Does Class Matter?

Social class is, like the People Like Us website states, the 800-lb gorilla that we don't really like to discuss in realistic terms. We all would like to say that class does not matter, that we don't segregate or stereotype, that we treat everyone equally. Unfortunately that is usually not the case and America does place much emphasis on the class system in place.

Some professions, like the health care field, require that social class not be a deterrent to the patient receiving the best care. Nurses, for example, are trained to take care of each patient equally. They each deserve the same ultimate respect and compassion, regardless of where they fall on the social hierarchy. However, the mere system of class itself determines what kind of patients we may treat in a given hospital. Although the hospitals in our area will treat and care for everyone who requires it, certain people from the lower classes (for example) will not seek health care because they may be unable to afford it. Being uninsured and fearful of large medical bills, many lower class individuals avoid seeking care. On the other hand, many of our patients who are in the lower class who DO seek treatment are fall under state Medicaid provisions. While these patients may not realize it, their charts are stamped in large red letters "MEDICAID" so that the physicians are able to determine right away what kind of care would be least costly and still be covered by the state. In this way, class determines treatment options. Upper class Americans may have better insurance and personal funds to pay for treatment out of pocket, so for these individuals, their health care is rarely an issue.

Another interesting feature regarding social class discussion is how individuals in each class view themselves. Many perceive their OWN class as the in-group (or reference group), rather than be envious and striving towards what they do not have. There is a sense of ownership and pride when one talks about where they "came from" , whether it be regarding old money and silver spoons, or growing up in the projects and working hard to make money their own way. The out-group becomes the other social classes...we always seem to find something wrong with those who either have it better or worse than we do. The opening scene of "Chicago-The Streets of Heaven" video shows a youth doing just that- he announces with pride that he was "born and raised" in the projects.

People Like Us, under its "resources" tab, has a very interesting site that allows you to input your zip code and receive a detailed demographic describing the "types" of families and social situations common to your area. It even gives examples of commonalities to the class, like the types of cars they often drive and the leisure activities they partake in. The word "class" is never mentioned; however the website calls them "segments" and titles them with names like "White Picket Fences" and "Shot Guns and Pickups". This site is aimed (I believe) at advertisers and marketers in order to find the most lucrative areas with the proper demographic to market their products and services where they will have the highest probability of success. It would be interesting to use a site like this to investigate some of the American cities where there is a great deal of social class division in place; Specifically, to examine areas where (like the text book mentions) there are a great deal of people and the gap in the distribution of wealth and income is large.

So does class matter? When discussing human beings and the morality behind treating everyone equally and justly, no, class does not matter. But it is clear in our capitalist, consumer-based culture that social class division is everywhere and does indeed impact the way our citizens view themselves and treat each other.