Social class in America is an uncomfortable subject for many Americans; most believe that America is an essentially middle-class nation, however, author Gregory Mantsios argues otherwise. In this article, I will break apart “Class in America-2012” and explain how it creates a persuasive effect on readers. Mantsios accomplishes this effect by debunking popular myths through statistical evidence and providing real-life examples. This analysis will only provide the author’s opinions, and not my own, as to remain objective and fair throughout.
Is the social class divide in America as large as most Americans think? Mantsios argues that it is much larger than most people in America think. This essay was previously written for Race, Class, and Gender …show more content…
He is a college professor and director of his field at a university in New York. This author seems to be a realist more than anything; he does not show bias or sympathy toward any class. He seems to want to change the policies of America as to give everyone truly equal opportunity. This man presents facts in a way that makes sense for a college lecture. He immediately denotes the myths presented, and does not offer any arguments for those myths. The author debunks four common myths believed to be widely accepted by the American people. He states out the myth entirely, then lays out facts that clearly debunk the myths. The facts have all been cited back to reliable sources, which leaves little room for argument. He also lays out three “American Profiles” describing three people, one with a salary just above the poverty line, one with a somewhat median salary, and one with a high-income bracket salary. He uses details of what happened early in those individuals lives to describe how economic class can influence chances of success in the future. The writer wants readers to have an awakening feeling about them; he wants them to let go of former accepted truths and realize what is going on in the world around them. He wants to influence policy makers so that the class divide will begin to retract. Mantsios triggers those emotions through real-life examples like the profiles, and clearly laying out myths
Is the social class divide in America as large as most Americans think? Mantsios argues that it is much larger than most people in America think. This essay was previously written for Race, Class, and Gender …show more content…
He is a college professor and director of his field at a university in New York. This author seems to be a realist more than anything; he does not show bias or sympathy toward any class. He seems to want to change the policies of America as to give everyone truly equal opportunity. This man presents facts in a way that makes sense for a college lecture. He immediately denotes the myths presented, and does not offer any arguments for those myths. The author debunks four common myths believed to be widely accepted by the American people. He states out the myth entirely, then lays out facts that clearly debunk the myths. The facts have all been cited back to reliable sources, which leaves little room for argument. He also lays out three “American Profiles” describing three people, one with a salary just above the poverty line, one with a somewhat median salary, and one with a high-income bracket salary. He uses details of what happened early in those individuals lives to describe how economic class can influence chances of success in the future. The writer wants readers to have an awakening feeling about them; he wants them to let go of former accepted truths and realize what is going on in the world around them. He wants to influence policy makers so that the class divide will begin to retract. Mantsios triggers those emotions through real-life examples like the profiles, and clearly laying out myths