American society is grouped into social class structures, which define who we are in America and how we stand as citizens. The classes are divided into three basic categories, the Privileged Class, the Majority Class, and the Lower Class.

Based on occupation (not behavior or characteristics) sociologist group people into one of these three categories and consider whether people earn their money by working for a wage or from investments, how extensive their educational credentials are, how much independence and freedom they enjoy at work, and how stable and consistent their participation in the labor force is.

For instance, studies estimate that 1 percent of the households in the United States belong to the elite capitalist class, whose members can live off their investments. In contrast, the working poor and the underclass together outnumber capitalist families by about 25 to 1. In between are the privileged upper middle class (who would be regarded as very wealthy by most of the world) and the middle and working classes, who together make up most of the population.

Below is a chart that shows the class structure in America:

Class         Source of Income      Education      Income Level

Privileged    

Capitalist    Investors, heirs,     Selective      $1.5 million
              executives            College

Upper-middle  Managers, business    College - 
              owners                post graduate  $80,000
							


							
Majority

Middle 30%    Lower managers,       Undergraduate  $45,000
              semi-professionals    
							
Working 30%   Low-paid craftsmen,   High school,   $30,000
              clerical workerers    some college

							

							
Lower Class

Working       Service workers,      High school    $20,-25,000
Poor 13%      laborers, clerical

Underclass    Unemployed,           Some high      $10,000
12%           part-time, welfare    school

© 2002 by AfroStaff

Stats from Discovering Sociology: Stockard, 2000

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Afromerica: Where its all Black & white and some gray areas.

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