Social Class In The United States

In the contemporary United States, the lifestyles of individuals depend on several factors, such as the person’s occupation and if that person lives with others; however, there is a common theme in these factors, and that is the individual’s social class. When the United States entered the 1920’s, the middle class thrived and was able to spend money on finer things, such as to go out to restaurants, go see shows, or even dance at clubs. Nevertheless, those times would end and the nation would enter the Great Depression and the lifestyles of people who belong to the middle class would drastically change to a lifestyle similar to the lower class. In comparison to now, people in the middle class struggle to have a satisfactory lifestyle….
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For example, politicians have become known as puppets of the “‘monied’ class” by accepting donations from the wealthy class, such as “costing, on average, $1.4 million in campaign funds to win a seat in the House of Representatives and $7 million to win a seat in the Senate.” Additionally, within Congress, there are “High-priced lobbyists [who] also insure that the interests of the wealthy and of corporate America are well represented in the halls of government,” which would be used to influence politicians. With that occurring, politicians are changing their votes in both chambers of Congress to serve those in the “monied” class and undercut those in the lower classes, which would result in oppression. Sadly, however, that is not the only types of oppression due to income inequality and a powerful upper class. In the United States, “racial and gender domination” exist in society that makes it difficult for women and minorities to climb the social ladder. For instance, because of stereotypes that involve minorities being poor, “racial slurs” are used and “they are subjected [to a lack of opportunities] due to skin color.” Additionally, this is not limited to minorities only, but, also, women are oppressed in society because of expectations that are still used today, which would prevent women from getting the same opportunities as men. To explain more in depth, according to Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States, “white married households have a 1 in 14 chance of being poor while a hispanic married household and black married household have a 1 in 4 chance of being poor, and single households with a female as the householder have even a larger possibility depending ethnicity.” Thus, showing how oppressed the people of