Term Paper on "Social Class How Sociologists Analyze Social Classes"

Term Paper 5 pages (1348 words) Sources: 1+

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Social Class

How Sociologists Analyze Social Classes

Analyzing peoples' social class is a complex thing that many sociologists consider. The analysis won't just entail the recognition of one's living status in the society, or one's professional degree or background in the workforce. Analysis of social class needs to consider different factors and compare them in a group or collective method. Among such factors include the demography of the different classes, their psychological characteristics, their interaction, their culture, and many others. These components serve special purposes in analyzing and identifying social classes and structure.

Smesler, in his article Sociological Approaches, used five basic approaches in analyzing social classes. These basic approaches are the following.

Demography

Psychology

Collective Approach

Interaction

Culturological

Richard Rubenstein, on the other hand, mentioned several elements that can be used in analyzing social classes. From his article "Analyzing and Resolving Class Conflict," he indicated that conflicts can be resolved, according to some theorists, by focusing attention on the ethnic, ideology, and religious beliefs of individuals. Such elements form the distinction between social classes. Moreover, although Rubenstein's article concern the resolution of conflicts between social classes, the approaches he indicated basically relates to how differences in social classes can affect and resolve class disparities. In the article, the class referred to are the class of laborers and the class of labor management. According to Rubenstein, indicating how social classes identity is an important factor, states that While such conflicts often have quantifiable interest-based and economic elements, these conflicts are fundamentally driven by qualitative issues, such as the need for identity and recognition.

According to history, and as analyzed by some sociologists, social classes are determined based on the differences of people. A class of a society is different from the other class. In that, the lower class group has lesser opportunities than the higher social class. This groupings or identification of social class is somehow inequitable to how the past and the present generation uses it. Although nowadays, grouping individuals into social class is diminishing, the meaning and characteristics of each class still remains based on peoples' standing in society - either they belong to the rich class or to the poor class of people. As can be found in many of our historical resources, social classes can be determined on several factors. Some of them include the following.

Condition of living

Labor and employment

Ideological Perceptions

Political Influences

Religious Influences

From a history article online, entitled the Differences in Social Classes in Mid-Victorians, there are three social classes that were identified in the Mid-Victorian.

The Aristocracy

This group is usually the ruling classes in the society of the past. They are mostly those who own lands and businesses.

The Middle Class

The middle class is the group of people who are neither rich nor poor. They sometimes follow the likings of the aristocracy and sometimes lead the working class. Like the aristocratic class, some of the middle class men own businesses. Hence, the economy and industries of the states of the past depend on the aristocratic and middle classes.

The Working Class

This type of class includes people who does not own any business. Instead, they work for others to earn their living.

From this example of how history defines the social classes, sociologists view and analyze them as dividing factors of society. if, from the past, these factors are acceptable to society, it is starting to diminish nowadays especially when information technology started to emerge. If social classes are to be discussed nowadays, the composition of what really defines a particular social class would need enough reasons for it to be considered by the society. According to an online article from the University College of London,

Social class is one of the most hotly contested categories in the study of society.

The rejection of the society to social classes, as some sociologists have found from their researches and studies, has originated from the equality of rights that is stated in many nations' law. This rejection is indicated in the online article… READ MORE

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