The American reality: Life in the working class

Type :

Term papers

Pages :

19 pages

Format :

.doc

Published date :

05/19/2009

Category :

Social studies

Sub category :

Sociology

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Summary :

Introduction
Marx's description of the working-class
Intra-family relationships between parents
A study of poor single mothers by Edin and Kefalas
Relationships with children
Networks of care
1. Role of extended family
2. The role of friends
3. Facing childcare difficulties and the split-shift
4. Interactions: Encountering difficulties in a changing world
5. The working-class at work
6. Attitudes toward government and society
7. Interactions with educational institutions
Conclusion
Bibliography

Abstract

In 1848, as the spread of capitalism and the Industrial Revolution were forever changing the social, political and economic landscape in Europe and America, early social theorist Karl Marx defined the working-class as those "laborers who must sell themselves piecemeal... a commodity like every other article of commerce [who] are consequently exposed to all the vicissitudes of competition, to all the fluctuations of the market... a class... which has to bear all the burdens of society without enjoying its advantages [and] which forms the majority of all members of society..." (Marx 1848:18-19, 49).

Today, american social scientists often define the working-class as those who have limited education, who work in the lower levels of the manufacturing and service sectors and earn an hourly wage. As economic conditions become uncertain, however, more and more of the lower-middle class are beginning to blur into the ranks of the working class as everyone struggles for steady employment in order to make ends meet (Rubin 1994:26). Many estimates suggest that the working-class still comprises a large portion of the population, although various definitions of "working-class" produce different percentages.