1 The Middle Class: The class In the Middle Monica B. Antonacci Arkansas State University- BeeBe SOC 2213 - Principles of Sociology Valerie Robertson December 4, 2022 2 Since the beginning of time humans have lived in groups. Naturally gravitating to those who would help in their very survival. Each member in the group contributing to the collective whole. In the beginning these roles were simple, and everyone had an equal role. Over time as humans have evolved from the early days of simple hunter gatherer types with a single goal of survival to more complex beings, so have their groups. As humans evolved, and their knowledge expanded, so did their roles with in the group. Humans began to understand what their strengths were and weaknesses were and use them for the common good. Over time humans naturally created a structure based on these strengths and weaknesses, Sociologists call this structure social stratification. A more modern approach to social stratification ranks people into categories or “classes” based on their social standing. This “class system” of ranking is based on factors like wealth, income, education, and family background. In early 1700s America Prior to the industrial revolution, society in the US was divided into two categories. The wealthy elite who owned and controlled almost everything, (the haves) and those who did not (the have nots). After the industrial revolution everything changed, the gap between the wealthy elite or those that have, and those that have not begun to shrink. Those that did not have now did, the opportunities were endless. The social class status structure in America expanded. The emergence of a new group changed everything; this new "Middle class" changed the whole socioeconomic dynamic. So, what IS the Middle class? The middle Class is one of the social and economic classes in America. There does not appear to be one definition, of the Middle Class but I would have to say it is best described more by a set of ideas, traits, and by a range of values. These 3 ideas, traits, and by a range of values include income, leisure activities, education, and home ownership. According to the Pew Research Center, the middle-class is divided into upper-middle class (14%, earning $76,000 or more per year) and the lower-middle class (26%, earning $46,000 to $75,000 per year. (Kochhar, 2020) Comfort is a key indicator of being middle class. Middleclass people work hard and in turn live comfortable lives. Those in the Upper-middle-class also pursue careers that earn comfortable incomes. They provide their families with large homes and nice cars. They may go skiing or boating on vacation. Their children receive high-quality education and healthcare. In the lower middle class, people hold jobs supervised by members of the upper middle class. They fill technical, lower-level management or administrative support positions. I would have to say I view myself as middle-class. Although I feel I am closer to the lower middle-class side because of the cost of living in Texas is so high, I believe my actually rank in directly middle. I view myself as middle-class because my income falls within the middle-class guidelines, I value education and a hold two associate degrees. I also would also describe my life as comfortable. I take my family out to eat and I enjoy special comforts in life. I financially can take vacation and enjoy leisure time. According to the pew research website calculator my social class status is middle class. (Bennett et al., 2021) This is based on my demographical region, my annual income before taxes, my household size, my education status, and age I fall under the category of middle class. My children do receive high quality education and I do provide them with excellent healthcare. I do believe that middle-class is the best fit. I was surprised at the results. I am middle America. 4 5 Citations Bennett, J., Fry, R. and Kochhar, R. (2021) Are you in the american middle class? find out with our income calculator, Pew Research Center. Pew Research Center. Available at: https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/07/23/are-you-in-the-american-middle-class/ (Accessed: December 4, 2022). Kochhar, Rakesh. “The American Middle Class Is Stable in Size, but Losing Ground Financially to UpperIncome Families.” Pew Research Center, 30 May 2020, https://pewrsr.ch/2FxKvLs.
