- write a 700 word essay on the topic
- one theory application to the topic
- 4 scholarly references( I attached 2 already)
- 2 website references
- title page
- references page
- no direct quotations allowed
How do U.S. Families vary by social class? How do social class variations influence adult and child outcomes and well-being?
Please use this question to write the essay. You can use other 2 scholarly references and 2 other websites. Please also use the two document that I attached. I also attached sample for you to look at!!!
Sample Paper
Social class differences in the United States have been growing wider over recent years. There are many factors that contribute to the enlargement in the gap between social classes, but the main factors are earnings/income of households, access to means of improvement (i.e. healthcare, education, etc.), and the racial/socioeconomic makeup of the family. Social class differences play a large role in the shaping of American families and an equally large role in the development of children in this country. There are systemic barriers to advancement on people of lower social classes that make it far more difficult to enjoy the same standard of living as those from the upper social classes.
The first barrier between social classes is the earnings/income of households. In 2014, 21% of children in the United States lived below the poverty line (Family and Social 1). That same number (21%) of children from birth to age 17 were food insecure, meaning that they were never sure where their next meal would come from or whether they would get one at all (Family and Social 1). Only 64% of those families listed in the 2014 study came from two-parent married households, a significant factor in earning potential of a household (Family and Social 1). According to a study published in Forbes Magazine, stress on parents is one of the key contributors toward happiness in children. Stress hormones present in a mother during pregnancy can lead to higher instances of anxiety and ADHD in their children (Walton 1).
The second barrier between the social classes is the access to proper means of improvement, mostly access to healthcare being focused on. The lower classes of society have limited access to the types of medical care that the upper social classes can access. For example, a 2014 study shows that the infant mortality rate in the United States was 582.1 per 1,000 births (roughly 1.7% of all American births) (Infant Health 1). The percentage of births that were considered underweight (less than 5.5 pounds) was 8%, while the percentage of births that were preterm (less than 37 weeks of gestation) was 9.6% (Infant Health 1). These numbers underscore the need for equal access to potentially lifesaving medical treatment for babies regardless of social class. As an example, my daughter was fell into both of the previously listed categories (born at 4.4 pounds and was born at 35 weeks). My wife suffered from a relatively rare condition, known as HELLP Syndrome (a severe complication of preeclampsia), that is fatal in 25% of women who develop it (About HELLP 1). Up to 60% of births to women who have this condition can result in stillbirth, which is the child being deceased upon delivery (About HELLP 1). Without access to the type of medical care our family has (middle/upper middle class), I could be without my wife and/or daughter today (both are happy and healthy today).
Systemic racial barriers are the last, and perhaps biggest, divider between the social classes. In 2015, only 51.5% of children (between birth and age 17) were considered “white” (America’s Children 1). This shows that the “majority” in the United States (typically considered Caucasian) is disappearing, being replaced by a more diverse ethnic makeup of the country’s people. Without deviating too far from the main focus of the essay, systemic racism and opportunities for minorities are still an ongoing problem in the country, from unequal distribution of jail population to the percentage of people with college degrees. These barriers are helping to keep the social classes divided and unhappy. Studies have shown that better educated people are in better paying jobs and are more socially tolerant, have higher happiness levels, and have better well-being and mental health scores (Cheng et al 1). Access to equal opportunities needs to be broadened to incorporate all races equally and fairly in order to erase social class deficits.
Social class differences are very apparent in the United States today. Many communities are deeply divided by financial means, access to important means for advancement, and along racial lines. These divides are causing growing rifts between segments of society that are becoming larger by the day and threaten to grow irreparable. As America diversifies ethnically, hopefully these barriers to social class will begin to fall and the country will develop and foster a more level playing field for everyone equally.
