We live in a paradoxical modern society that is defined by division just as much as unity. This division comes in many forms, with one of the foremost examples being the stratification that dominates our economic landscape. Everything with a man-made origin is arranged in a hierarchy, separated into different groups that individually represent the class of said item or owner.
Economic stratification is ever-present in our daily lives, though few take the time to reflect upon its existence. From the food you eat to the clothes you wear to the vehicle you drive, you will find the existence of stratification. The existence of this economic stratification is what inspires many individuals to have greater ambitions in life, to aspire to achieve greater things. For with greater wealth comes greater life chances in nearly every capacity. Many of us want to secure a future for not only ourselves but for the generation that follows as well.
Every day we see thousands of cars parked or driving around us. They come in all shapes and varieties, with some vehicles being old and some being new, and some being basic and some being fancy. This is but one example of economic stratification in our society. Cars are often looked at as one of the best ways to show one standing in the social context.
I have seen many people living in run-down trailers own an expensive car just to be perceived as higher on the social ladder. Owning the best car is but a superficial fantasy that far too many fall into. Though there are admittedly features such as safety and gas mileage that matter, in no context should cars have the importance they do.
Many individuals care so much about vehicles because of their desire to be better than those around them and to make sure that their peers know it. Far too many people are obsessed with this superficial means of living life, and yet it is seemingly getting worse over time. Owning a million-dollar car is no different than owning a used car one bought for under ten thousand.
Sure, it could be sold for more which would inherently improve one’s life chances, but we are solely focusing on the owning of said car. And the fact is that the only reason that some cars cost exponentially more than others when mostly being different in superficial ways is stratification.
With the advent of social media came connections. Sprung from the creation of the internet came the idea that you could interact with countless people from any distance. There are many remarkable things that have transpired and been made available due to its invention. And yet, its creation ushered in a wave of excessive vanity that has thoroughly gripped our modern society.
People continuously use social media to share their achievements, top brag about their belongings or doings. This summer, I researched a trip to Florida to take with a group of five or so friends. I understood it was not the most financially responsible decision, but I have longed to go to a beach my whole life.
Considering this, we all decided to be as thrifty as possible to save money. We found a cheap hotel and stayed several nights while making some immaculate memories I will cherish for years to come. A week or so after, a fellow high school classmate of mine went on a very similar trip, the difference being the trip was funded by his very well-off parents.
After, he posted so many things going into excessive detail about how expensive the hotel, restaurants, and things he did on the trip were. The contrast between my trip and his is an example of not just stratification, but the impact social media has made on its existence. While some may not be as impressed with the quality of my trip as opposed to his, I would not trade places with him. For while he may have vacationed in more luxury, all that really matters is that we had a good time, regardless of circumstance.
Recently, I was working at a concert at a nearby Casino. As I was serving drinks to the different sections, I reflected upon just how unequal they were. At the very bottom were the seats closest to the stage, with a relatively nice view and seating. Go to the second floor and you can physically see the drop in quality; the view is farther away, the seats are more worn down, and everything is more crowded. Finally, we come to the third floor, exclusive to the casino’s elite: The Onyx Club. These customers are the millionaires who must spend at least two hundred and fifty thousand dollars quarterly to even maintain their spot in the exclusive club.
During concerts, they have the entire third floor to themselves, with private rooms and a private bar that serves them unlimited alcohol and food for free. The architecture in the area is exquisite, full of marble and gilded metals, and only the highest-class leather seating. The event center is but another example of stratification at work. In this scenario, the rich are quite literally sitting over you, being a real-life metaphor for the pyramid of social class.
We live in a society where the people on that dilapidated second floor are but a single flight of stairs away from luxury and yet are financially a lifetime separated. Such occurrences are symbolizing the stratification at work in our society, and the inequality of the classes that in turn leads to this stratification.
Perhaps the greatest example of economic stratification in our modern society is where we live and what we live in. Individuals live in apartments, trailers, campers, houses, and all manner of other things, with each type being of endless variety and quality. Not only this, but the location of said property is of just as much importance, with people living in urban areas, rural areas, in the country, all each separated further down into these such as suburbs or subdivisions or such.
All these aspects of home living weave together to create a tapestry that represents your status and quality of life. Where you live and what you live in has a massive impact on one’s life chances and ability to thrive, as having a good home is perhaps the main goal of people in life other than to have a loving family.
The many different levels of living are one of the best examples of stratification in our society. You can look anywhere, and you will see this at play; look no further than the very college I am attending, where the different housing options offer varying prices and qualities, surrounded further by a variety of apartments. People look to homeownership as the ultimate test of what an individual has achieved in life.
Living in a trailer park is looked upon as having failed, with a fancy home in a subdivision being viewed as having achieved stability and happiness. When it comes down to it, the person living in a trailer can be just as happy as the person in the brand-new house. For we are all unique, with some happy with the bare minimum while some must live in excess. Belongings do not define a person, even though society may lead you to believe that. `
I am not trying to impress any strangers with my achievements or class. My only goal is to achieve a financially and emotionally stable life, that is full of fulfilling experiences. While I want to make enough money to secure my future and my future family, I do not care to live a life of pure excess in the pursuit of being better than everyone else. An individual who bases their life around the approval of others will never achieve true happiness, for happiness must be created for oneself. I have always had to work for what I had in life.
My parents had me young, putting me and my future first instead of going to college in the pursuit of their plans. I have always strived to excel, graduating as valedictorian of my high school class, and the first member of my family to attend college in generations. I work now to carve a future for myself not to impress others, but solely for my happiness and stability.
I wish for a greater social stance than my father and mother before me not out of vanity, but out of a desire for my life to be something greater. Their hopes and dreams for my future hold me, give me hope that my future accomplishments will give the generations that shall follow me an ideal to strive for. I cannot hope to change the stratification that exists in our society. My only hope is that I can embrace its existence and in turn overcome the hurdles those that came before me could not, and in time, rise.
