social class two
Social Class, two
All societies seem to have some system of social stratification. That is, there are no “classless” societies. In the Western democracies, the class system is usually informal, and social scientists disagree on how to classify the groups that seem to exist.
In most Western democracies, people can move from one category to another and there are few clear-cut signs showing which group a person belongs to. But in some societies, people are born into a certain social class, and change to another class is difficult if not impossible.
Mobility, Change
12. It is possible or even easy for people from “lower” socio-economic class to move up to “higher” one? Can you give examples?
13. Do you know people who have “moved down” the socio-economic ladder? Describe their background and story (but don’t mention (their real) names).
14. In your country, is the middle class growing, shrinking, or staying the same size?
Identity
15. If you were to conduct a poll and ask people what socio-economic class they belonged to (rich, middle-class, working class, poor), what would be the responses?
16. Is the “middle class” is “standard” or “ideal” class in your society? Do the values held by middle-class people become the principal values of society? Give examples.
17. Are social classes “normal”? Are they “fair”?
18. Working class (men) like to be working class. They are proud to be mechanics, drivers, carpenters, technicians. They don’t want to be upper-middle class or upper class. What do you think?
Classless Society
19. A classless society is ideal and desirable. Do you agree?
20. Have there been classless societies or relatively classless societies in the past?
21. What do you think of attempts to create a classless society?
22. There have been movements to create an egalitarian or classless commune or society. Is this correct or wrong?
