The Four Social Classes

There are four major divisions of social classes and they are the upper class, the middle class, the working class, and the poor class. Everyone belongs to one of the four different social classes. For each class there are different life chances for an individual. The first and highest social class out of the four is the upper class which is also referred to as the rich. This social class is usually based on wealth, power, and family connections. According to (Social Class in the United States from Sociology: Understanding and Changing the Social World-Chapter 8) the upper class consists of about 4% of the U.S. population and includes households with annual incomes of more than $200,000. The upper class is sometimes divided into two different …show more content…
The middle class includes professionals, business workers, and their families. According to (Social Class in the United States from Sociology: Understanding and Changing the Social World-Chapter 8) the middle class includes the 46% of all households whose annual incomes range from $50,000 to $199,999. The middle class is also broken down into two groups like the upper class. The two groups are upper-middle class and lower-middle class. When it comes to the middle class different types of people belong to the middle class different types of jobs, different education, and different incomes. Some examples of middle class are lawyers, bankers, nurses, and teachers to name a few. When you are part of the middle class you have also have good life chances you have a good job, you are able to get an education, you have a nice home, and you are able to support yourself and your family. Opportunities just don’t come as easy as they do for the upper class and you have to work a little harder to get when you want to be but you are still …show more content…
They work for someone else in order to make a living. They perform physical work that doesn’t require much skill. Some examples of the working class are secretaries, farmers, and hair stylists. Their occupation may require vocational training but generally do not require a college degree, and they likely earn an income above minimum wage but below the national average (“The working class” Boundless Sociology 2015). Compared to the other two social classes and their chances I feel that the working class chances are just not as great. The working class has it a little tougher but they are hard workers. They might have not been able to afford a college education and had to go straight to work