Quiz 4-Short Answers
Property is the total of one’s possessions and therefore, may be a better measure of social class than income. I may be earning a lot but I do not invest my earnings. The social class an individual belongs is determined by the number of properties they possess. Power, however, is the capability of a person to drive others to do things for them irrespective of whether they are willing or not. On the other hand, prestige is the value they get from the society due to their social class. Without more property, one has little power, hence they are less valued and their status is undermined. Based on Marx’s conflict perspective, I belong to the bourgeoisie group, which is the middle class, also called the working class (Charles & Goodnews, 2018). My statement is based on the success I have earned so far. As a diligent, proficient, and hardworking individual, I have managed to rank up to the working class in the social strata. Furthermore, my productivity has bolstered my ability to accumulate substantial wealth over the years.
Global stratification is the organization of people into different social groups according to the amount of wealth they possess. The amount of wealth also dictates the level of prestige they enjoy. Current shifts in global stratification in the USA are mainly in the technological aspect. Each day, there are new releases of gadgets and devices with advanced technology as compared to the previous models. Most of the advancements in industrial technology have rendered many Americans jobless. The high standards of living are drawing more immigrants who are further taking on jobs in the United States .The immigration creates unnecessary competition for jobs to the already jobless Americans. The political power of the US is predicted to increase even more in the next couple of years following the great strides in the technological sector.
The current shifts in global stratification have increased the political power and influence of the United States. Advancements in military technology have made the USA to rise as superpower country. In the current economic situation of the US, social mobility is likely to go upwards though at a slow rate (Walker, 2016). The slow rate is attributed to the stagnation in the growth of wages of the Americans. Only a small percentage of Americans are likely to earn more compared to their parents (Lu, 2020). Upward mobility is a crucial aspect of the American Dream. As Hauhart (2017) elucidates, although Americans are working harder and harder every day, taking risks and sacrificing, the realization of the American Dream is still far from being achieved. More is to be done by the government to ensure the realization of the American Dream (Beck, 2020). Although it is still hard to achieve the dream, all hope is not lost. The realization of the American dream is entirely dependent on the American people.
Horatio Alger Myth is the principle that anybody can advance from being poor to a position of real wealth if they (both men and women) only try hard enough and it inspires those individuals to strive to get ahead (Nelson, 2019). I believe that the strengths for both men and women is that both have the ability to climb up the social status ladder despite the setbacks. As for the weaknesses, women will have to work a little bit harder than their male counterparts in order to rise up the social ladder. The top of the social pyramid has been dominated by men for decades. Through hard work and perseverance, it is possible for both men and women to rise from “rags to riches’’ as Horatio Alger believed.
