Contrary to popular belief, Americans spend on average $3500.00 a year on unnecessary products such as a new iPod, a flat screen TV, a computer, clothes, dining out or a vacation. Nowadays, new products advertised on TV make the people watching it feel as if they need to buy that item. This is the problem with Americans; we buy what we don’t need just so we can say I have that! And show off to our friends. We spend money we don’t have just to be up to date with the latest fashion trends. It’s unethical what this world is coming to, what happened to the days were people watched every penny they made and only bought necessary items. Stores that have been in business for decades are being remodeled by new management in order to lour in customers.…
Anna Quindlen, a novelist, social critic, and journalist wrote an intriguing essay “Stuff is Not Salvation” about the addiction of Americans, who splurge on materialistic items that have no real meaning. The ability to obtain credit is one of the main reasons to blame for society’s consumption epidemic. However, Quindlen feels the economic decline due to credit card debt is insignificant compared to the underlying issues of American’s binging problems. Quindlen’s essay gives excellent points regarding the differences in America’s typical shopping habits. Additionally, she mentions how people acquire all this “stuff” but seem to never realize, “why did I get this?”(501). Quindlen makes her audience visualize a world where we acquire our needs versus our meaningless desires. Yet, she fails to mention people who could live a life of happiness through the possessions they acquire.…
Although the affluenza defense may seem like a distinctly modern phenomenon, its roots go way back into the past. Many wonder how affluenza will affect our society in the future. "Unfortunately, given the fact that this case was successful, it's more likely that more attorneys are going to pick it up and wave it as their banner," says Gary Buffon, a Jacksonville, Fla., psychologist, specializing in family wealth…
After considering the symptoms of affluenza, only three of them are prevalent in myself or around me. The first symptom that I suffer from is that I am running out of room to store my stuff; more or less because of "shopping fever". Even though I don't think I am infected with affluenza, there are a large number of people in developed countries who are. It can be very detrimental, however, there are some good aspects that should be considered. Anyone who would have this symptom would obviously have an overabundance of stuff building up whether it is in their bedroom or their house in general. Unlike most people who have this problem, I don't only acquire this mass of "stuff" to help myself, but also to help others. For example, because I used…
Imagine two job applications came across your desk; one belongs to a Caucasian female and the other belongs to an African-American female. Which one would you choose? The African-American female who has experience in your specific work field or the Caucasian female who graduated from a good school and received a Merit scholarship for college? Would you look at their individual background or their individual skin color? A lot of businesses tend to choose the Caucasian woman. In today’s society, no matter where you go, there will be white privilege. White privilege is an advantage that white people have over non-whites and it is manifested by preferential treatment. By analyzing Difference Matters by Brenda Allen, White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack by Peggy McIntosh and Jennifer Pozner’s article in Barclay Barrios’ Emerging, we can understand white privilege as an rarely talked about concept but certainly can be recognized when people of other races are treated less fairly as if they are below white people.…
In 1997, a PBS documentary introduced “affluenza” to the English language. The word is used to describe people who have a tendency to “keep up with the Joneses,” which gave people an opportunity to poke fun at “America's ever-increasing consumption.” Even though people are entitled to spending their own money, I believe that Americans are too dependent on material goods.…
Everyone is born in a specific social class, that being, we have no choice to choose our own social class from birth. Unless members of the family are able to change their social status, it’s more likely to remain in the same class. Social class is an important factor we have as an individual because depending on the social class, we are able to experience in a wide variety of opportunities to no opportunities. Lower class family were classified to be unstable, reduce marriage options, (Lower class person seeking for it’s opponent with higher class for secure reasons), and overall, it’s all about surviving than experimenting and taking adventures. Follows up with the working class and then then the middle class, while the working class is still…
The social structure of Britain has been highly influenced by the concept of social class. In sociology, the term ‘social class’ is most often used to refer to the primary system of social stratification found in modern capitalist societies. Social stratification refers to ‘the presence [in society] of distinct social groups which are ranked one above the other in terms of factors such as prestige and wealth’.…
Classism, an issue of oppression which exposes the ever-increasing differences and inequality between social classes in our society, and primarily measured by the wealth possessed and the amount of income a family or an individual earn, is every day more evident. For the last, few years we have witnessed the financial gap between wealthier and middle-class Americans widen as the years go by, but never as rapidly than after experiencing the last financial crisis of 2008. The effects of that financial crisis were disastrous, especially in the middle class. Americans lost millions of jobs, and wealth evaporated by the loss in value of real estate properties…
As time has passed, the middle class population in America is beginning to diminish due to the decrease of jobs. One of the most appalling things in society is that “more than half of families in the United States earn $60,000 or less per year” (Harris, 1). Because more than half of American families are earning less income than they should, Americans living in poverty has escalated. A majority of Americans strives to acquire a sufficient amount of money on part-time and temp jobs while prices and massive taxes placed on the the middle class accumulates. The middle class incomes are declining, slowly dragging the middle class down to poverty and as a result, the middle class is rapidly dwindling. For the sake of resolving this complication, society must be obliged to provide more good paying jobs to ensure that every American has enough income to support their families.…
I think that Ron Heagy have seen a lot in his life.He have seen death,disability.I really changed my attitude to some things like disabled people.They don't need to be treated like others they should be treated like everyone else.Yes we can do things they can't do things like do your favorite sport or to play your favorite instrument.But these people are strong and brave enough to be a person who they are and face it as it is.As ron said “I will be me and you will be you”.…
Consumerism is the center of American culture. Americans tend to confuse their wants with their needs. With new advances in technology, as well as the help of advertisers, people are provided with easy access to new products that seem essential to their everyday life, even though they have survived this long without them. People cannot live without food, clothing, and shelter. But realistically, according to people's different lifestyles, more than food, clothing, and shelter are needed. Most people need to work to survive. Unless a job is either in their own home, or within walking distance, a means of transportation is needed. Whether it be a vehicle, money for a taxi-cab, or a token for a ride on the subway, money must be spent in order to reach the place of work. For a student, paper, pens, and possibly a computer are a necessity. In order to complete school assignments, these tools are sometimes even required. Schooling is required for many types of jobs, which provide money, which is without a doubt essential in life. Food, clothing, and shelter are not the only things needed to survive. The problem begins when people with a larger disposable income take it too far. A car is definitely needed, but the fastest car in the most attractive color is not. Needs begin getting confused with…
The assertions made by Lewis Lapham’s Money and Class in America distinguishes the meaning of success and the requirements for respect from Americans to that of other strong societies. In his essay he defends that Americans show respect for those with a high economic status while other nations feel art and intellect are warrant for respect. With this, he agrees with Henry Adams that Americans are greatly materialistic in the sense that they try to find “success” in wealth because they have been “deflected by the pursuit of money”. Though the idea that Americans favor and respect a high economic status is true, Lapham’s claim that they do so because they are socially forced to is not accurate because they still have the ability to make a choice.…
Essay Title: Use examples; discuss ways in which a person’s socioeconomic class and his/her social situation can have an impact on his/her health.…
Society is made up of hierarchy and social classes. The roles of social class in our current social is based upon income. There are the upper class (high income), upper-middle class, middle class (average income), lower-middle class, and underclass (no income). Depending on your education, career and skills, you are ranked by these classes. Wealth is a term meaning the amount of net worth on income, property, and other valuables. Wealth is depicted through our social class in our current society. We rate each other by the amount of money you have or make. Social mobility is the ability to move from one class to another. In the U.S., people are easily able to between classes. For example, if an individual claims bankrupt, they may be changed into a lower class. Another example is if a lower class citizen is determined to enhance their education to earn a well-paid job, they will be able to change their class for the better. Social classes constructs a society.…