Have you ever been judged by the way you look or act? How about just for your income? Social classes have existed for many centuries, whether you are rich or poor, there has always been a large group of people who share a similar economic and/or social position. In society, citizens are put into classes based upon their income, wealth, property ownership, and job status. When citizens are put into a “class” whether it is high or low, it affects their way of life. For example; when the working class feels like they’re not good enough, it might be because someone in the higher class is acting ignorant or superior towards the lower class. When citizens are not treated equally due to their social status, this is called “classism.” As you may know classism is professed throughout all classes whether you’re a working class, middle class, or even a higher class.
For starters, in an American society, classism is usually pointed in the direction of the “working class” as having the disadvantage. The “working class” is the lowest social group of people. They are employed for only minimum wage in manual or industrial work. Although our system in the U.S. is designed to allow mobility between social classes, discrimination against the lower classes is still perceived by the higher class. The higher class considers the “working class” as unreliable or lethargic workers who don’t want to put any effort in achieving in their life goals. Believing this way might be because of their background or where they come from. Secondly, many underclass citizens tend to be the most hardworking of all because every day they make just enough money to get by and that’s it. When working these low income jobs, it’s difficult to support a family and live life without the struggle of “money problems.” Most people in the working class didn’t pursue their life long goals or promotions in their lives because of their lack of motivation or dedication to succeeding.