Is class position determined by Individualism or Socioeconomic Structures and Policies? We've already talked about this in relation to earlier topics but I'd like to directly name and discuss the very different arguments in the debate about the presence of class. And name the different policies.

“ The social distribution of wealth discloses a fresh formidable dimension of racial inequality “ Oliver & Shapiro

Mobility in terms of class positions within the United States is facilitated by factors such as economic or social capitals, which we spoke about in a previous class. Therefore, the class that a person is born into in plays a major part in the social class that a person will obtain throughout their life. The idiom "social class" initially “referred to groups of people holding similar roles in the economic processes of production and exchange, such as landowner or tenant, employer or employee.” Such positions in those economic processes then would match up to how much status, power etc. people had within their class (therefore classifying them into certain categories and social pecking orders). Yet today the categorization of social classes is not that simple, belonging to a social class generally accompanies perceptions of class identities and also strong views of generalizations of groups of people. Most often today social class is not distinguishable through clear cut definable boundaries

With the political claws taken away from the differentiation of social class one can also also argue that individuals have the number one role in determining their social class positions. We as individuals compete for jobs the same jobs, obtain power through social capital in open markets, and through personal actions attain higher statuses. Ye,t what those who argue this fact are not looking at is that they are seeing a whole different world than what is actually happening. Recently different policies have a major effect on class positions. Policies such education and welfare ( things like WICK for example), all influence social class. As a society the implication for having obtained help from the Government with things such as welfare, places people in certain class positions. Therefore because they receive a benefit from their Government they are branded a class automatically.  Racial and gender inequality play major roles in class positions (such a major role that I literally could write about this for every post this semester). Repulsive realities such as racial valuing of neighborhoods, and denied access to mortgages to black families all only prove the argument stronger that political fangs are deep rooted in the skin of this catastrophe we call individual freedom.

Sadly, many people may or may not be conscious of their membership in a certain class. They may categorize themselves as something they are or are not and that only leads to more confusion on how to distinguish class position, but it does not help us define whether it is due to individualism and or policies the best we could ot make this place actually equal for all. Being aware of your social class is extremely important in order to grow conscience of how you are being treated for being in that class and what you can do to change it