All over the world, people are classified into three categories. These three classifications include: lower class, middle class, and the upper class. Low income people are those with the least money, whereas the upper classes are the rich. The lower class seems to have closer family ties. Many use their family to make up for things they can’t have.
A majority of these families are larger in size. These families require higher food costs, housing, and survival needs. These people work really hard to support their families. Some have to keep two to three jobs to make rent for survival necessities. Despite strong family values, many of these people steal what they can’t have from those who are more fortunate. The necessity of all these material things: such as cell phones, stereos, CDs, and cars, cause people to steal.
It is a proven fact that crime rates in low income neighborhoods are higher than those of the upper and middle class neighborhoods. Despite the hard working and family orientated nature, high crime rates and the struggle to succeed prove that materialism plays a part in their lifestyles. Those who belong to the upper class may have gotten there in a couple of ways. Many are born into wealthy families, causing them to never understand the value of money. They were born into a house full of luxuries, given everything they would ever want, and then they would inherit the wealth. Others have become to be an upper class man through hard work, labor and maybe even small periods of poverty.
The Essay on Upper Class People Income Percent
As societies become more complex a complex change came about. The social system elevated entire categories of people above others, providing one segment of the population with a disproportionate share of money, power and schooling. To a considerable degree, the class system in the United States rewards individual talent and effort. But, our class system also retains elements of a caste system; ...
These people at one point in time have had to learn the value of money. Which ever way these people achieved to get here, involved some sort of materialism. The desire for some sort of materialistic product has influenced them to work hard, in order to afford all these things. CEO’s and managers of major companies have been pocketing millions of dollars for their personal use. For example, Ken Lay, the CEO of the major company Enron, was sent to jail for embezzling company money.
These people have the money to afford mostly everything that they want. Greed to improve their existing luxuries, such as carpeting in their yacht, leads them to steal money for more materials. The middle class is where the majority of the population stands. They have comfortable lifestyles, but want to be like the “rich.” They can afford to fit in, but struggle to be better. Minimum is just not enough, they always want the next step up. CEO’s of companies and the wealthy people gain respect for who they are and the positions they hold, where a regular person has to compete with possession to prove that he is better than the next person.
No matter what section of the society you belong in, materialism plays a large role in your everyday American life. The poor strive to be rich, and the rich wish to be richer. Society defines happiness to be what you own or what you don’t. The more you own the better of a person you seem.
A typical American has completely lost the value of money, happiness, and of life. Too much is based on appearance and status that people have no time to recognize the spirituality of life.
