Social Class - Essay Example

Class differences, color discrimination, and the division of people into different social and economic levels have been some traits of social class since time immemorial. Earlier, social class was in the form of the caste system, in which it was impossible for a common man to change his caste. But after the Industrial Revolution, the social class transformed into a class system that allows people adequate flexibility to move above or below their original class. Today a difference in class is generally known as a dividing line between different kinds of behavior as well as a difference in wealth, power, and esteem among the people.

Being a part of a middle-class family myself, I have been associated with the people of the upper-class as well as with the people belonging to a lower labor class. The main thing that I observed between these two classes is the basic difference in culture and social order that each of these follow. For example, if I were invited to a Rockefeller mansion for a weekend gathering perhaps, I would try and follow the etiquettes and rules of that upper-class. I would get dressed up in the best possible manner, and might as well follow a certain dress code if there would be any. I would get a nice perfume to apply and make my hair accordingly to go with the elegant look. I would improve my table etiquette also and would even adopt a decent language style for the evening. Because if I won't follow certain rules, I might be termed as bad-mannered. The conversations that will go on here are most likely to be related to politics & power, careers & education, and business.

But if I were to go to the fields and work alongside a migrant labor family, my behavior with them would be extremely different. Like, I would not be concerned about what clothes am I wearing and what I look like. I would speak and eat freely. I might not even consider whether I am stinking or not and would be much more my ownself. Even the conversation that will take place here is more likely to be related to the basic problems of the people themselves, especially about the fewer wages and the other factors that are associated with it.

To gain acceptability in both classes, one would need to act like them to make them feel that they are communicating at the same level as their own. The social class system, in my opinion, is more like sub-cultures in a society with people of the same economic and social level, gathering together to form a class. All countries have different cultures, and whoever goes to a certain country needs to adopt the cultural patterns and traits of that country in order to communicate with its people. The similarity is with the different classes of society. In order to socialize with a certain class of people, one would need to adopt certain traits of that class culture so that he/she can properly communicate with them.