Social Class—(Jessica Ramirez)

I have always found this topic very interesting because in America, pretty much everyone considers their status as ‘middle class’. They figure if they’re not homeless and if they are working, then they are not upper or lower but middle. England on the other hand has more distinct classes. This is mainly determined not only by wealth in (pound amount) but by land ownership. This was a main difference in the social stratification between the United States and the United Kingdom. The feudal system has now caused this major distinction in the social classes in England today. The United States never had a feudal system, which is a main reason why most people believe they are in the middle class sector. The feudal system was basically a division between the Lords and the Serfs. The King would grant land to the lower line and so forth and in return those lower lines would grant promises to the line going up. It was either owning land or not. In the 1340s, England’s feudal system was terminated because of the Black Death which wiped out half of the population. Of the people left, a new class was created called the Gentry—where America’s founding fathers were a part of and these members owned land and were considered wealthy. Depending on which society we are discussing, money doesn’t necessarily mean upper class. In class, we discussed all the other factors that make a person upper class which included education, income, and occupation. These are all different factors that individuals consider when classifying a person under class. In England, certain hobbies and activities are not considered upper class such as hunting, and performing hobbies in the countryside. Overall, it was a very debatable lecture and I love that everyone had a say in what they thought social class was! I also enjoyed the video I saw, it was hilarious!

-Jessica Ramirez 23/04/10