The issues of social class and inequality have been addressed time and time again throughout the history of society. The structuring of a social class varies from rigid, like the caste system of India, to blurry, like that of the United States. Two separate depictions of the United States social class system are introduced. These essays give us a better understanding of the way our class system is structured and also predict the path our society is heading towards. In their essay "How Many Classes Are There?" Dennis Gilbert and Joseph A. Kahl divide the American social classes into six separate and distinct groups based on a combination of income, education credentials, and occupation (431). Both of these men are highly educated in the area of sociology. Gilbert is a professor at Hamilton College and Kahl has taught at Harvard, Washington University in St. Louis, and Cornell. Both have also written books on the subject of social class systems. Gilbert and Kahl believe !

that there is a pattern that is followed in placing someone in a social class. This pattern is based on community studies and the way an individual believes (s)he fits within society a

An aspect that is hit upon by both essays is the mobility of individuals from class to class. Gilbert and Kahl note that mobility is easier and more commonplace in the middle of the social hierarchy and harder at the extremes (432). Very rarely will a person in the top of the hierarchy drop to the bottom of the hierarchy or vice versa. Murray's essay builds upon this statement. Murray believes our society is becoming more like a caste system and that our society is on the brink of complete social separation (443). The growing wealthy class will consume all of the power and the growing class of paupers will be lost in the shuffle. The result will be a new American standard, according to Murray (444).

Kennedy, William J. Kennedy, and Hadley M. Smith. Upper Saddle River:

Murray, Charles. "Separation of the Classes." National Review. 8 July 1991: 26-30.

Writing in the Disciplines: A Reader for Writers. 4th ed. Eds. Mary Lynch

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nd where (s)he will place himself or herself accordingly (440).

Kennedy, William J. Kennedy, and Hadley M. Smith. Upper Saddle River:

Rpt. in Writing in the Disciplines: A Reader for Writers. 4th ed. Eds. Mary Lynch

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 970
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)