I measure social class not by wealth, income or what have you but by the content of your character. It does not matter if you are a millionare or someone living off of the streets. If you treat people like people ought to be treated no matter the circumstance, then I consider you among the elite in the nation. Likewise, if you treat people poorly, then you are poor to me.
Laura Mills(online) Weber states a large number of people who rank close to one another in power, property, and prestige; according to Marx, one of the two groups: capitalist who own the means of production or workers who sale their labor. I feel you measure social class by how much property or workers you own and the amount of income you earn. Who you know is a big part in social class and so is being born into social status.I know we are all equal in the eyes of God. Not one person better than the next and we all bleed the same color.That doesn't mean a hill of beans in this world though.What you have does. The more money the more "friends" Hope everyone has a wonderful day.
Terri, I disagree with C Mick King I measure social class with money,and income. if you have wealth, you will be with the class of people that has money also.than the ones that are broke.
I agree with C_mich_king, being poor, being rich is a state of mind. If I think big, and treat people with the respect that I want to be showed, then I am among the elite. I have had the opprotunity to meet some very prominent people, and by far, they can be very cold and even at times have disgusting personalities. I think that those who choose to treat others any other way than dignified humans, are at the lower end the pole socially. No matter what their financial status may be.
I measure social class by intellect, being able to carry a conversation with another person, poise, manors, and good hygiene. There are many more specific things I could list but those are just the ones that jump out at me. The amount of money someone has does not equal the qualities I have listed. You can have money and not have those qualities but you could also NOT have money and still have those qualities.
I am responding to whoever didn't write their name above -
"Anonymous said...
Terri, I disagree with C Mick King I measure social class with money,and income. if you have wealth, you will be with the class of people that has money also.than the ones that are broke"
You can be wealthy and have NO class. Money is an object. Having class is something that you have or you don't.
Thank goodness we live in America. A land where you can be born into poverty and excel to the highest office in the land. A great example is our current president. Whether you believe his politics or not, dedication, ambition, and hard work has gotten him to the oval office.
Although wealth is a great help in excelling you into or help to maintain you into the upper elite class, it is not neccessary if you are an American. Achieving a high class may be more diffiult to achieve because one must have an education. But anyone from any social class can do anything if they set their mind to.
In conclusion, social class is a frame of mind. It's about your capabilities and what you want out of life. The higher you aim, the higher your social class.
Nanci Lamborn - online: I think we measure social class by physical outward appearance first. Much as we may either want to disassociate labels with status or to buck trends, we essentially see labels on everyone and then make social assumptions. We see a raggedly dressed person and assume they must be of a lower social class. We see a sharply dressed and well-groomed person and automatically assume they are of a higher social class. Same with cars: we all assume there must be a social class difference between someone who drives a beat up 1988 Buick and someone who drives a brand new BMW. So it's interesting that we measure assumed classes in direct correlation to perceived financial elements. (my apologies if you drive a Buick)
I think in America those same financial perspectives also have different measuring rods from ones own social position, and that perhaps the recognition of stratification becomes more evident and more segmented the higher up in social class someone is. Someone who has only known poverty will likely measure anyone else above their level as grouped into one large class - aka rich folk vs poor folk. Conversely those right in the middle likely see many more layers of social class (even the different neighborhoods in Towne Lake signify multiple classes based upon the known home values printed on entry signs).
Responding to C_Mich_King: Your concept is admirable and I believe the right thing we all ought to do. It is a very rare person who can actually live their life this way.
I measure social class based on appearance, lifestyle,professionalism, intellect, behaviors, personality, mannerism, public service,and first impressions. I feel like social class isnt all about wealth and status. You can be the most popular, wealthiest individual but lack class.
Measuring Social Class is something that everyone does differently.
Just because someone lives in a mobile home, doesn't make them a bad person. Just because lives in a multi million dollar home in Country Club of the South doesn't mean that they are snobs.
Now the way that I "measure" social class is I don't judge a book by its cover. Someone could live in a trailer and just be saving money for some reason.
Let's say that you live in Country Club of the South. (reason for using this is because I used to live in CCOS) Back in the day I had money. I won't lie. I thought that it was the most amazing thing ever, but money doesn't always buy happiness. I had several neighbors that came and lived in CCOS and in the end, they were having so many financial problems that they had to move out, and pretty much start over.
Money isn't everything. Personally I believe that everyone lacks a little class. We all do things that are out of the "norm" In the end, we are all alike. The only difference is that some of us make more money. Some of us make less than that person. Does it honestly make us low class, or high class? If you want to define low, mid, and high class, you have to look at how people USE the money that they have. Now if someone goes out and spends a load of money on stuff, are they necessarily rich? Or is this person the same person that lives in the trailer park. Just because you have money, you can't categorize people in a class because it depends on how they want to preceive themselves.
I would like to think that I measure social class based on character but in this society we are taught at a very young age that social class is all external. Whether it be from models to millionaires we see everyday what the highest and lowest forms of social class are. No one willingly strives to be a bum and a lot of us would say we look to making some amount of wealth in our future. Social class is measured almost the same way by everyone it's just almost subconsciously.
Peter Nganga (online) I measure social class when there is increasing social inequalities in health in the United States and elsewhere, coupled with growing inequalities in income and wealth. Also when you are of certain ethnicity/race, and gender.
I think it is pretentious that in this society to say that social class is not measured by money, prestige, education, and influence. If that is not the case why do most of us want to buys a very expensive care i.e. Lexus, BMW, live in a gated community, buy the prada purses and enjoy the finer things in life. Or perhaps even more cynical for us to say social class is not important or it does not matter to us. Case in point, would most of us live in the ghetto? Absolutely Not! That is because we identify social class with the type of school we attend, neighborhood we live in or even the kind of care we drive, the country club memebership we have and so on.... It is truly about money, access, privilege and prestige. Let’s keep it honest!
I disagree with Jamie regarding the statement about being rich or poor is a a state of mind! If you asked the poor man he would say... being poor is a state of circumstances and the rich man would say being rich is a state of opportunity meet success! No one wants to be poor. Why do you tihng we are all in school getting an education? It is to better our selves and be at better level and social class.
Motunrayo Akerejola(online) Before the knowledge of sociology, the first thing that comes to mind when i hear social class is wealth, calibre of friends, neighbourhood a person lives in, job e.t.c. I consider social class a hierarchy in which a person can either be at the top of the ladder( rich, and powerful) or at the bottom(poor).I find it interesting that people can measure social class based on how people treat others as stated by C_Mich_King, or on hygiene as stated by Samantha Morris(online) Whichever way people consider social class, i think that people strive to be at the top of the ladder, and not at the bottom.
T Lewis; Social class is not what you want it to be, it on the other hand is what you plan it to be.I believe any worthy plan begins with a strong foundation of hard focused work. In a fair world,you get what you give.Now the "fair world" issue sounds like a topic for a future blog:0) Never the less,the never quit, pro-active, lean forward plan will always result in geat success...stay focused blogers.
I agree with Angela. Everyone does have an experience or moment where their response or actions have lacked class. It may have not been intentional. It could have been provoked. When it boils down to it we all have had or will have an unclassy moment.
I judge class by wealth, political power, Position in church,collage education,Job standings Any and all of these will aotomatically place you in a higher social standing you will gain awe and respect from your peers thye higher you are in any of these such as if you are a preacher you gain respect from the whole congregation if you are rich you are respected by the poor and so on
I don't measure social class but society does. People are ranked by their wealth, prestige and power or lack of the same. Society looks upon people as the "haves and the have nots" but to me that is wrong,because even though some groups of people may have more material possessions and wealth than others this should not be the determing factor to consider one better than the other. All people matter and all play an important role in our society. We need each other.
Thank you C_Mich_King for your comments. The content of one's character(not what they possess in life) puts them in the class of life.If one is rich in kindness, love, and respect for all people that is more important than being categorized in a social class.
I measure social class not by what a person have or who that person is I measure it by the persons character if a person is nice, loving caring and treats everyone with care and respect then you are considered highly ranked however if you have a bad attitude always causing problems and cant seem to treat people with respect, manipulative , racist, demeaning and think you are better than others then I dont even really consider you to be measured so that will fall in the lower level
Keniel O Online responding to Brad Henderson I agree when you said that we were taught at a young age that social class is external and the social class is based on character I also agree with what you said as far as we see it everyday yet we still put people on a pedestal ( actress, models and Millionaires) and those are some of the people that get rich by us people that they see as lower social class people. Yet we still support them while none of us are striving to be a bum some of us are striving to be in a comfortable living situations when we are done with school. We are not going around mistreating people and being disrespectful.I dont think anyone that we a people see as high class would trade places with us
First of all, I don't even think the word "class" should be used when it comes to this topic because it is all about money! How about calling it income status instead. The entire world revolves around money. Hate it, but it's true. I get that they are calling prestige and ownership part of "class", but all people really judge by is monetary value. You may have a well known name that helps you get into a fancy school, but you could be a nobody who offers the board a donation of a million bucks, and you better believe your kid is getting into that school, popular name or not. People measure class by money, period. Once you have money, the prestige, the power and the ownership come with it. Stop kidding yourselves into thinking that you measure a person by what's inside, because that would be measuring their character, NOT their social class. A bum on the street my be the nicest, most intelligent man you had ever met and could be the son of a Vanderbelt, but before you knew that you would have smelled his stench and shied away from him. The question is about measuring social classes, not about summing up a person as a whole, and I find it ironic that others are making comments about measuring classes by a persons character traits, therefore implying that a social class label even involves a persons character!...it only is their class status because of how much money they have. If someone moves up the class ladder then does that mean that they are nicer, more likable, or even smarter? No! It just means their bank account in bigger.
I think that people measure social class in many different ways. I would say I measure it by how much money they got or where they live. I do not think that it matters what they show you on the outside. They are just showing their personality.
I think that social class is measured by what you own or how much money you got in the bank or where you live. I do not think that it matters what type of personality you show a person that is just showing them wheither you are a stuck person or down to earth. But I like that way you put things about being treated like a poor person.
i disagree with Angela LaMotte because i think social class is judged on who has money and who doesn't i dont belive personality has anything to do with it. everyone wants to be on the top, not the bottom.
Although there are many ways to measure class. I choose to measure class based on an individuals mind,body, and spirit. Meaning how you treat yourself. If you abuse your mind and body with bad habbits eating as well as social, then I consider you to be in a lower class. On the contrary, if you exercise and eat health and put good thoughts into the mind body and spirit, I consider you to be among the elite. Money and postion has a lot to with it as well, but not as much as the previous.
Hey, very well put. I agree with you. Thats not all that measures a persons class, but it is a part of what makes up the class in my opinion. With more people thinking like this the world may be alright after all.Lol!!! Have a great weekend.
Social class (by definition) is the "place" each person has in the society. And it's based on money, power, and prestige. The last two (power and prestige) as well as good education, good upbringing and good manners, comes with money. So, basically social class is measured by money.
In response to C_Mich_King: I love your statement about treating other people right, very well put! But as much as I love it, I think it has nothing to do with social class. Social class is not what's inside you, and what kind of person you are. But it's how other people rank you based on your wealth. Some very nice people are still at the bottom, and some not so good people are on the top. So, in no way social class is measured by people's character, and how they treat people, unfortunately.
I believe that social class is measured by society for their wealth, fame, etc. If you attended Yale or Harvard, then you were put into a high society group of people as opposed to someone who went to a community college.
I myself don't like to have social class being used upon people. I don't think it is fair that someone who is born into a low income family has to be labeled as being lower than someone else. They could be another Einstein and just not have had the opportunity to advance up in the world, only because of the social class they were born into.
It's most unfortunate that people have to be seen this way, instead of as equal.
I measure social class by the company a person keeps, Just like the old saying birds of a feather flock together in other words meaning if you hang with a bunch of thugs then soon you will become one if you hang around them enough. So people cling to the type of people they are comfortable with or want to be like its kind of like mimicking , that’s why I try to surround myself with people who are smarter and that has more money than me hoping that some of their knowledge and wealth will rub off.
Judith Miller (online) -In response to Brad Henderson...
Brad, I agree with your statement about the fact that measuring social class comes subconsciously. We learn the behavior at a very young age, and every day we don't even realize that we measure people by a certain social class, but we do.
I believe that I measure social class subconsiously at times, but I try to keep myself in line by not judging people based solely on looks. I believe that you can't judge someone strictly on how they appear and then believe that you know what kind of social class they belong in, but I think a lot of us do it anyways. We have pretty much become a culture of material possessions and money, and that judges what kind of class we are in. I believe that is one reason we are all in so much debt. We buy things we can't afford because we want to appear as if we can afford them. This in turn will put us in a higher class to a stranger. All in all, I try not to judge a person on their outside appearance, but at the end of the day sometimes we just can't help it.
Lamond, I agree with you that we also seem to judge someone by the company that they keep. If I see a group of drunks hanging out around on the corner, then I assume that everyone in that group probably is a drunk, has no job, and is completely broke. Now, I could be completely wrong, but its just a natural assumption because why else would you be hanging out with those people unless you had stuff like that in common with them. Once again, its sad but true that most of us do measure social class like that.
Jenny Denker - Guilty by association is the first thing that comes to mind when I read your comment. I think you are absolutely right. It's hard to think anyone would be different in a group like that if they choose to surround themselves with others like that.
I dont measure social class by wealth or environment. I measure social class by the way you treat individuals. If one treats another with a lack of respect it does not matter how much money he has it reflects his integrity and character.Environment also doesnt effect social class because just because you live in a certain geography doesnt mean that you are a bad or good person. In my opinion, most individuals who live in a poor environment push themselves to climb up the social ladder
I feel that we do judge individuals based on appearance but as the old wise tale says that looks are deceiving and society does look at what people appearance is and sometimes they never get a chance to know the individual. I know alot of smart and successful people whom are not the best looker but their personality outshines who they are. Even though people do look at appearance that is not the most important thing to look at .
In my opinion, trying to measure "social class" is something that has become near impossible to do. With the availability of credit and the ability to finance most anything, people who don't have money can live well beyond their means. For example, someone who makes $35k a year can drive a new car, go shopping regularly and wear nice cloths. If you didn't know the person well, you could easily assume that he or she is in a higher social class than they actually are. Social class is obvious in some cases (i.e. Bill Gates vs. a homeless person in Atlanta) but not in most. The "middle class" in America is huge and most of the folks in it look alike.
Nathanial Hornsby (Online) I measure social class on wealth and societal position. I don't believe that the higher up on the social ladder you are the better a person you are, but just that people are grouped together with their own social classes. if you have money you will generally be spending it doing expensive things therefore your friends will need money in order to participate. Also who you work with become a part of yourself and those people are similar to you in social status so you become grouped together.
Nathanial Hornsby(Online) to Joseph I definitely agree with you in that the lines between social class have really become blurred in a lot of cases and for the average person it can be near impossible to tell what social class someone is in, but if we were just matching people to social classes based on their information written down i think it would still be done based on money and societal status.
I try to measure class by how you conduct yourself. I do admit that I catch myself passing judgment, and I remind myself how I would feel if the situation were reversed. I dont associate money with class, because I see class as something you have in your character. The poor man on the street can have more class than the executive with an office view. I believe that anyone can have class no matter their social status. I dont think your status should define the person you are, because each of us is different. I will treat you the same no matter who you are, because I dont see anyone above or below me because of their place on the totem pole. Everyone deserves to be treated fairly no matter their circumstances.
I really like the way you stated your belief that class comes with character. I agree with you that everyone deserves to be treated fairly no matter their situation, and that The Golden Rule should be observed for everyone. I measure people in a manner similar to yours, and try to give everyone a chance. I am a people watcher, and when I see kindness and also rudeness, I cant help but make a mental note about it. Kindness comes so rarely these days, and I try to be kind because it might be the only good thing someone might see that day.
Laura Mills(online) responding to C_Mich_King, I would love to see the world kind and at peace.But money is power and you don't get rich being nice. There will always be bosses. There will always be worker bees. If not this world as we know it would not prosper. Social class is not about being fair. Your have to work hard to keep and gain social respect. Money talks....
I think you are right, about measuring people based on their character. If people would only think more about this, seeing people for who they are instead of what they have, but it does'nt work that way in this society we live in. Everyone has to keep up with the Jones's and have what everyone else has.
Parents are teaching alot of this to our younger generation, losing all aspects of what family should really mean, including where they should fit in on the social class scale.
Since the question asks specifically about social class as much as I don't like to admit it I believe that social class is measured for me (like I believe it is with everyone) as the books pretty much states it. Wealth, prestige, and profession. I believe most people in the blog are answering a question that has not been given. We are being asked how do you measure social class? And people are answering "how do you treat those of a different social classes?" (which is stating that there are measurements).
Olabimpe Soyemi(Online) I measure social class by your attitude, educational and family background, your behavior and relationship with others and the words and phrases that come out of your mouth. I also measure social class by your religious affiliation.
In response to Akilah Scott... I do agree with you that social class should be measured by one's character and the way you treat others. Wealth should not be a right for you to look down on others.
Mollian,I agree with Olabimpe S many people measure social class according to their riches but according to me that is not fair thats why many people suffer coz there scared of the rich.Social class should be measured by somebodys religion, education and family backgrounds.
I see social class as a game of numbers. The ‘haves’, the 'have not' and others in-between. The more money you have, property you own and people doing your every bid, the higher your social class. There is no denying that mere looking at a person, driving a Bentley, and another using Marta, one can easily assume who is upper class and who is lower class. Even the neighborhoods where they live can be determined by their mode of transportation. So how do I measure class? I measure it by what I see.
I would like to say that I measure social class by personality and how a person holds theirself, but in reality everyone no matter if you like it or not pretty much bases everything on wealth and material possessions. I am not saying this is right or wrong but this is how most everyone is raised.
responding to all that say they rate class on personality. you might actually do it but most of the time that is what you want everyone to believe because really you look at how someone is dressed what kind of car and house and job and looks and that is how you place them not even preist these days goes on someones personality.
Unique Summerour(online) I measure social class the way sociey puts it. From the point of wealth,race,gender,sexuality. But in my prospective every body is equal and nobody should be judge for what they have or who they are. Reason being for me measuring the social class is I have to give society what they expect or I will judge and not accept. And as we all know where society will lead us too if we dont follow.
Unique summerour "online" responds to C_mich_king. I agree with what you stated. all people should be treated equal. we shouldnt have to be a certain way or have a certain thing to be respected.
responding to Jason Mccleary... that's fine if you believe that. but don't be a cynic and attack everyone on here because you're bitter. go somewhere else. state YOUR opinion and leave.
Although I am not consciously aware of social class on a day-to-day basis, I would have to say I measure it more on a person's appearance and behavior than what I know about their background or finances. I like to think I am a very non-judgemental and accepting person but I definitely have to draw the line at cleanliness! Seriously, I almost gagged while reading the first page of Chapter 6. Evidently I am not as open as I thought! How a person presents himself/herself, in dress, speech and overall presence, will enable them to move in and out of several layers of "class".
I measure social class by people's family backgraund, education and their relationship with other people. I dont think that some people are bether than others becouse of what they have aquired or achieved; but in todays world thoes that has aquired wealth, prestiege and good professions are the once the society use in measuring the social class
Response to Daisy Mcmicken; I agree with you that social class should be measured equally and that everyone matters and play's an important role in our society, and that we all need each other
Social class is measured by a persons wealth, the land that they have and their inherited social wealth/ upbringing. I personally do not judge a person by the materials that they have or they education they have received because their are people that are considered low class because they are poor but they have can have the best manners and be loving, caring and giving more than a person considered as high class. Sometimes the so called low class are the ones that would give you their last dollar while a person that is high class may not even speak to you if their life depended on it. I know that this also works vise versa. However, this is not the definition of social class and in many perspectives everyone does judge a person by their social class and it doesn't mean that were bad people it just is how we are taught and brought up. I think that as long as you are considerate of others and conduct yourself as a good person you will be viewed as such nomatter if you are considered high or low class.
i think i'm like most people. I normally measure social class by your wealth. I think I need to start looking at other ways of doing that. This question just made me realize how ignorant I am. lol
I say social class should be measured in personal happiness I know that sounds lame but its true if people would try to be more happy and let money and power come second it would be a better place
Melanie Jenkins (online) Social class can be measured by the person’s power, prestige, and property. People are looked at from where they come from. Wealth is a huge factor that most people look at. Along with that is the possessions the person has that also get judged.
I measure social class not by wealth, income or what have you but by the content of your character. It does not matter if you are a millionare or someone living off of the streets. If you treat people like people ought to be treated no matter the circumstance, then I consider you among the elite in the nation. Likewise, if you treat people poorly, then you are poor to me.
ReplyDeleteLaura Mills(online)
ReplyDeleteWeber states a large number of people who rank close to one another in power, property, and prestige; according to Marx, one of the two groups: capitalist who own the means of production or workers who sale their labor. I feel you measure social class by how much property or workers you own and the amount of income you earn. Who you know is a big part in social class and so is being born into social status.I know we are all equal in the eyes of God. Not one person better than the next and we all bleed the same color.That doesn't mean a hill of beans in this world though.What you have does. The more money the more "friends" Hope everyone has a wonderful day.
Terri, I disagree with C Mick King I measure social class with money,and income. if you have wealth, you will be with the class of people that has money also.than the ones that are broke.
ReplyDeleteI agree with C_mich_king, being poor, being rich is a state of mind. If I think big, and treat people with the respect that I want to be showed, then I am among the elite. I have had the opprotunity to meet some very prominent people, and by far, they can be very cold and even at times have disgusting personalities. I think that those who choose to treat others any other way than dignified humans, are at the lower end the pole socially. No matter what their financial status may be.
ReplyDeleteSamantha Morris - Online -
ReplyDeleteI measure social class by intellect, being able to carry a conversation with another person, poise, manors, and good hygiene. There are many more specific things I could list but those are just the ones that jump out at me. The amount of money someone has does not equal the qualities I have listed. You can have money and not have those qualities but you could also NOT have money and still have those qualities.
I am responding to whoever didn't write their name above -
ReplyDelete"Anonymous said...
Terri, I disagree with C Mick King I measure social class with money,and income. if you have wealth, you will be with the class of people that has money also.than the ones that are broke"
You can be wealthy and have NO class. Money is an object. Having class is something that you have or you don't.
Thank goodness we live in America. A land where you can be born into poverty and excel to the highest office in the land. A great example is our current president. Whether you believe his politics or not, dedication, ambition, and hard work has gotten him to the oval office.
ReplyDeleteAlthough wealth is a great help in excelling you into or help to maintain you into the upper elite class, it is not neccessary if you are an American. Achieving a high class may be more diffiult to achieve because one must have an education. But anyone from any social class can do anything if they set their mind to.
In conclusion, social class is a frame of mind. It's about your capabilities and what you want out of life. The higher you aim, the higher your social class.
Nanci Lamborn - online:
ReplyDeleteI think we measure social class by physical outward appearance first. Much as we may either want to disassociate labels with status or to buck trends, we essentially see labels on everyone and then make social assumptions. We see a raggedly dressed person and assume they must be of a lower social class. We see a sharply dressed and well-groomed person and automatically assume they are of a higher social class. Same with cars: we all assume there must be a social class difference between someone who drives a beat up 1988 Buick and someone who drives a brand new BMW. So it's interesting that we measure assumed classes in direct correlation to perceived financial elements. (my apologies if you drive a Buick)
I think in America those same financial perspectives also have different measuring rods from ones own social position, and that perhaps the recognition of stratification becomes more evident and more segmented the higher up in social class someone is. Someone who has only known poverty will likely measure anyone else above their level as grouped into one large class - aka rich folk vs poor folk. Conversely those right in the middle likely see many more layers of social class (even the different neighborhoods in Towne Lake signify multiple classes based upon the known home values printed on entry signs).
Responding to C_Mich_King: Your concept is admirable and I believe the right thing we all ought to do. It is a very rare person who can actually live their life this way.
I measure social class based on appearance, lifestyle,professionalism, intellect, behaviors, personality, mannerism, public service,and first impressions. I feel like social class isnt all about wealth and status. You can be the most popular, wealthiest individual but lack class.
ReplyDeleteMeasuring Social Class is something that everyone does differently.
ReplyDeleteJust because someone lives in a mobile home, doesn't make them a bad person. Just because lives in a multi million dollar home in Country Club of the South doesn't mean that they are snobs.
Now the way that I "measure" social class is I don't judge a book by its cover. Someone could live in a trailer and just be saving money for some reason.
Let's say that you live in Country Club of the South. (reason for using this is because I used to live in CCOS) Back in the day I had money. I won't lie. I thought that it was the most amazing thing ever, but money doesn't always buy happiness. I had several neighbors that came and lived in CCOS and in the end, they were having so many financial problems that they had to move out, and pretty much start over.
Money isn't everything. Personally I believe that everyone lacks a little class. We all do things that are out of the "norm" In the end, we are all alike. The only difference is that some of us make more money. Some of us make less than that person. Does it honestly make us low class, or high class? If you want to define low, mid, and high class, you have to look at how people USE the money that they have. Now if someone goes out and spends a load of money on stuff, are they necessarily rich? Or is this person the same person that lives in the trailer park. Just because you have money, you can't categorize people in a class because it depends on how they want to preceive themselves.
Brad Henderson
ReplyDeleteI would like to think that I measure social class based on character but in this society we are taught at a very young age that social class is all external. Whether it be from models to millionaires we see everyday what the highest and lowest forms of social class are. No one willingly strives to be a bum and a lot of us would say we look to making some amount of wealth in our future. Social class is measured almost the same way by everyone it's just almost subconsciously.
Peter Nganga (online)
ReplyDeleteI measure social class when there is increasing social inequalities in health in the United States and elsewhere, coupled with growing inequalities in income and wealth. Also when you are of certain ethnicity/race, and gender.
Novella Noble ")nline Writes.......
ReplyDeleteI think it is pretentious that in this society to say that social class is not measured by money, prestige, education, and influence. If that is not the case why do most of us want to buys a very expensive care i.e. Lexus, BMW, live in a gated community, buy the prada purses and enjoy the finer things in life. Or perhaps even more cynical for us to say social class is not important or it does not matter to us. Case in point, would most of us live in the ghetto? Absolutely Not! That is because we identify social class with the type of school we attend, neighborhood we live in or even the kind of care we drive, the country club memebership we have and so on.... It is truly about money, access, privilege and prestige. Let’s keep it honest!
Novella Noble "online"
ReplyDeleteI disagree with Jamie regarding the statement about being rich or poor is a a state of mind! If you asked the poor man he would say... being poor is a state of circumstances and the rich man would say being rich is a state of opportunity meet success! No one wants to be poor. Why do you tihng we are all in school getting an education? It is to better our selves and be at better level and social class.
Motunrayo Akerejola(online)
ReplyDeleteBefore the knowledge of sociology, the first thing that comes to mind when i hear social class is wealth, calibre of friends, neighbourhood a person lives in, job e.t.c.
I consider social class a hierarchy in which a person can either be at the top of the ladder( rich, and powerful) or at the bottom(poor).I find it interesting that people can measure social class based on how people treat others as stated by C_Mich_King, or on hygiene as stated by Samantha Morris(online)
Whichever way people consider social class, i think that people strive to be at the top of the ladder, and not at the bottom.
T Lewis;
ReplyDeleteSocial class is not what you want it to be, it on the other hand is what you plan it to be.I believe any worthy plan begins with a strong foundation of hard focused work. In a fair world,you get what you give.Now the "fair world" issue sounds like a topic for a future blog:0) Never the less,the never quit, pro-active, lean forward plan will always result in geat success...stay focused blogers.
Lamond
ReplyDeleteTo me social class,Is the people,and the enviorment you feel the most comfortable and what makes you happy while living among people.
I agree with Angela. Everyone does have an experience or moment where their response or actions have lacked class. It may have not been intentional. It could have been provoked. When it boils down to it we all have had or will have an unclassy moment.
ReplyDeleteKennie West online
ReplyDeleteI judge class by wealth, political power, Position in church,collage education,Job standings
Any and all of these will aotomatically place you in a higher social standing you will gain awe and respect from your peers thye higher you are in any of these
such as if you are a preacher you gain respect from the whole congregation if you are rich you are respected by the poor and so on
I don't measure social class but society does. People are ranked by their wealth, prestige and power or lack of the same. Society looks upon people as the "haves and the have nots" but to me that is wrong,because even though some groups of people may have more material possessions and wealth than others this should not be the determing factor to consider one better than the other. All people matter and all play an important role in our society. We need each other.
ReplyDeleteThank you C_Mich_King for your comments. The content of one's character(not what they possess in life) puts them in the class of life.If one is rich in kindness, love, and respect for all people that is more important than being categorized in a social class.
ReplyDeletei measure social class by one conducts themselves,their intellegence and obvious money
ReplyDeleteI measure social class not by what a person have or who that person is I measure it by the persons character if a person is nice, loving caring and treats everyone with care and respect then you are considered highly ranked however if you have a bad attitude always causing problems and cant seem to treat people with respect, manipulative , racist, demeaning and think you are better than others then I dont even really consider you to be measured so that will fall in the lower level
ReplyDeleteKeniel O Online responding to Brad Henderson
ReplyDeleteI agree when you said that we were taught at a young age that social class is external and the social class is based on character I also agree with what you said as far as we see it everyday yet we still put people on a pedestal ( actress, models and Millionaires) and those are some of the people that get rich by us people that they see as lower social class people. Yet we still support them while none of us are striving to be a bum some of us are striving to be in a comfortable living situations when we are done with school. We are not going around mistreating people and being disrespectful.I dont think anyone that we a people see as high class would trade places with us
Judith Miller (online)
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, I don't even think the word "class" should be used when it comes to this topic because it is all about money! How about calling it income status instead. The entire world revolves around money. Hate it, but it's true. I get that they are calling prestige and ownership part of "class", but all people really judge by is monetary value. You may have a well known name that helps you get into a fancy school, but you could be a nobody who offers the board a donation of a million bucks, and you better believe your kid is getting into that school, popular name or not. People measure class by money, period. Once you have money, the prestige, the power and the ownership come with it. Stop kidding yourselves into thinking that you measure a person by what's inside, because that would be measuring their character, NOT their social class. A bum on the street my be the nicest, most intelligent man you had ever met and could be the son of a Vanderbelt, but before you knew that you would have smelled his stench and shied away from him. The question is about measuring social classes, not about summing up a person as a whole, and I find it ironic that others are making comments about measuring classes by a persons character traits, therefore implying that a social class label even involves a persons character!...it only is their class status because of how much money they have. If someone moves up the class ladder then does that mean that they are nicer, more likable, or even smarter? No! It just means their bank account in bigger.
thank you guys so much :)
ReplyDeleteAshley Logan (online)
ReplyDeleteI think that people measure social class in many different ways. I would say I measure it by how much money they got or where they live. I do not think that it matters what they show you on the outside. They are just showing their personality.
Ashey Logan (online)
ReplyDeleteReply to c_Mich_King
I think that social class is measured by what you own or how much money you got in the bank or where you live. I do not think that it matters what type of personality you show a person that is just showing them wheither you are a stuck person or down to earth. But I like that way you put things about being treated like a poor person.
STEPHANIE L (ONLINE)
ReplyDeletei disagree with Angela LaMotte because i think social class is judged on who has money and who doesn't i dont belive personality has anything to do with it. everyone wants to be on the top, not the bottom.
AlonzoJordan(Online)said...
ReplyDeleteAlthough there are many ways to measure class. I choose to measure class based on an individuals mind,body, and spirit. Meaning how you treat yourself. If you abuse your mind and body with bad habbits eating as well as social, then I consider you to be in a lower class. On the contrary, if you exercise and eat health and put good thoughts into the mind body and spirit, I consider you to be among the elite. Money and postion has a lot to with it as well, but not as much as the previous.
AlonzoJordan(Online)response to C_Mich_King(TR)
ReplyDeleteHey, very well put. I agree with you. Thats not all that measures a persons class, but it is a part of what makes up the class in my opinion. With more people thinking like this the world may be alright after all.Lol!!! Have a great weekend.
Social class (by definition) is the "place" each person has in the society. And it's based on money, power, and prestige. The last two (power and prestige) as well as good education, good upbringing and good manners, comes with money. So, basically social class is measured by money.
ReplyDeleteIn response to C_Mich_King:
ReplyDeleteI love your statement about treating other people right, very well put! But as much as I love it, I think it has nothing to do with social class. Social class is not what's inside you, and what kind of person you are. But it's how other people rank you based on your wealth. Some very nice people are still at the bottom, and some not so good people are on the top. So, in no way social class is measured by people's character, and how they treat people, unfortunately.
I believe that social class is measured by society for their wealth, fame, etc. If you attended Yale or Harvard, then you were put into a high society group of people as opposed to someone who went to a community college.
ReplyDeleteI myself don't like to have social class being used upon people. I don't think it is fair that someone who is born into a low income family has to be labeled as being lower than someone else. They could be another Einstein and just not have had the opportunity to advance up in the world, only because of the social class they were born into.
It's most unfortunate that people have to be seen this way, instead of as equal.
i dont believe in labling things like that i believe that every person has to make there own path and they only limit themselves
ReplyDeleteLamond
ReplyDeleteI measure social class by the company a person keeps, Just like the old saying birds of a feather flock together in other words meaning if you hang with a bunch of thugs then soon you will become one if you hang around them enough. So people cling to the type of people they are comfortable with or want to be like its kind of like mimicking , that’s why I try to surround myself with people who are smarter and that has more money than me hoping that some of their knowledge and wealth will rub off.
Judith Miller (online) -In response to Brad Henderson...
ReplyDeleteBrad, I agree with your statement about the fact that measuring social class comes subconsciously. We learn the behavior at a very young age, and every day we don't even realize that we measure people by a certain social class, but we do.
I believe that I measure social class subconsiously at times, but I try to keep myself in line by not judging people based solely on looks. I believe that you can't judge someone strictly on how they appear and then believe that you know what kind of social class they belong in, but I think a lot of us do it anyways. We have pretty much become a culture of material possessions and money, and that judges what kind of class we are in. I believe that is one reason we are all in so much debt. We buy things we can't afford because we want to appear as if we can afford them. This in turn will put us in a higher class to a stranger. All in all, I try not to judge a person on their outside appearance, but at the end of the day sometimes we just can't help it.
ReplyDeleteLamond,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that we also seem to judge someone by the company that they keep. If I see a group of drunks hanging out around on the corner, then I assume that everyone in that group probably is a drunk, has no job, and is completely broke. Now, I could be completely wrong, but its just a natural assumption because why else would you be hanging out with those people unless you had stuff like that in common with them. Once again, its sad but true that most of us do measure social class like that.
Samantha Morris - online
ReplyDeleteJenny Denker - Guilty by association is the first thing that comes to mind when I read your comment. I think you are absolutely right. It's hard to think anyone would be different in a group like that if they choose to surround themselves with others like that.
I dont measure social class by wealth or environment. I measure social class by the way you treat individuals. If one treats another with a lack of respect it does not matter how much money he has it reflects his integrity and character.Environment also doesnt effect social class because just because you live in a certain geography doesnt mean that you are a bad or good person. In my opinion, most individuals who live in a poor environment push themselves to climb up the social ladder
ReplyDeleteI feel that we do judge individuals based on appearance but as the old wise tale says that looks are deceiving and society does look at what people appearance is and sometimes they never get a chance to know the individual. I know alot of smart and successful people whom are not the best looker but their personality outshines who they are. Even though people do look at appearance that is not the most important thing to look at .
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, trying to measure "social class" is something that has become near impossible to do. With the availability of credit and the ability to finance most anything, people who don't have money can live well beyond their means. For example, someone who makes $35k a year can drive a new car, go shopping regularly and wear nice cloths. If you didn't know the person well, you could easily assume that he or she is in a higher social class than they actually are. Social class is obvious in some cases (i.e. Bill Gates vs. a homeless person in Atlanta) but not in most. The "middle class" in America is huge and most of the folks in it look alike.
ReplyDeleteNathanial Hornsby (Online)
ReplyDeleteI measure social class on wealth and societal position. I don't believe that the higher up on the social ladder you are the better a person you are, but just that people are grouped together with their own social classes. if you have money you will generally be spending it doing expensive things therefore your friends will need money in order to participate. Also who you work with become a part of yourself and those people are similar to you in social status so you become grouped together.
Nathanial Hornsby(Online)
ReplyDeleteto Joseph
I definitely agree with you in that the lines between social class have really become blurred in a lot of cases and for the average person it can be near impossible to tell what social class someone is in, but if we were just matching people to social classes based on their information written down i think it would still be done based on money and societal status.
I try to measure class by how you conduct yourself. I do admit that I catch myself passing judgment, and I remind myself how I would feel if the situation were reversed. I dont associate money with class, because I see class as something you have in your character. The poor man on the street can have more class than the executive with an office view. I believe that anyone can have class no matter their social status. I dont think your status should define the person you are, because each of us is different. I will treat you the same no matter who you are, because I dont see anyone above or below me because of their place on the totem pole. Everyone deserves to be treated fairly no matter their circumstances.
ReplyDeleteIn response to C_Mich_King:
ReplyDeleteI really like the way you stated your belief that class comes with character. I agree with you that everyone deserves to be treated fairly no matter their situation, and that The Golden Rule should be observed for everyone. I measure people in a manner similar to yours, and try to give everyone a chance. I am a people watcher, and when I see kindness and also rudeness, I cant help but make a mental note about it. Kindness comes so rarely these days, and I try to be kind because it might be the only good thing someone might see that day.
Laura Mills(online) responding to C_Mich_King,
ReplyDeleteI would love to see the world kind and at peace.But money is power and you don't get rich being nice. There will always be bosses. There will always be worker bees. If not this world as we know it would not prosper. Social class is not about being fair. Your have to work hard to keep and gain social respect. Money talks....
I think you are right, about measuring people based on their character. If people would only think more about this, seeing people for who they are instead of what they have, but it does'nt work that way in this society we live in. Everyone has to keep up with the Jones's and have what everyone else has.
ReplyDeleteParents are teaching alot of this to our younger generation, losing all aspects of what family should really mean, including where they should fit in on the social class scale.
Since the question asks specifically about social class as much as I don't like to admit it I believe that social class is measured for me (like I believe it is with everyone) as the books pretty much states it. Wealth, prestige, and profession. I believe most people in the blog are answering a question that has not been given. We are being asked how do you measure social class? And people are answering "how do you treat those of a different social classes?" (which is stating that there are measurements).
ReplyDeleteMy response it to Jaimie.
ReplyDeleteWhat do you mean by "thinking big?"
Olabimpe Soyemi(Online)
ReplyDeleteI measure social class by your attitude, educational and family background, your behavior and relationship with others and the words and phrases that come out of your mouth. I also measure social class by your religious affiliation.
In response to Akilah Scott...
ReplyDeleteI do agree with you that social class should be measured by one's character and the way you treat others. Wealth should not be a right for you to look down on others.
Mollian,I agree with Olabimpe S many people measure social class according to their riches but according to me that is not fair thats why many people suffer coz there scared of the rich.Social class should be measured by somebodys religion, education and family backgrounds.
ReplyDeleteI see social class as a game of numbers. The ‘haves’, the 'have not' and others in-between. The more money you have, property you own and people doing your every bid, the higher your social class. There is no denying that mere looking at a person, driving a Bentley, and another using Marta, one can easily assume who is upper class and who is lower class. Even the neighborhoods where they live can be determined by their mode of transportation. So how do I measure class? I measure it by what I see.
ReplyDeleteJason Mccleary(online)
ReplyDeleteI would like to say that I measure social class by personality and how a person holds theirself, but in reality everyone no matter if you like it or not pretty much bases everything on wealth and material possessions. I am not saying this is right or wrong but this is how most everyone is raised.
Jason Mccleary(online)
ReplyDeleteresponding to all that say they rate class on personality. you might actually do it but most of the time that is what you want everyone to believe because really you look at how someone is dressed what kind of car and house and job and looks and that is how you place them not even preist these days goes on someones personality.
Unique Summerour(online)
ReplyDeleteI measure social class the way sociey puts it. From the point of wealth,race,gender,sexuality. But in my prospective every body is equal and nobody should be judge for what they have or who they are. Reason being for me measuring the social class is I have to give society what they expect or I will judge and not accept. And as we all know where society will lead us too if we dont follow.
Unique summerour "online" responds to C_mich_king.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what you stated. all people should be treated equal. we shouldnt have to be a certain way or have a certain thing to be respected.
responding to Jason Mccleary... that's fine if you believe that. but don't be a cynic and attack everyone on here because you're bitter. go somewhere else. state YOUR opinion and leave.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I am not consciously aware of social class on a day-to-day basis, I would have to say I measure it more on a person's appearance and behavior than what I know about their background or finances. I like to think I am a very non-judgemental and accepting person but I definitely have to draw the line at cleanliness! Seriously, I almost gagged while reading the first page of Chapter 6. Evidently I am not as open as I thought! How a person presents himself/herself, in dress, speech and overall presence, will enable them to move in and out of several layers of "class".
ReplyDeleteMabel Ibuoffor (online)
ReplyDeleteI measure social class by people's family backgraund, education and their relationship with other people. I dont think that some people are bether than others becouse of what they have aquired or achieved; but in todays world thoes that has aquired wealth, prestiege and good professions are the once the society use in measuring the social class
Mabel Ibuoffor (online)
ReplyDeleteResponse to Daisy Mcmicken; I agree with you that social class should be measured equally and that everyone matters and play's an important role in our society, and that we all need each other
Ashley Hansen (ONLINE)
ReplyDeleteSocial class is measured by a persons wealth, the land that they have and their inherited social wealth/ upbringing. I personally do not judge a person by the materials that they have or they education they have received because their are people that are considered low class because they are poor but they have can have the best manners and be loving, caring and giving more than a person considered as high class. Sometimes the so called low class are the ones that would give you their last dollar while a person that is high class may not even speak to you if their life depended on it. I know that this also works vise versa. However, this is not the definition of social class and in many perspectives everyone does judge a person by their social class and it doesn't mean that were bad people it just is how we are taught and brought up. I think that as long as you are considerate of others and conduct yourself as a good person you will be viewed as such nomatter if you are considered high or low class.
michael nunoo...Online said...
ReplyDeletei think i'm like most people. I normally measure social class by your wealth. I think I need to start looking at other ways of doing that. This question just made me realize how ignorant I am. lol
Brad Henderson
ReplyDeleteI say social class should be measured in personal happiness I know that sounds lame but its true if people would try to be more happy and let money and power come second it would be a better place
Melanie Jenkins (online)
ReplyDeleteSocial class can be measured by the person’s power, prestige, and property. People are looked at from where they come from. Wealth is a huge factor that most people look at. Along with that is the possessions the person has that also get judged.