Q1: Social scientists do not just dwell in their own neck of the woods but also examine the economic realities in other global locations.

Watch how the rich and the poor fare in Germany.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFjJYLZtPtQ (Links to an external site.)

Next, address these questions. (1 point for own response)

1. What does economic inequality mean to an average German, whether single, family or retired?
2. What ideas or solutions can we borrow from the Germans to implement in our home communities? How do those ideas compare with what Mantsios (2003) and  Shapiro (2003) discussed in their texts analyzing the economic divisions in the US?
3. Examine your own situation. How does your family income compare to an average German household? What, if any, advantages have you had because of inheritance or other investment assets?

Q2: 5 points for answering 5 questions below

Use the chart below and record your answers to the following questions.

To the extent that you are comfortable doing so, you should discuss difficulties you encountered and brainstorm advantages and disadvantages of your social class or social class in general.

You do not have to disclose your personal information, but you can always talk about social class in general.

1. List each parent’s highest level of education (e.g., some college), each parent’s occupation, and each parent’s annual pre-tax income.
2. Given your answers to question 1, what is your social class and why?
3. What questions arose that may have made it difficult to answer question 1?
4. What advantages does your social class give you (and others like you) over those in lower social classes?
5. What disadvantages does your social class give you (and others like you) compared with those in higher social classes?

Social Class in the US

Education

Occupation

Annual Individual Income

Other

Upper class

Four-year degree or more, usually from an Ivy League University

No financial need to work; may work for other reasons in any field (e.g., businessperson, entrepreneur, investor)

$2 million

+

Socially exclusive; typically come from generations of wealth

Upper-middle class

Graduate degree

Professional (e.g., doctor, lawyer, professor)

$150,000–

$2 million

Have lots of autonomy at work, good work benefits (e.g., health insurance); income may be somewhat lower in some cases

Middle-middle class

Four-year college degree

Nonmanual job or management (e.g., accountant, computer programmer, pharmacist)

$70,000–$150,000

Have good work benefits and live comfortably

Lower-middle class

Two-year college degree or high school diploma

Lower paid nonmanual job (e.g., grade school teacher, data entry clerk)

$40,000–$70,000

May or may not have work benefits; less prestigious work

Working class

High school diploma, sometimes with technical training

Skilled manual labor job (e.g., plumber, electrician, paramedic)

$25,000–$40,000

May or may not have work benefits; may struggle to pay bills; income may be much higher in some cases

Working poor

High school diploma or GED

Unskilled manual labor (e.g., child care worker, cashier)

$15,000–$25,000

No benefits; serious struggle to pay bills

Underclass

Less than high school diploma

Unskilled manual labor (e.g., day laborer)

< $15,000

Come from generations of poverty and impoverished communities; may have long periods of unemployment