The Joke

Wealth is extremely important in American society. Some may want to deny this, but they are fooling themselves--and yes there are those who deny that wealth is important. You hear how money does not buy you happiness, which is true to an extent, but it definitely makes life--and enjoying happiness--a bit easier. Stratification can mean the difference between wealth and poverty within the society we try to thrive in. A poor families newborn child can grow to become a wealthy entrepreneur, but it takes work and is not too common of an occurrence, however those with born into a family of wealth can be set for life.

There can be great distaste from either party, for the other and why exactly is this the case. Those in poverty can dislike the well off, for they live a lifestyle that those below them do not believe they deserve. And do they? Of course one specific child does not "deserve" anything more than another, but family is an important thing with stratification and it is how things have gone throughout history.

People often judge those who are rich or poor very differently. There are plenty of people who believe that the "elite" rich have more "class" than a poor individual, but it all depends on how someone views class. Is it the way a person sits, dresses, eats, lives? How about how they treat others? All of these and many more go into an individuals decision about what class is.

Stratification is based on things like religion, ethnicity, gender, wealth, etc. Obviously, who a person really is, such as how they treat others--and not just when in the public eye--does not seem to matter in our society. We are about money and power. Someone who is rich can treat others like dirt, they may not be liked by the world, but their wealth and power will not change. Where does that put as a society?

It is a sad thing, especially since those in power are not affected much--if at all--when they treat others poorly, however someone who does not have that power can have great issues when they speak about someone poorly--especially if that person has power. It could be said that society and stratification is a joke. But, it is real and makes a joke out of the way those in power try to convince others of the equal opportunities and possibilities in our world.