When sociologists talk of social class, they refer to a group of individuals who occupy a similar position in the economic system of production. Within that system occupation is very important because it provides financial rewards, stability and benefits like healthcare.
A status hierarchy in which individuals and groups are classified on the basis of esteem and prestige acquired mainly via economic success and accumulation of wealth. Social class may withal refer to any particular level in such a hierarchy.
Four prevalent social classes informally recognized in many societies are: (1) Upper class, (2) Middle class, (3) Working class, and the (4) Lower class.
The effects of social class can be felt anywhere. Virtually every aspect of society is influenced in some manner by social class. The magazines one reads, the television shows one watches, and the apparel a person buys affect social class. School, work, religious, and home lives are withal linked to the influence of social classes. Schools and the workplace are greatly influenced by social class. The look of employment is transmuting because workers can no longer expect to work their way up through a company. Many companies look outside of the company for people with the right educational background instead of hiring from within.
The reporting of social class contributes to the lack of reliability as well. Since social class is often self-reported, it is difficult to assure the precision of the information collected. Even if the data is precise, social classes are not the same in each region or city. What constitutes upper class in one location may be middle class in another. The lack of consistency involved in researching social class accounts for the difficulty in utilizing it as a reliable