Socioeconomic status has always been a issue that has interested me. Socioeconomic status(SES) is defined as a persons position in society as determined by income, wealth, occupation, education, place of residence, and other factors.(Berger#9) Measuring a persons income, wealth, occupation and educational level is a accurate way in determining if a person should be able to take out a loan at a bank, but I don't think it is necessary to always label someones socioeconomic status based on what they are worth. Labeling individuals in society as being rich or poor; high-class or low-class can have negative effects on a persons ego. Using those terms just makes wealthy people feel superior and become greedy, and low income people feel discouraged and embarrassed. A man who is unemployed with very little money, and no educational background would automatically be described as having a low socioeconomic status, but when further explained that the man is extremely happy with his life and happens to be the most popular man in his entire community his status while rise because of his popularity.
I have learned a sociologist named William Lloyd Warner and I have the same beliefs when it comes to classifying a person into a certain social class. In 1949 he had stated that “he believed American social class was based more on attitudes than on the actual amount of money an individual made.”*WIK. The reason I have such a strong opinion on this issue is due to the fact I have I lived in poverty my whole childhood, yet had no idea. I knew my family was just average but my mom did a great job keeping us from knowing that we really had no money and she was in serious debt. My mom was a single mom who made a very low income. With the income she made she managed to raise my brother and I all by herself. We always had plenty of food, nice clothes and lots of toys. Most of my friends had two parents and were much wealthier than I was. I was always jealous of my friends with two...