Hypes 1
Hypes 1America has long been known as the land of opportunity and equality. For years, people have come to America in search of the American dream: the dream that regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, or social status each person could achieve success. And while that is legally true, the reality is that our society has immense class separations, and those separations have a great affect on the success of the individuals in class. The opportunities available to each person and the ease at which he or she excels in life is greatly dependent on gender, race, and socioeconomic class. The American ideal of equality and egalitarianism is not always a reality for some Americans.Class, such a simple word with many different meanings, but in American society, its something not many people want to talk about. As Gregory Mantsios states in his essay Class in America: Myths and Realities, “It is not that Americans, rich or poor, aren’t keenly aware of class differences—those quoted above obviously are; it is that class is not in the domain of public discourse” (332). The United States is seen as a classless society, when in reality, class is just something that the people have hidden and pushed to the back of their minds. Class differences are a common every day struggle for many people who are considered to be in the “lower class” and for many the term “lower class” is given a more crude name, “poor.”Being in a certain class comes with its ups and downs, but by no means is class a good factor in any society. Class often separates a certain person from a group and sets them apart in a negative way. Class also comes with a long list of stereotypes and false accusations. But, on the positive side of being in a certain class, it comes with better privileges and opportunities. The Hypes 2positive side mainly comes with being in the “upper class” and this in our society is referred to as being “rich.”Another thing most Americans tend to ignore when it comes to society and class is the way that race stereotypically ties in with class. When some Americans think about class they tend to pare a class with a certain race of people. They tend to put “lower class” people in a category of ethnic people and immigrants, whereas, they tend to view the “upper class” people as a group of up-tight Caucasians. Class and race are things that all people are born into; class can be changed, race cannot. Both are just a struggle that one must overcome on a daily basis. A lot of people choose to ignore it, they go by the rule: if you do not talk about it, it will go away.However, not all American’s choose to ignore the problem. Many Americans voice their opinion about it, not unlike Gregory Mantsios. In his essay, Class In America: Myths and Realities, Gregory Mantsios talks about the problems with class in America. He clears up some of the common misconceptions and lists a few myths and realities. “Myth 1: The United States is fundamentally a classless society. Class distinctions are largely irrelevant today, and whatever differences do exist in economic standing are, for the most part, insignificant. Rich or poor, we are all equal in the eyes of the law, and such basic needs as health care and education are provided to all regardless of economic standing.”This is clearly a false statement. Class is very prominent in the U.S. It’s just something that is pushed away and forgotten about.Hypes 3“Myth 2: We are, essentially, a middle-class nation. Despite some variations in economic status, most Americans have achieved relative affluence in what is widely recognized as a consumer society.”There are plenty of gaps in the economic status of the U.S. There are a lot of lower class Americans, especially, in city areas known as ghettos and rural areas.“Myth 3: We are all getting richer. The American public as a whole is steadily moving up the economic ladder, and each generation propels itself to greater economic well-being. Despite some fluctuations, the U.S. position in the global economy has brought previously unknown prosperity to most, if not all, North Americans.” “Myth 4: Everyone has an equal chance to succeed. Success in the United States requires no more than hard work, sacrifice, and perseverance: “In America, anyone can become a millionaire; it’s just a matter of being in the right place at the right time” (333.)“Reality 1: there are enormous differences in the economic status of American citizens. A sizable proportion of the U.S. population opposite ends of the economic spectrum.”“In the middle range of the economic spectrum:· Sixty percent of the American population holds less than 4 percent of the nation’s wealth.· While the real income of the top 1 percent of U.S. families skyrocketed by 89 percent during the economic growth period from 1977 to 1995, the income of the middle fifth of the population actually declined by 13 percent during that same period. This led one prominent economist to describe economic growth as a “spectator sport for the majority of American families” (334.) “Reality 2: The Middle class in the United States holds a very small share of the nation’s wealth, and its income—in constant dollars—is declining.”“Lottery millionaires and celebrity salaries notwithstanding, evidence suggests that the level of inequality in the United States is getting higher. Census data show the gap between the rich and the poor to be the widest since the government began collecting information in 1947. Furthermore, the percentage of households earning between $25,000 and $75,000 has been falling steadily since 1969, while the percentage of households earning less than $25,000 has actually increased between 1989 and 1997. And economic polarization is expected to increase over the next several decades.” “Reality 3: The middle class is shrinking in size, and the gap between rich and poor is bigger than it has ever been” (335.)In his essay he states that being poor has an affect on education and lifestyle. He also states that sex and race have an affect on the income of a household. These are just other factors that can be overcome with the will. Works CitedMantsios, Gregory. “Class in America: Myths and Realities (2000).” Rereading America. Eds. Gary Colombo, Robert Cullen, and Bonnie Lisle. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2004. 331-347.
