Class is a very evident feature of any society, especially the American society. Americans tend to deny to each other that there is a class existence. In order to fully understand class, you must first understand what class is; understand what the levels inside the class are, and finally the people of the class.
A class system is defined as, "a system in which social standing is determined by factors over which people can exert some control, such as their educational attainment, their income, and their work experience." We often think of class in terms of different incomes or lifestyles, and it is true that those differences exist, but the basic of class differences is in the different amounts of power people have at work in society at large. Here in the United States we have the best example of a class system. With hard work and a good education, people can raise their position. For example, neither of my parents went to college, yet when they were married we were an upper middle class family. They both strived to be better people in any way possible and succeeded. Class is a social construction with no basis as a biological or genetic concept. It is a product of ideology, prejudice, and power. Consequently, like other socially constructed identities, class is an important category of difference that needs to be addressed. However, unlike other categories of identity, such as race, or ethnicity, class has been largely ignored in American society. As Lester stated in lecture, "The existence of class had been often denied." This erasure of class has denied individuals an important source of understanding of their experience.
In the subject of class, there are also levels of work, also known as collars. There are white, blue and recently pink-collar careers. White-collar jobs are those that require extensive formal education and usually take place in a pleasant, indoor setting.
