Blog #8 & Extra Credit

     There are countless sources in which we learn about what is going on in our neighborhoods, towns, cities, state, country and even the world. Some of these sources are newspapers, magazines and of course the media. The media is arguably the most influential. One problem with the media, however, is that it does not cover everything fairly. It sometimes covers irrelevant topics such as celebrities and their marriages or pregnancies or even what they decided to wear. Another problem with the media is that it does not directly address an issue. For example, It would cover the topic of substance abuse but it would just mention how horrible the users are instead of discussing what leads them to start using in the first place.
     The United States is one of the richest countries, if not the richest, in the world. So how is it that there are so many homeless and poor people? In 2010 46.2 million people were in poverty. The poor are usually said to be in that situation because they choose to and they do not want to look for jobs. The media never mentions that society actually needs some poverty as discussed in an article by Herbert J. Gans titled "Positive Funvtions of the Undeserving Poor: Uses of the Underclass in America".
     When people hear "poor" they tend to think of people on the streets. Little do they know that poor can mean Making only a certain amount or having a low income per person in a household. In America, many people are stuggling to barely stay above the poverty line. They are usually addressed as The Working Class (people who are employed for wages especially for manual or industrial work). The working class practically takes up the unwanted jobs because they cannot find work elsewhere.
     The Middle Class (those who are between upper and working class) is a little more well off. They can afford somethings in order to live more comfortably than working class people. Their social ranking is also higher compared to the working class and the homeless along with the poor people.
     Those who fall under Upper Class (people of the highest status) are seen as holders of desirable positions in society. They have a major impact on where people fall regarding the social classes. They are said to be powerful enough to stop people from achieving a higher status. They can even make people fall down the social ladder.
     In a country where equality is so important, not much is being done to help those of lower status or poor/homeless people. In the video People Like Us: Social Class In America, people talk about how they do not want to mention what class they belong to because they do not want to acknowledge that such classes exist. In the Ted Talk Conference on Education, entrepreneuers give young people advice. A shocking statistic shows that 1 in 5 kids drop out of school. This also contributes to the overwhelming amount of people in poverty.