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Hierarchy Of Social Classes Essay

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Hierarchy of Social Classes People are grouped into a set of hierarchical social categories, the most common being the upper, middle and lower classes. Each of these social categories is defined below. Upper class in modern societies is the social class composed of the wealthiest members of society, who also wield the greatest political power, e.g. the President of South Africa. Features of the upper class • It is a small fraction of the population. • Some inherited wealth (born and bred in riches) but some is out of hard work e.g. the South African TV comedian, Trevor Noah. • Some have college education, some little or no college education. In most cases, those who have inherited wealth have either little or no college education; to them it’s all about gaining experience and being at the top. Consumption behaviour of the upper …show more content…

Lower class refers to a class of people below the middle class, having the lowest social rank or standing due to low income, lack of skills or education, and the like. Features of the lower class • As mentioned above, people in the lower class are unskilled and have no college education. • They are unemployed, if employed they work in manual jobs such as domestic, mining, gardening, or construction work. Consumption behaviour of the lower class • They normally buy groceries once a month, just after the payday e.g. SASSA card holders buy groceries on the 1st of every month – that is why store s targeting lower class are always packed during the first week of the month. • These people spend on the basics; things that they need. Retailers such as GOAL, Striker, and Boxer offer COMBOS (e.g. 10KG of Rice, Sugar, Flour, Maize Meal and 2L of Fish Oil at a price of R399.99). These retailers 12 understand their target market and that is why they try so hard to make them satisfied.

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