How does social class influence people's opportunities and lifestyle?

Answer 1

competition among them to raise further.........

Answer 2

Social classing influences the choices that will come to you. I'm disable and the following is my opinion.

How you make decisions. What is important to you. Life experiences make us who we are.

I truly believe that social classing is overrated. There are too many people that are from very destructive environments and they become very strong and do wonderful amazing things for others. There are some that have all the opportunities given to them and they really don't utilize them.

We make our own choices that will determine our own opportunities which in reality will effect our own lifestyle and some in society must label others to make some feel superior that is how life has been but maybe we need to change the stereotyping. Wish people could just see another human for what they stand for not the material things that they have not sure if that will happen in my life time though.

I'm glad some decided not to believe in social classing and became the most productive person they could be without letting outside influences label the individual.

Social classing can be very destructive. It influences groups to put labels on each other which stirs up separation not unity.

We are all here together and social classing is away to indirectly tell others I'm better than you.

Answer 3

I definitely am, for now at least... My parents had money. My dad was an air-traffic controller making $80,000 a year when I was born. By the time I was 10, he was up to $120,000 a year. My mom was always a SAHM. We were upper-middle class, I think. Then they got divorced and that's a whole 'nother story. But any who, as of right this minute, we are definitely raising our son in a different social class.. we're probably almost considered being in poverty... But we're just two college kids... Well, not really 'kids'. My husband is 27 and still in college for whatever reason. Turns out he still has about 4 years to go... How does that work out?! But we are somehow making it work on his income alone (which is only about $25,000 a year)... I honestly do not think my son is suffering a bit because of it... I think 'class' is more defined by actions and interests, not money. We do not make a lot for a family of 3, we struggle every day and every month to pay bills and put food on the table, but we live in a decent house with nice stuff (because we have family who cares about us and help us out... and because my husband makes a spreadsheet for what our money is allotted to). It's weird... we are pretty much dirt broke, but we don't live the lifestyle of being dirt broke, if that makes any sense. If all goes according to plan, we will be in a great situation in 5 years when my husband and I are BOTH done with school and working in careers... I'm just glad I got to spend this time staying home with my little guy.. He'll be school aged by the tiem I go back to work, and I like that.

Answer 4

I would like to stress or add that one's class and lifestyle does have a "if you believe it, you will see it " effect.

I was born upper middle class. We ate well and went to good american public schools. My manners are OK. My english is midwestern and good.

But I will never fit in the New England Upper Crust society. Some doors are completely closed.

On the other hand, the parents of our neighborhoods stressed education , reading, and getting good grades. A few miles down the road where more working class people lived .. reading was NOT considered fundamental .. nor even graduating from High School. Those folks then are operating at a grave disadvantage in trying to reach higher income levels.

Lately I lost my job 1.5 years ago and had to take a much lower paying job in a town with much highter costs. the net being that for the first several months I could do little but feed myself. Most of the people I work with have NO desire to get a better job.

Also, Even "free" things to do took gas money which I did not have. Nor was there public transportation to where I might want to go. And unlike the small town where I was living before .. one really could not walk or bicycle to church or other community.

Boy did I feel isolated. Now things are better.

Answer 5

if you are born into one class you can expect to be there.Regardless of the opportunity, you struggle with the lifestyle. AND I mean it can kick someones you know what. And so assuming the obligations you are douced with at birth, six, and fifteen can be disregarded, you can half move up a class and still wonder how the heck it would feel to be a different...better social class. Of course, you can always grope at what your nieghbors have or you can be happy with what the good Lord gave you...when you learn this matters a lot too. And then you sit back and wonder where the heck does all thier money go and Why don't they help the people without a Benz.

Answer 6

Let's say I am rich and have a company or business. You need a job and I hire you. I just gave you an opportunity. Depending on what the job pays, I just affected your lifestyle.
Now being rich I can buy that new invention called a DVD player. A bunch of rich people now buy that DVD player at an introductory price of $1000, which incidentally was the introductory price. After a while the product comes down in price because of the demand. Why? Because we want what the rich have and this product can be made affordable. Now you can get a DVD player and any move you want for around $50 for a cheap one and $300 for the top of the line. Now every one wants the 60 inch flat screen that the rich have but soon it won't cost $5000. I just affected your opportunity to own a home theater which in return affects your lifestyle.
Now what if I'm poor? McDonald's used to be a treat for me as a kid but today it's a way to feed families. Our life style has changed due a decreasing number of middle class. Advertisements focus on the lower class offering you cheat $1 burgers that are killing you and making you fat and lazy affecting your lifestyle.

Answer 7

Social class does influence people's opportunities and lifestyle. This doesn't have anything to do with money. Those who feel that they and their family and friends are "above" others in their community will influence, help and support their social group. We see it everyday in social clubs like the Masons, the golf club, the Rotary, Jobs daughters, and on and on. It's snobbery and unjustified but has been part of human existence since the beginning of time.

Answer 8

Social class gives you insight into the lives of other cultures/races. The more you know about people, the better your chances are for success in their world. As far as lifestyle, i'm not sure. Social class may give you a more international lifestyle when it comes to things influenced by culture.

Answer 9

Class, within a capitalist society, is basically a user pays system and the more conservative the "State" is , the more money is the controlling factor. So the more money you have , the more opportunities are open to you, such as education and jobs , as well as lifestyle, hobbies and sports etc, or the chance to dine out. Linked in with this is "Discrimination" which may or may not be related to money, but often is.
Sakumunibuddha? was a prince , and he had all the opportunities that his lifestyle and class could offer, but he left his palace and sought answers to LIFE on earth in the mundane world. He did not have a library full of books to help him, you do. You are only cheating on yourself by getting other people to give you answers. To be a true proffessional in your field you need to know how to research and how to think and present your arguments. Their are no failures, just learning experiences.

Answer 10

I see many people answering on here that the rich have the opportunities while the poor don't. While this is true for the most part, I believe 100% that anyone who has a burning desire can achieve anything they want. Where there's a will, there's a way. You can come from the most broken, ghetto home but if you rise above it in your mind, you can achieve anything at all by not allowing yourself to be influenced by the negative things around you. People will take notice and try and help you reach your potential. Admittedly, it's probably a very low % that actually make it to the mountain top, it's still possible and not unattainable. People can overcome a lot of obstacles in their lives if they chose to. One of the hardest parts is overcoming the obstacles you have in your mind already, once you do that, you are golden.

Answer 11

It limits opportunity and constricts lifestyle.

I don't think, like a few people here, that it's quite so much about money. The comment on shopping at Gucci vs shopping at thrift stores fails to address why some people spend $20 on gaudy polyester, and why some people will spend that $20 on a good piece of 2nd-hand wool.

See:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_class

and the separate pages for each class there (see listing at the bottom of that page) makes for interesting reading.

Also see Paul Fussell's book "Class," which would probably answer your question a lot better than anybody here could.

Going back to 'opportunity' -- some interesting statistics came out recently about US class mobility, which turns out to be not nearly so easy to come by as Americans have liked to think. The odds that you'll stay in the same income bracket you were born in are extremely high.