Social Class as a Cultural Influence
Social Class as a Cultural Influence In all cultures of the world, individuals differ in their wealth, material possessions, education, and level of prestige. In a continuum that ranges from people who live in poverty up through multibillion- aires, the term social class is used to categorize people within a culture who have in common a low-, working-, middle-, or upper-class socioeconomic status.
Social class is another cultural factor that can influence the self-concept. In Western countries, people with more income, education, and status tend to have many opportunities to exhibit individualism by expressing their desires, their autonomy, and the pursuit of personal goals. They have more control over the lives, greater personal choice, and more independence and self-focus. In contrast, people with less income, education, and status are more constrained in terms of what they can and cannot do. Navigating a low- income world means having to rely more on others and fitting-in, fostering “hard interdependence”. Yet when people from the working class, perhaps first-generation Americans, manage to find their way onto a university campus or a professional workplace that promotes independence and self-advocacy, these new values clash with their interdependent selves, making it difficult to succeed.
