[Ronald-V29671]

While we may consider ourselves classless (without caste) in North America relative to India, we are not classless. Indeed, you are wealthy, or middle income or low income. As in India, it is by unspoken rules that we live. If a low income person were to attend a high-income function, that person would feel out of place. There is much ado about 'self-worth' talk in North America. For many, their self-worth comes from belonging to a certain income bracket. It is sad.

User Detail :  

Name : Ronald-V29671, City : Edmonton, State : NA Country : Canada, 

[Craig]

There is a lot of hypocracy in this country. Many people who say, 'This is the best country in the world!' have never been outside the US. We have a 'World Series' that is played with teams in the US and Canada. When we say, 'we have a classless society,' what is meant is that we don't have royalty lines, and that anyone can move up or down within their financial class. A large part of our culture is materialistic, and the materials are used to display how you are better than someone else, buying a BMW over a Chevy, etc. In truth, upper class children have an advantage. For example, a friend of mine went to college that cost $25K a year, and his parents paid for it. When he got out of college, they bought him a car, and had connections for him to get a good job. Someone without these advantages could still make it into college, with hard work, and a little luck, and actually become upper class. I am glad that my friend realizes how fortunate he is and is appreciative of it, because I have seen people who can afford an expensive college mock people who can only afford a state univeristy, etc., and that attitude is not uncommon. I recently saw a commercial for a car that said, 'When you play a game, and win, at the end, you shake hands, and say, 'great game,' but the whole time, what you're really thinking is:'I'm better than yooouu areeee.' The new (car name)...' And that is the obsession with things and class: the need of so many to feel better or at least keep up with your neighbor.

User Detail :  

Name : Craig, Gender : M, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 37, City : Minneapolis, State : MN Country : United States, 

[D.Arnold]

Why are Americans obsessed with the class system? I thought they were proud of their classless society, as compared with other countries.(P.S.I dont come from any state.)

User Detail :  

Name : D.Arnold, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Atheist, Age : 37, City : Taipei, State : NA Country : Taiwan, Occupation : English teacher, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Lower class, 

[PappaJerry]

I have never heard that we have a "classless society" in the United States. What I believe we do have is a society where it is easier to move from class to class than it is in other societies.

My immigrant grandfather was a janitor. His children became salesmen or small businessmen. His grandchildren are almost all college graduates, with several members of the professions. There aren't too many countries in the world where that can happen.

User Detail :  

Name : PappaJerry, Gender : M, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 66, City : Tampa, State : FL Country : United States, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[ACC24016]

Most Americans have this huge bizarre amount of denial that there even is a class system in the United States. Even your assumption that there isn't much of a class system is part of that denial. Both janitors and lawyers claim to be middle class when it should be obvious neither of them are. The fact is, America is the most unequal of the industrial nations in terms of income and class, as unequal as most Third World countries. Salaries for CEOs are 300-400 times as high as that of the average worker at the same company. Compare that to Europe where the ratio is only 150-200 times, or Japan where it's 50-60 times. There has been a class system and class warfare in America from before its founding. The only difference between here and Europe is that the average European knows it. In America, it's mostly the wealthy and their stooges who know it.

User Detail :  

Name : ACC24016, Race : Mexican and American Indian, City : West Lafayette, State : IN Country : United States, Social class : Lower class, 

[Rob]

I've lived abroad for several years and I have had the advantange of observing American culture from the outside. I believe Americans are obsessed with class because Americans are obsessed with self-expression. In the American point of view, a life lived in anonymity is a wasted life. Thus, many Americans feel that they must find some way to set themselves apart from the rest - to mark their passage in this world. The best way to do this is to accumulate wealth and then show it off, because wealth is not easy to attain. The American dream is to live in an expensive dwelling, situated in an exclusive area of town, drive (or be driven) to a high power-job in an expensive car, eat power lunches at exclusive restaurants, send the kids to exclusive schools, belong to exclusive clubs, and generally disassociate one's self and one's progeny from "the great unwashed."

It seems that many of the people who have attained membership in the upper-class feel that it is their God-given right to look down at those who haven't and sneer because they've set themselves apart. It's their form of self-expression - that they're intrinsically better than most other people because of who they are and what they have.

The beauty of America is that class-climbing is possible with hard work and luck. Membership in the upper-class is not barred to those who choose their parents poorly. However, the ugliness that is exhibited by those who have attained membership in the upper-class is not confined to Americans. Rather, this ugliness is common to all members of the upper-class, nationality notwithstanding.

User Detail :  

Name : Rob, Gender : M, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Episcopalian, Age : 33, City : Tacoma, State : WA Country : United States, Occupation : Attorney, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, 

[John]

My observation on American societal classes is that we are indoctrinated from early on that every one has the opportunity to better oneself through education and hard work. Unfortunately, that be both true and untrue. My great grandfather to the U.S.A. speaking no English and went into the coal mines of western Pennsylvania. I am college educated and an airline pilot. My grandfather placed a high value on education and thus encouraged my father to study and 'better' himself. Two generations, myself and my father, took advantage of military tuition opportunities through Naval service(as well as the opportunity to get killed in combat overseas if necessary)to attend college and advance ourselves economically. Unfortunately, there is not always an equal level of education available in terms of quality and/or economic ability. Oft times, poorer members of American society do not enjoy a cultural emphasis on education or do not have a tax base that supports college preparation level schools. The cycle of undereducated parent/child repeats itself as the parent sees little value in promoting educational opportunities and the child receives little encouragement either at home or in school to work toward the far off goal of higher education and the potential rewards resultant from attending college. There is opportunity to improve one's social/economic status in America. It entails education, motivation and hard work. Social barriers are more fluid than in many other societies, although there are remaining pockets of resistance based upon racial or religious aspects. U.S. laws prohibit certain forms of discrimination based upon race or religion and our legal system works to address violations. The system is far from perfect but it is a result of the corrections inherent in a democratic society - oftimes painful and noisy but better than many of the alternatives.

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Name : John, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Catholic, Age : 38, City : Orlando, State : FL Country : United States, Occupation : Airline pilot/union leader, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper middle class, 

[Venkata]

I have lived in India, Netherlands, Oman and now in the US. America has less class distinctions than many other countries. The only two classes I see here are the HAVEs and the not-so-haves. It is an economic powerhouse and a Progressive, LIBERAL, Ambitious, EXTROVERT and Competitive society. The natural fallout of its achievement is exhibitionsm, which I think is more consequential than intentional.

User Detail :  

Name : Venkata, Gender : M, Race : Asian, Religion : Hindu, Age : 42, City : Los Angeles, State : CA Country : United States, Occupation : Software consultant, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Phil30413]

Rob, from Tacoma, makes an important point: that it's easy to change your class in the United States. America, more than any other country, is a meritocracy. And perhaps because of this, it has been branded (even self-branded) a classless society, because class does not exist in the European sense of the word. Someone's position in U.S. society is largely dictated by his or her wealth. In the UK, no amount of money will ever elevate someone from working class to upper class. The two classes are far too culturally different. Conversely, the United States is far more homogenous.

User Detail :  

Name : Phil30413, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Wiccan, Age : 27, City : London, State : NA Country : United Kingdom, 

[MWicker]

I grew up in a small town where the differences between people were hardly discernable. After college I lived for a while in europe. The people I met there went to great pains to try to discover my 'class'. They found it very confusing that my parents owned their home and worked in factories, that I was college educated but didn't turn my back on my upbringing. Basically, they were puzzled as to why I would choose to glide back and forth 'between classes'. Their interest in my background made me feel uncomfortable not because I was embarassed but because I was embarassed for them. The feeling was similar to someone asking how much you paid for your house. I also think that people (of whatever background) who are completely comfortable with themselves have the most class. Being gracious doesn't hinge on your socio-economic group.

User Detail :  

Name : MWicker, Gender : F, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 44, City : Indianapolis, State : IN Country : United States, Occupation : college administrator, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Charles32250]

Yes, we do have a class system, and yes it is supposedly based on personal merit. But I challenge you meritocratic folks to look me in the eye and tell me the John Rockefeller III deserved billions of dollars simply for surviving to adulthood. Those billions were built through brilliant intelligence and some harsh economic opression - but neither the merit nor the injustice was John's. Just as in all human societies, America has a heriditary class system. What makes it worth keeping, though, is that a lie cannot stay this popular if it is completely fabricated. While clawing your way into the aristocracy is never easy and never happens very often, it happens more often here than anywhere else. And millions of immigrants have proven that, slim though that chance is, a lot of us are willing to go for it.

User Detail :  

Name : Charles32250, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Agnostic, Age : 24, City : Albuquerque, State : NM Country : United States, Occupation : Architect, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Lower middle class, 

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