Social Class Influence on the Individual - 1527 Words

Social Class Influence on the Individual â€Å"Poor as a church mouse† vs. â€Å"born with a silver spoon in your mouth† are contrasting themes in this book of hardships and life trials. In Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, the main character Pip interacts with characters of various social groups. These groups directly or indirectly, help Pip understand his own opportunities and purpose in life. From these interactions, it becomes clear that social class influences how people interact and view one another as well as their opportunities in life. Some people do not have the same opportunity as others of getting education. This contrast is shown in the life circumstances of two characters of different social classes. Joe (uncle to Pip) had†¦show more content†¦Not only in Pip’s day, but for centuries, people have treated one another according to their wealth. Early in the history of the United States voting rights were limited by gender, race, and wealth. Only white males with property had voting rights. It was said that, â€Å"†¦The American class system has persisted since the nation’s birth. The notion of social equality was so restricted in the late eighteenth century that neither the term nor even the concept of equality appeared in the Constitution or Bill of Rights.†(Martin Jr. and Sullivan). Social class discrimination was a big part of this time period in Great Britain as well. Pip felt this discrimination before he had money and after he lost his money. Today, as in Pips time period, people are categorized into social classes using various criteria. Wealth is just one of the characteristics that influence someone’s placement in a social class. Social class is defined as, â€Å"†¦a group of people who share a common status or position in society. Social classes represent differences in wealth, power, employment, family background, and other qualities.† (Cohen). In the past, wealth was most likely to be the biggest factor for placement in social class. Today other criteria as well would impact social class placement. For Pip, his change of income landed him in various social classes. It is difficult but not impossible to move up in social class. Both Pip and his friend Herbert moved up in social class with the help ofShow MoreRelatedHow Do Members Of The Upper Class Today Modern Western Society Influence The General Population?1275 Words   |  6 Pagesthe upper class in modern Western society influence the general population? Introduction In modern Western societies, the upper class is a social class made up of 1-2 percent of the population that wields the majority of the population’s wealth (Boundless, 2015). It is this 1-2 percent that also has the power to influence the behavior of people in lower social classes, such as the middle and lower class (Boundless, 2015). However, it is how this minority in Western society influences the massesRead MoreModern Studies Voting Behaviour Essay1360 Words   |  6 PagesBehavior Long term factors that may influence voting behavior over a long period of time include: Social class Gender Age Religion Ethnicity Social Class â€Å"Class is the basis of British party politics: all else is embellishment and detail† (Pulzer) Social class is one of the fundamental divisions that define post war British electoral politics. Some would suggest that the social class of a person might explain their voting behavior. Social groups will vote for political partiesRead MoreEssay about Sociological Theory1497 Words   |  6 Pagestogether within a social structure. Examples of these institutions are the family, work, education and religion. The Functionalist perspective is best understood using an organismic analogy: Societies are comparable to living organisms (for example, a human being). 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Social structure is more important than social interaction in shaping individual social identity, the reason for this to have more importance in shaping someone’sRead MoreThe Invention Of Everyday Life1056 Words   |  5 Pagesactivities in order to achieve their goals. Felski gives the example of gender in relation to the concept of everyday life. She argues that when considering the term, one might automatically associate it with the life of the stereotypical working class woman, who is expected to aspire to marriage and caring for the household’s upkeep. However, Felski suggests that the underlying connotation with the â€Å"everyday life† is related to men as well as women, as they too must go to work and repeat the trendRead MoreThe Excellent Sheep By William Deresiewicz849 Words   |  4 Pagesfrom Warner is â€Å"every aspect of American thought and action is powerfully influence by social class; to think realistically and act effectively, we [people] must know and understand our status system† (Levine 90). This shows that he relates to Marx as he agrees that both social class plays an important factor in society. The way people think about life and other groups is affected by class. Social class has also taught individ uals how to act, how to dress and talk. Each classes have different expectationsRead MoreSummary : Psych 321 Writing Assignment 1036 Words   |  5 Pagesone’s personality is the culture of the individual, social class family ties and lastly the individual’s peers (Cervone Pervin, 2013). 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