Immobility in the Social Strata

Immobility in the Social Strata

This week’s class was very informative at large. My blog likely won’t be as long as the previous weeks’ though, mostly because I feel this issue is easily defined. I think the discussion about immobility within the social hierarchy of America was revealing, and sickening to say the least. Many politicians have always preached the message of the ‘American Dream’ and how fluid our social system is to all of our citizenry. What happens though when the dream turns into a nightmare?

I do believe that it is possible to move upward in the social hierarchy because I am a living example of that possibility. However, the pathway to doing this is generally slow and requires much planning, work, and implantation to achieve success. To ascend to higher levels of prestige, power, property, etc. requires vast amounts of time and energy. It is generally not something that can be achieved overnight.

I grew up in a single-parent household without much, if any prestige or power. We had some property, but not enough to amount to any recognition in the social strata. I am the first member of my family to receive a college degree and to work as a professional in the healthcare field. Despite having worked in emergency medical services since I was 18, I have only just now began to reap great rewards from my career. Ascension to higher levels of recognition and success is a long-term investment, but one that will pay off if it is seen through to the finish.

Some people don’t have stories quite like mine. Circumstances that may or may not be as a direct result of their actions have hampered many from achieving success. We discussed four of the theories of social stratification and many had goods points. It’s almost as if our country and social hierarchy is a mixture between two of them in particular. Social Darwinism and the Functional Theory seem to dominate our not just our way of life, but our way of thinking.

In order to achieve maximum potential, we have to rethink our system of education, government, our whole way of life really. I am an optimist, but I am also a realist. I know that the utopia that I have mentioned, is likely not possible or probable. Nevertheless, people that have a true desire and drive to achieve a greater place in life should be given the opportunity to do so when there is none currently present for them.

Shouldn’t we shatter the immobility of our social strata, and make the ‘American Dream’ a reality, not just a vision?