Question

Parents of different social classes socialize their children differently. Middle-class parents are more likely to stress independence and self-direction, whereas working-class parents prioritize obedience to authority. Using this example, explain how these different socialization experiences could perpetuate (reproduce) social inequality

Answer 1

Parents of different social classes socialize their children differently. Middle-class parents are more likely to stress independence and self-direction, whereas working-class parents prioritize obedience to authority. This creates a mindset of how the people would be directed to act in their life further on. People in the working class would be trained in the same manner throughout their life, where they would learn to work hard and earn money. This falls in line with the fact that people from working class continue to beingin working class. They do not have the intent to take risks or make a business, rather, they look for stability in their life. Whereas, people from the elite class, who have inherited properties or grew up in an environment out of luxury, are modeled in that manner. They are not intended to work hard or that they should make a living by doing jobs. They continue either their family businesses, ruling above people, or not even doing that much. This mentality created let’s them to continue enjoy luxuries of inheritance, with no intent to look on a lower starts of the society.

Moreover, people in the lowest strata, are not able to imagine themselves at those heights or at those levels of luxury, as a result being restricted to the same level as they already are. This creates a hierarchy of people at their own levels, hence creating a social inequality.