Gregory Mantsios' article "Class in America"
Gregory Mantsios' article "Class in America" critically examines the workings of various economic classes in America. Citizens of America refrain from discussing this simply because they feel that classification of people using their social status is wrong and so refer about each other in terms of geographical locations, ethnic groups, and races. As an example, Mantsios displays how a worker might most probably identify with an employer, industry or other related employees in a particular industry (Mantsios 31). It is not that Americans do not have knowledge of these differences, rather they feel that talking about class is not a good subject to relate to. According to Mantsios, they, to some extent, fear regarding each other using economic statuses (31). This uniform notion of Americans brings forth four myths which Mantsios explains. They are that everyone has equal chances to succeed in life, class differences do not matter in America, lifestyles of all are improving since everyone is getting richer, and lastly, all Americans are middle class.
The Gap Between the Rich and Poor
The Americans may live in such a notion, but the truth of the matter is that all these beliefs are mostly myths. Mantsios reveals that the social class in America is not flawless and each day the gap between the rich and poor grows further (34). Between the different classes, there are colossal disparities in economic growth. According to Lopez-Calva, Jamele, and Florencia, the rich in America constitute only 1 percent of the entire population yet hold a third of the US's gross money (281). Also, the lifestyles of the different classes vary extremely where some are on top of the food chain whilst others grabble for remains in the lowest levels of the society. Not everyone in the so-called 'land of opportunity' has a zeal for success, rather the rich succeed with minimal efforts due to connections with the high and mighty while for the poor, regardless of their hard work hard, are not guaranteed for success.
Social Class and Opportunities
In America, the opportunities one is exposed to are determined not by the level of skills in a particular area, but the social class one is born in (Lopez-Calva, Jamele and Florencia 284). It is very hard to shift from the low class in society not mentioning the numerous challenges one must overcome in order to survive; some of them include discriminations under bases of gender and races which is backed up by statistical data that conveys that various races have higher chances of getting jobs than others (Mantsios 37). This leaves the poor at a disadvantage and powerless to do much about it while the rich keep getting richer as they have access to multiple income opportunities to generate more wealth. Clearly, it is evident that the social class structure in the US is threaded with unfairness through its ranks.
The Influence of Politics and Media
Consequently, the silence in all matters 'class difference' does find a voice after all in two general platforms, that is in political discussions and the media. The former uses social class differences in attracting more constituents to their side to improve their ratings. For the latter, it is a means for the rich to pursue and satisfy their voyeuristic needs as indicated by Mantsios (34). The myth that everyone in America constantly gets richer is untrue since studies show that the middle class reduces each year and this trend has maintained since 1968 (Lopez-Calva, Jamele and Florencia 281). Similarly, the myth that all and sundry in America have the same chances of being rich is a point-blank lie. Once again, Mantsios illustrates this by pinpointing that the middle class is declining, not rising up (38). He demonstrates this by profiling individuals from three different classes, that is, one from wealth and influence, another from the working class, and the last from a poor background. Basically, the circumstances of these individuals will probably remain the same, as revealed by Mantsios, since the socioeconomic background of class one is born in determines the chances of one's survival or success (Mantsios 40; Lopez-Calva, Jamele and Florencia 283). More so, environmental factors such as gender and race domination limit potential of excellence and overcome class domination. They particularly restrain the chances for women and men of color, gays, lesbians, disabled and the mentally ill.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the article by Mantsios helps pinpoint injustice in the various social classes. As a student, the essay has shed some light as to which challenges one should expect while trying to find a job and rise up to another social status especially those from a lower social class level in society. In as much as America preaches being a land of equal, in truth, this is just a white lie since the facts suggest otherwise. With each waking moment, more walls are built to further enlarge the gap between the poor and rich since they keep getting richer and the poor poorer. It is everyone's fault that the trend is here to stay because no significant action has been taken to overcome these respective social standards to achieve a better America. Each day, the poor give back to the society by work and wages delivered in sweat and blood. On the same note, there is no reason why the rich who hold a third of the country's money should not give it back to society without cutting any slack.
Work Cited
Lopez-Calva, Luis F., Jamele Rigolini, and Florencia Torche. "Is there such a thing as middle-class values? Class differences, values and political orientations in Latin America." Journal of Globalization and Development 7.2 (2016). 281-307.
Mantsios, Gregory. "Rewards and Opportunities: The Politics and Economics of Class in the US." Race, class, and gender in the United States: An integrated study (1992): (3) 31-47.
