Social Classes in America

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1、ClassStructureinAmericaBackgroundUSskippedoverfeudalism.USwasneverdominatedbyahereditarynobleclassinitshistory.Mostoftheearlyimmigrantswerepoorandcultivatedtheirgloriouslaborethicsandfirmbeliefinequality.AmericanValuesAmericanstendtojudgeamanbytheprogresshehas

2、madefromwherehestarts.Self-madepeoplearerespected.ThoughsomesuccessfulAmericansarefromhumblefamilies,manypoorAmericanshaveremainedpoorforgenerations.CharacteristicsThecomplexityisfromAmerica’sparticularconditions:Americans’livingstandardforaveragepeopleisveryh

3、igh;Manydifferentethnicgroupsandlong-standingracialdiscriminationexists;Mostofthemiddle-classAmericans,despitetheirhighincomeandcomfortablelife,arealsoworkers;Americansocietyisa“fluid”or“mobile”society;ManyAmericansareshareholdersofdifferentkinds;Thestandardof

4、livingisrelative.TheUpper,Middle,andLowerClassesUpper-classAmericans:therichestfifthAmericanpopulationMiddle-classAmericans:makeupmorethan50%ofthetotalAmericanpopulationLower-class:mostareblacks,HispanicsandnewimmigrantsUpper-classAmericanstherichestfifthAmeri

5、canpopulationcontrolsabout65%ofthenation’sprivatewealth,mainlyintheformofcorporatestock;theyconstituteapowerfulpressuregroupintheUnitedStatesandhaveagreatinfluenceonthegovernmentpolicy.TheEstablishment(thePrivileged):WASPMiddle-classAmericans“theupper-middlecl

6、ass”and“thelower-middleclass”aredifferentterms;white-collarworkers;withgoodeducation;relymoreontheirbrainthanontheirmuscletomakealiving;TheImportanceofMiddleClassIneconomy:thelargestblocofconsumersintheUnitedStatesInpoliticstheyarealsoimportantbecausetheyholdt

7、helargestnumberofvotesinelections.Lower-classAmericansbluecollarworkers(manual);educationalleveliscomparativelylow.ThepoorestAmericans:about13%ofAmericanfamilieslivebelowthegovernment’sofficial“povertyline”--below$18244peryearforeachfamilyoffour(2008).MatthewE

8、ffect（马太效应）Insociology,theMattheweffect(oraccumulatedadvantage)isthephenomenonwhere"therichgetricherandthepoorgetpoorer".Thosewhopossesspowerandeconomicorsocialcapitalcanleverageth