How Mantsios Proved Himself

Adam Saldana
Dr. Carol Bernard
English 1301-102
20 March 2013 How Mantsios Proved Himself In Gregory Mantsios’s essay, “Class in America” he discusses his point of view on social classes in America and the impact it has on people. Mantsios pulls information from a number of different sources. He looks at differences in wealth distribution. He discusses the health concerns. He then looks at educational success, and the correlation between social class and better economic success. He claims that, “we mistakenly hold a set of beliefs that obscure the reality of class differences and their impact on people’s lives.” (698). Gregory Mantsios succeeds at proving his claim because of the amount of evidence he presents. Mantsios proved his claim that there are major differences in economic success. He says, “The wealthiest 1 percent of the American population holds 38 percent of the total national wealth. That is, they own well over one-third of all the consumer durables (such as houses, cars, and stereos) and financial assets (such as stocks, bonds, property, and savings accounts). The richest 20 percent of Americans hold 83 percent of the total household wealth in the country.” (700). He presents the fact that only 1 percent of the American population owns 38 percent of the nation’s wealth. He puts it in perspective by stating that they own over one-third of all of the consumer durables, such as houses and cars. He adds to that by stating the reality that 20 percent of the richest Americans own 83 percent of the total household wealth in the country. He describes how a vast of wealth in this county is owned by such a small percent. He states, “Approximately 12 percent of the American population – that is, nearly one of every eight people in this county – live below the official poverty line (calculated in 2001 at $9,214 for an individual and $17,960 for a family of four). Among the poor are over 2.3 million homeless, including nearly 1 million homeless children.” (700). He proved his point by stating that about 12 percent of the American population live underneath the poverty line. He goes on to say that there are over 2.3 million people that are homeless. He adds that 1 million children are homeless. Mantsios presented a fair amount of evidence on both ends of the economic spectrum to support his claim. Mantsios proves his claim that there are health risks that are prone towards the lower class. He said, “Researchers have found an inverse relationship between social class and health. Lower-class standing is correlated to higher rates of infant mortality, eye and ear disease, arthritis, physical disability, diabetes, nutritional deficiency, respiratory disease, mental illness.” (709). He presents data that states lower income correlates with lower quality of health. He presents that infant mortality more common in lower income families. He then adds that diseases in the ear and nose are more common in the lower income families. He then talks about physical disabilities, such as arthritis. He goes on to say that nutritional deficiency was more common in lower income families. He then stated that lower income families are more likely to develop a respiratory disease, or metal illness. Mantsios proved the reality of lower standards of health among the lower class. In terms of educational success, he supports his claim that “School performance (grades and test scores) and educational attainment (level of schooling completed) also correlate strongly with economic class.” (710). Based on figures from SAT test results, the average scores for a member of a family making more than $100,000 was 1130 out of 1600. The average score for a member of the family who’s combined income is between $80,000 and $100,000 was 1082. The average score for a member coming from a family whose income is between $70,000 and $80,000 was 1058. The average score for a person whose family makes between $60,000 and $70,000 was 1043. The average score for family income between $50,000 and $60,000 was 1030. The average score for a family income between $40,000 and $50,000 was 1011. The average score for a family income between $30,000 and $40,000 was 986. The average score for a family income between $20,000 and $30,000 was 954. The average score for a family income between $10,000 and $20,000 was 907. The average score for families making less than $10,000 was 871. Gregory Mantsios provided the evidence he needed to prove his claim, that educational success correlates “strongly with economic class.” (710). Gregory Mantsios succeeded in proving his claim. He presented data that exposed the major differences in wealth distribution, such as the small percentage owning most of the wealth, and millions that are homeless. He presented studies that found out the many health ailments that are common in those who live on low-income, ailments such as respiratory disease, and nutritional deficiencies. Mantsios also proved his claim that economic well-being and educational success correlate. Gregory Mantsios did what he needed to do to prove his claim. His presented evidence proved every point he presented.

Work Cited Mantsios, Gregory. “Class in America” The Norton Field Guide to Writing, with Readings and Handbook, Eds. Richard Bullock, Maureen Daly Goggin, and Francine Weinberg. New York: W.W. Norton &Company, 2010. 697-717. Print

Cited: Mantsios, Gregory. “Class in America” The Norton Field Guide to Writing, with Readings and Handbook, Eds. Richard Bullock, Maureen Daly Goggin, and Francine Weinberg. New York: W.W. Norton &Company, 2010. 697-717. Print