Introduction
Chapter 4 of the book discusses the relationship between families and social class. The chapter explores the six classes that make up the American class system, which range from higher to lower classes. The fourth chapter combines both general information about the class, social, and economic systems of the United States with historical overtones and delves into the consideration of individual parts of social institutions.
Theories of Social Class
At the beginning, the fourth chapter introduces the reader to the peculiarities of the US class system. The wealthiest and most influential people belong to the upper class, whereas skilled laborers and white-collar professionals make up the middle class and contribute to societal stratification. The working class is composed of blue-collar workers, while the lower class is made up of those who are living in poverty. After that, the author develops the theme of family heritage using the social network as an example, where the connections of any person already have independent value due to the opportunities that these connections provide.
The American Class Structure
Moving towards the end of the chapter, the author delves into the description of mechanisms that change depending on the social class. For example, people on the verge of poverty have the least access to social and material resources and cannot afford even the most basic needs, while the upper class has an overabundance of resources. The chapter also highlights the influence of social class on family dynamics, such as how parents raise their children.
Social Mobility
The author describes a situation in which it is difficult for people to leave their social class, and the development of the country slows down. It was then that the author introduced the concepts of social stability and social mobility. In this section, the author describes the problems of class mobility in the US, compares the US with other developed countries, and concludes that the system of social mobility in the US lags behind the required level.
Class Persistence
Chapter 4 also raises the question of class stability, using the example of the US class structure, where children often remain at the same level as their parents. The chapter ends with a discussion of the general situation in the United States. The author gives many examples of the work of social mechanisms and talks about the consequences of their implementation using the example of wealth and poverty statistics.