Consequences of Social Class 8.3 Summarize the consequences of social class for physical and mental health, family life, education, religion, politics, and the criminal justice system. The man was a C student in school.
As a businessman, he ran an oil company (Arbusto) into the ground. A self-confessed alcoholic until age 40, he was arrested for drunk driving. With this background, how did he become president of the United States?
Accompanying these personal factors was the power of social class. George W. Bush was born the grandson of a wealthy senator and the son of a businessman who, after serving as a member of the House of Representatives and director of the CIA, was elected president of the United States.
For high school, he went to an elite private prep school, Andover; for his bachelor’s degree to Yale; and for his MBA to Harvard.
He was given $1 million to start his own business.
When that business (Arbusto) failed, Bush fell softly, landing on the boards of several corporations.
Taken care of even further, he was made the managing director of the Texas Rangers baseball team and allowed to buy a share of the team for $600,000, which he sold for $15 million.
When it was time for him to get into politics, Bush’s connections financed his run for governor of Texas and then for the presidency. Does social class matter? And how!
Think of each social class as a broad subculture with distinct approaches to life, so significant that it affects your health, family life, education, religion, politics, and even your experiences with crime and the criminal justice system.
Let’s look at some of the ways that social class affects our lives.
Hearing from the Author: Consequences of Social Class Listen to the Audio With tough economic times, a lot of people have lost their jobs—and their homes. If this happens, how can you survive? Maybe a smile and a sense of humor to tap the kindness of strangers. I took this photo outside Boston’s Fenway Park. Credit: James M. Henslin
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