Essay on Social Structure and Its Effect On Our Lives

Social Structure and Its Effect On Our Lives Social structures are constraints that affect the lives of both the affluent and the indigent members of society. Each society has its own set of social arrangements for example; class, gender and ethnicity are all constraints that each society has to deal with in one way or another. One of the most fundamental of the social structures would be class. Class structure is found in all societies and is the key source of economical inequality. Members of different class groups start their lives with unequal opportunities. This means that when someone is born into a poor household they will undoubtedly remain in the same economical situation they began in. Gender is another important†¦show more content†¦According to McGregor (1989) class is the main cause of inequality and social injustice in Australia. The prime explanation for this is that members of different class groups begin their lives with unequal opportunities, this affects the education they will receive, the social connections they will make and even the way they speak and behave. McGregor also argues that the class one belongs to is determined by many factors, these include; power, family background, wealth, lifestyle, mannerisms, social interactions, and employment. Class can be separated into three categories, upper class, middle class and lower class. According to Abercrombie (2000) the upper class is distinguished from the rest by its wealth and power. The upper class consists of very few people; McGregor argues that it may be as little 1% of societys population. The people in this group are employers, they own large quantities of land, and some are self-employed or have a career as managers or professionals. Wealth is distributed among the upper class members mainly through inheritance. With greater wealth people have the opportunity to manipulate the life that they will lead. The education system reinforces many inequalities insuring that members of the highest class have better opportunities and elevated chances of achieving greatness. MembersShow MoreRelatedThe Effects Of History And Social Structures On Our Lives Essay1692 Words   |  7 Pageschildren stick with us for the rest of our lives. They help structure and model us into a person that will eventually do extraordinary things that will affect others around us. In first world countries most experiences as a child are generally the same for everyone because they live in a safe shielded environment that protects them anything bad that could happen but, children growing up in third world countries face horrible experiences that can cost them their lives but they believe is the norm. 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