Stratification Reflection

What is stratification? Stratification can best be described as the division of our society into three different social groups. The upper class, middle class and lower class. Why is this important? Can a person from the lower class move up to the middle or upper class? I definitely think a person can move from one class to another. Would it be so hard to believe that a person in the upper class could lose his job, his house and everything else he owns and end up in the lower class? If this can happen, why can a person from the lower class not move to the upper class?

Where you live is everything. If you live in a small town where everyone has known you since you were a child, the process of moving from a lower class might be more challenging, but still possible. And it might be easier in a large city such as Chicago or Seattle because you can easily move to a different part of the city where no one has heard of you.

What is the biggest factor in the ability of changing class? I believe it all falls into what a person desires. If a person comes from a family in a lower SES that does not have the money to start a college fund for their children when they are young, but the children grow up and still want to go to college, they will. A person can do whatever they set their mind to. Now there are circumstances that might hinder a person such as lack of money, a job or transportation, but I see these as only slight road blocks. If a person has a strong enough desire to accomplish something, they will continue to pursue it until they have achieved their goal.

Now that I have briefly talked about the moving from one class to another, would it matter if the person was from an African American family living in a ghetto rather than a white person living in a poorer area of town? What about an ex-convict just released from prison? Would the ex-convict have a stigma that would prevent him from moving up? Sadly, the ex-convict and possibly the African American (depending on where exactly they came from) would most likely face more adversity in trying to change their class.

In 2002, over 600,000 individuals left state and federal prisons...However, according to a national study, within 3 years, 7 in 10 will have been rearrested and half will be back in prison, either for a new crime, or for violating conditions of their release (Visher, Travis 2003)

Is our society against giving a hand up to the less fortunate? In some ways, I feel they are. Nowadays, people seem to be very focused on their own goals and not so much on the goals of others. If we can shift the focus from ourselves, we can help those who want to move up and better their lives.

Reference

Visher, Christy A., and Jeremy Travis. "Transitions from Prison to Community: Understanding Individual Pathways." Annual Review of Sociology 29 (2003): 83-113. Web. 9 Oct. 2011.