Social Institutions Of The Upper Class example essay topic

The old saying the rich get richer and the poor get poorer is a true statement since 1970 in North America. There has been a significant change as the gap between the haves and the have knots is widening every year. The studies (Social Problems; Seventh Edition by James William Coleman and Donald R. Cressy) show that's the U.S. has a much higher poverty rate than any other industrialized nation by 6.5%. That in turn effects the education of poor children in where the parents tend to work more on financial problems concerning the family instead of the child's concerns.

The gap between the rich and the poor is widening, thus, there are more people living in poverty and more middle class society is being forced to live in poverty. Our world is full of hate for one and other, mostly caused by a pre-conditioned belief of each other. We would be lead to believe that we live in an enlightened society by the worlds leaders, but the truth remains that poverty, hunger and human misery remain very much evident in society today. Throughout history, poverty has existed. Currently there is no difference. There is a clear distinction between the rich and the poor.

All around us, we see people segregated by class. From cars we drive to newspapers we read, there are noticeable differences. People in today's society often live in communities according to economical and social status. It is very unlikely that a person who is rich will live in the projects, but can do so if he / she chooses. A person who does not have a lot of money cannot live in an upper class neighborhood because their economical status deems them unfit for that neighborhood. There are very few choices that the lower class has.

Middle class came about in the industrial age as a way to bring more choices to working society. Most people live in a middle class society because it is so vast. Over the years, there has been a decrease of the middle class. Wages have not kept up with inflation, thus there are less choices.

The cost of living has risen dramatically because of the advancement of technology. What people work for has not risen with inflation and this has created a gap. To offset this difference, borrowing is necessary from institutions such as banks and credit unions. When people have exceeded their limit of borrowing from these institutions, which are owned by an upper class society, they are forced into bankruptcy. In turn, they are forced in a lower class society, which has limited choices. The gap keeps widening because more and more middle class society is forced into the lower class and in turn out creating more poverty.

The United States and Canada are viewed as the land of opportunity in the world, but is it really truth? Both countries are made up of people of many different cultural and social backgrounds. These people are entitled to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. These rights were designed in part to attain a sense of equality within the individual so that a sense of unity would exist.

Because of the structures within society that influence a persons character such as the educational, corporate and governmental structures there are many differences in the social, economic, and political sense amongst the individuals. There is a select group who are more educated that come from the more prestigious and wealthy backgrounds as opposed to those who come from the working middle class and poor levels. The opportunities for are much different due to the effects of these institutions and the socioeconomic levels that children are born into. If the economic resources are abundant, then success is easier to attain. By looking at the exclusive clubs that the wealthy belong to and the differences in the educational institutions that children attend, it is evident that the individual born into a wealthy family is more apt to achieve success than one who is brought up in a working class family. One of the main keys to success is to establish networks and organizations in support of the corporate community.

These networks form a social cohesion, which is based on two types of relationships found in a membership network: common membership in specific social institutions and friendships based on social interactions within those institutions. Social cohesion creates a group identity where members of the social groups are seen to be exclusive and of high status. Used as indicators of upper class standing, the exclusive clubs are used as a reinforcement to separate the wealthy from the working-class. The Bohemian Club is one of the most widely known clubs in the United States that caters to the upper class, corporate leaders, celebrities, and government officials.

This retreat intertwines the upper class with the corporate community to create an atmosphere for social bonding and relaxation. Another important function of these clubs is to perpetuate the upper class from generation to generation. Such clubs exist in every country on our planet. Members of these clubs work together towards achieving a common goal of protection of their wealth.

They occupy positions in government in order to pass bills that would improve their business and eventually make them richer. The working class does not partake in the same kind of networking as the upper class. In comparison to the upper class, there is not a strong affiliation between the corporate community and the working class. They do not have the funding or support of the corporations for retreats or clubs denying them of opportunities for equal advancement in the corporate community. Without cohesion, future generations are left to create their identities in their job place. In the upper class, the younger generations are introduced to the corporate community through the clubs giving them a foot in the door.

Although not all upper class citizens belong to clubs such as the Bohemian club, the majority are affiliated with these clubs as evident through the status of corporate leaders. Social clubs are just one example of institutions that create opportunities for the upper class while creating a larger gap between the rich and the poor. Educational institutions also create unequal opportunities for different classes. Most of the upper class children are sent to private schools and are later sent to boarding schools, which become surrogate families that play a major role in creating an upper-class subculture on almost a national scale the developed countries around the globe. The educational system of the upper class emphasizes the building of character. Boarding schools are effective social agents which sociologists call total institutions that are isolating their members from the outside world and providing them with a set of routines and traditions that encompass most of their waking hours.

Most public schools are kept at low maintenance since there is not enough funding. Unlike the private schools, there are few schools with family support in the financial and academic areas. The children have fewer resources such as books and computers, making it more difficult for both the teachers and the students. Because of this, the students receive a poor education, which reflects in their futures. Through the social institutions of the upper class as well as the educational systems of both the upper and lower classes, it is evident that there exists an inequality in the class structure. More opportunities exist for the upper class from the early years of their childhood leading up to the membership of exclusive clubs and through attendance of private schools.

The most important factor of success is a good education and most low-income families are denied this because of zoning reasons. Besides having a good education, it is at ones advantage to be a part of a network or social club, which will support them and guide them through their career. These social clubs exist primarily among the more affluent families. In order to even out the scales of opportunity, the educational systems have to be re-evaluated so that students receive adequate resources in a safe environment.

Parents must also help in showing their support in the educational and motivational sense. Being born into a certain social class does determine ones future if they do not realize that there are more opportunities out there besides that ones that are most apparent. We as one society have faced many challenges already. A rising conflict between the rich and the poor surrounds us everyday.

As an informed society, we must learn from other peoples mistakes and make an effort to make better of the situations. There are many challenges that face society, all of which society has created.