Melissa Wells

English 1050

Summer 2019

Author’s Note:

In today’s society, money has become a sensitive issue. No one wants to talk about

the huge issue of wealth disparity in our country because to talk about it, we have to

admit that it’s there in the first place, that’s the uncomfortable part. We all love to

maintain the illusion that one of these days we will strike it rich and then we’ll throw

parties on our yachts. It sounds silly, but there’s something called the Estate Tax, which

basically means that when you die, anything in your estate over about $11 million

dollars will get taxed at a higher rate. This is a very general summation of the actual tax

regulations, but my point about it, is that when proposals are made to change certain

aspects of laws like these, it brings out strong opinions in many, and tends to cause

major backlash. The question is, why? Why do so many people care about laws that

govern the amount of taxes a person will be charged on anything over 11 million dollars,

when the majority of us will never personally know anyone that has that amount of

money, let alone have that much ourselves. In fact, the law only applies to 0.06% of

estates as of 2018. The answer is because it’s a part of social class, and that is a

subject ​no one ​wants to approach. Like Paul Fussell wrote in the article, “A Touchy

Subject”, he says “​It’s always touchy. You can outrage people today simply by

mentioning social class,” and referred to it later as “America’s forbidden thought.”

 People get defensive over laws and regulations on wealth because it’s one of the

main causes of social class. None of us like to vocalize the fact that we aren’t at the

very top of the totem pole. As I said before, we all want to keep that illusion that

someday that ​could ​be us. We grew up being taught that if we work hard and follow the

rules we can achieve anything. Our parents didn’t tell us that in many cases, no matter

how hard we work, no matter how much we do the right thing, we still won’t be able to

live financially comfortably. They didn’t warn us that earning a college degree doesn’t

guarantee a well paying job afterward, or that you may make decent money, but you

might get sick and have to spend everything you have just to “save your own life.” The

truth is, the majority of us are stuck in the middle where it’s next to impossible to change

that. Fussell also wrote, “​The society changes faster than any other on earth, and the

American, almost uniquely, can be puzzled about where, in the society, he stands.”

It’s a harsh reality that a lot of us may never truly “accept”.

Social Immobility for the Powerless

Everyone has heard of the American Dream. The idea that hard work and

determination are all one needs to climb the social ladder and elevate themselves into

the upper echelons of American society, where they have both wealth and power in

abundance. That idea is oversimplified at best, because it overshadows the external

factors that have a much greater sway on success than people would like to admit.

Societies are almost always hierarchical in some form or another. This would seem to
be the natural progression of human civilization. This hierarchy manifests itself as social

power, the degree to which an individual (or an organization) can influence their peers

or their society as a whole. The power that social status provides can be substantial,

albeit fleeting, unless care is taken to maintain the status quo. These structures are

created often through the destruction and reformation at the expense of those who

previously held power. (Britannica)

Social mobility is often considered a one-way street; where one can go up, but

not down. “An industrial worker who becomes a wealthy businessman moves upward in

the class system; a landed aristocrat who loses everything in a revolution moves

downward in the system.” Prior to the various labor movements of the early 20th

century, the threat of losing power was very real. Shortly after WWII, much of American

society experienced unparalleled social and economic mobility. Much of this mobility

can be attributed to the government instituting more social safety nets, providing a

previously unimaginable level of stability. However, in the last few decades, many of

those safety nets have begun to deteriorate in the face of relentless political pressure,

further catalyzed by the Great Recession of 2008.

Income inequality in America is quickly rising to the forefront of the political

landscape, and has galvanized people on both sides of the political spectrum. Those

interested in keeping the social power structure as-is insist that people of all racial and

economic have equal chance to succeed, because it all depends on personal ability.

Opponents of that idea argue that personal ability is but one factor to consider; but in
today’s world, the economic status of one’s parents offers an unfair advantage to those

born into families with the means to provide more opportunity. Research suggests that

money is often the deciding factor in a child’s success in college, where wealthy

students are far outpacing poorer students in university admission, graduation rates,

and future earnings (Greenstone, 2016).

According to the Pew Research Institute, 52% of adults lived in middle-income

households, 29% in lower-income households and 19% in upper-income households

(Kochnar, 2016). These figures imply that roughly half of the country is considered

middle class. However, deeper inspection of these numbers reveal a huge disparity

within the individual classes. For example, In the Salt Lake City area, a family of 4

earning $60,000 a year is considered to be in the same economic class as a family that

earns $150,000 a year. The spending power of the former is dwarfed by that of the

latter. One could argue that this broad definition of middle class contributes to

maintaining the social power status quo, because it masks the fact that family spending

power is declining, and along with it, economic stability. Altering the definition of middle

class would unveil a hard truth about the declining social mobility in the United States.

It’s not uncommon for people to reject information that they find uncomfortable. In

America, the mere idea that social power exists is enough to send some people into a

flurry of rage and vehement denial. The way people react to the mention of social power

is often indicative of their own social standing. “At the bottom, people tend to believe
that class is defined by the amount of money you have. In the middle, people grant that

money has something to do with it, but think education and the kind of work you do

almost equally important. Nearer the top, people perceive that taste, values, ideas,

style, and behavior are indispensable criteria of class, regardless of money or

occupation or education” (Fussell, 1992). This thought does great credit to the idea that

money is the core tenet of social power in the United States. To people in the upper

stratum, money is seen as something in such frequent abundance that one’s own

standing depends largely on what you do with the resources available to you. To those

living near the poverty line, merely having money is often seen as the key to power,

because money is so important to their continued existence. Money is power, and to

those who have the power, there is often little incentive for them to relinquish the control

they possess in the name of some altruistic greater good.

This power dynamic has shifted dramatically in favor of those with substantial

wealth over the last three decades in America. Income inequality represents an ugly

truth about social power in the United States: As wealth has become more concentrated

in the hands of fewer individuals, the opportunities for those without means has begun

to decline. This outcome can help to maintain the status quo, at least for awhile. Further

helping stabilize the system is the fabrication of stories that explain why things are.

Some narratives may even go so far as to assign blame to those without means, and

dismiss any notion of systematic oppression with a simple handwave. For historically
oppressed groups, simply having money isn’t enough to guarantee a higher standard of

living (Martin, 2019).

The hard truth is that the social power dynamic in America is embedded in the

core values that this country was founded upon. The value system in the United States

places an unreasonable amount of pressure on the acquisition and preservation of

wealth, while turning a blind eye to the negative effects this practice has on vulnerable

portions of the population. Instead of addressing the problem in earnest, we invent

terms to levy blame, and hide the truth behind faulty statistical measures of status. Until

the majority of the population feels that their social standing is at risk, there simply isn’t

enough incentive to push for any meaningful change.

Works Cited

Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.,

www.britannica.com/print/article/551322​.

Greenstone, Michael, et al. “Thirteen Economic Facts about Social Mobility and the

Role of Education.” Brookings, Brookings, 18 Nov. 2016,

www.brookings.edu/research/thirteen-economic-facts-about-social-mobility-and-the-role

-of-education/​.

Kochhar, Rakesh, et al. “The Shrinking Middle Class in U.S. Metropolitan Areas: 6 Key

Findings.” Pew Research Center, Pew Research Center, 12 May 2016,

www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/05/12/us-middle-class-metros-takeaways/​.

Kochhar, Rakesh, et al. “Are You in the American Middle Class?” Pew Research

Center, Pew Research Center, 6 Sept. 2018,

www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/09/06/are-you-in-the-american-middle-class/​.

PEOPLE LIKE US: Social Class in America,

www.cnam.com/people-like-us/resources/essays6.html​.

Scott, Janny. “Life at the Top in America Isn't Just Better, It's Longer.” The New York

Times, The New York Times, 16 May 2005,

www.nytimes.com/2005/05/16/us/class/life-at-the-top-in-america-isnt-just-better-its-long

er.html​.

“Understanding Social Class as Culture.” Behavioral Scientist, 1 June 2017,

http://www.behavioralscientist.org/understanding-social-class-as-culture/​.

Fussell, Paul. Class: a Guide through the American Class System. Simon & Schuster,
1992.

Martin, Courtney E. “Closing the Racial Wealth Gap.” The New York Times, The New
York Times, 23 Apr. 2019,
www.nytimes.com/2019/04/23/opinion/closing-the-racial-wealth-gap.html​.