Summary Of Paul Fussell's Class A Guide Through The American Status System

Paul Fussell wrote, Class a Guide through the American Status System in 1983. Fussell introduces interesting points that perceives how we, as Americans are viewed through social class. This book will have you contemplate about where you fall in line in terms of the social hierarchy system. As I read, the Class guide I analyzed how our social status reveals itself and not just in terms of money, but other significant contributions that defines us as humans. We have socially categorized as humans, our commonality extinction is to make assumptions about the people around us or label them. The impression we are visible to, gives us the chance to label others. Examining the main issues Fussell’s argues that social class and social status can be …show more content…
Fussell put in perspective that society needs to realize that we all have a place where we belong and for me Fussell made me realize that I am a part of the poor class which is awful, but on the bright side I agree that humans reveal their class just by the way they behave for instance, Studs Terkel interviewed a woman and in this midst of the interview he poses the question, “what are your thoughts about social classes in the country” (Fussell, pg. 16) you can tell she had angered about the topic being brought up because she mentions that they should dismiss the term “social class”. All of these terms and how they are defined in the book is how people associate the term. Max Weber actual defined class as the meaning to “the amount of money you have” and “status being the social prestige in relation to your audience” this means that depending on who you are as an individual we all hold a type of rank. The last term being defined is party and that means the measurement of the level of power you have. (Fussell, pg. …show more content…
All of these classes are a perception to show where we stand in society. Just from reading from its name the bottom-out-of-sight class is invisible and is primarily off of poverty. The destitute such as are the homeless people who have no place to go just as the bottom out of sight the homeless to be primarily off poverty. These are the people who look up to the four in between groups the low Proletarian that looks up to the mid proletarian because that have slightly more than they do. The high proletarian that looks up to the middle class and down upon the mid -proletarian, because they are slightly more advantage than them. Now we have the upper and upper middle class who is rich, but not so dreadfully wealthy these people are people who work by controlling banks and working with associations of important committees and foreign relations. These types of jobs are not so demanding for them they have these jobs because they want to work not because they have to work. The book gives an example that distinguish upper class from middle class and that is if your last name is on a street sign you are considered to be upper and if the