, Fussell is a determinist who considers it relatively difficult for anyone to achieve a significant move in social class. Fussell claims that most Americans exhibit some degree of class anxiety or insecurity. White-collar workers perform tasks which are less laborious yet often more highly paid than blue-collar workers, who do manual work. ...

Fussell also proposes the existence of a small subset of Americans who don't fit into any of the above social classes, known as "Category X". Recruited from all social classes, they are the intellectual, stylish misfits whom others try to emulate, but by no means qualify as an elite. Fussell claims "X" to be a category rather than class since one gains membership on account of personal qualities and values rather than social background or breeding.

Fussell argues social class to be determined more by culture, lifestyle, and values than income.

See also

• Social Stratification
• Social Class in American History
• Social Class
• Richest places in the United States
• Poorest places in the United States

Social Class in American History has been an important theme for historians of the United States for over 100 years. ... Social class refers to the hierarchical distinctions between individuals or groups in societies or cultures. ... The highest income places in the United States are usually considered to be in the Northeast; forty-one of the 100 highest income counties by per capita income are located in the Northeast (including Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia) and forty-six by median household income. ... 100 Poorest Counties by Per Capita Income Number of counties by state in the 100 poorest counties: Texas, 17; Kentucky, 16; Mississippi, 14; South Dakota, 10; Louisiana, 5; Alabama, 4; Georgia, 4; Montana, 4; New Mexico, 4; North Dakota, 3; Arizona, 2; Idaho, 2; Nebraska, 2; Tennessee, 2; West Virginia...

References

• Christopher Beach; Class, Language, and American Film Comedy Cambridge University Press, 2002
• Harold J. Bershady ed; Social Class and Democratic Leadership: Essays in Honor of E. Digby Baltzell 1989
• Daniel Bertaux, and Paul Thompson; Pathways to Social Class: A Qualitative Approach to Social Mobility Clarendon Press, 1997
• Barbara Ehrenreich. Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America (2002), author disguises herself as working class
• Paul Fussell, Class: A Guide Through the American Status System, Touchstone (1992), 208 pages, ISBN 0671792253
• David B. Grusky (Editor) Social Stratification: Class, Race, and Gender in Sociological Perspective (2000)
• Alan C. Kerckhoff; Socialization and Social Class 1972, textbook
• Jim Lardner, James Lardner, David A. Smith, editors, Inequality Matters: The Growing Economic Divide In America And Its Poisonous Consequences, WW Norton (January, 2006), hardcover, 224 pages, ISBN 1565849957
• Rhonda F. Levine, ed. Social Class and Stratification (1998), anthology of classic articles
• W. Lloyd Warner; Marchia Meeker and Kenneth Eells; Social Class in America: A Manual of Procedure for the Measurement of Social Status 1949
• Erik Olin Wright. Classe (1997) - a detailed Marxian guide to define working class/middle class etc.
• Michael Zweig, Working Class Majority: America's Best Kept Secret, Cornell University Press (2001), trade paperback, 198 pages, ISBN 0801487277
• David Popenoe, Sociology, (ninth edition, Prentice Hall, 1993 ISBN 0138197989 ) pb. pp. 232-236,
• Social Class in America - Analysis of the American class system
• Wealth, Income, and Power - wealth distribution in the U.S. from a Power Structure Research perspective
• Myth: Income mobility makes up for income inequality - analysis from Liberal point of view