“The New Working Class” by Rebecca Piitro Heath

“The New Working Class”, written by Rebecca Piitro Heath, describes the situation of the working class, its perspectives and problems, changes over the time and other aspects. According to Rebecca Piitro Heath, “in a supposedly classless society, nearly half of Americans consistently identify themselves as working class”. “There are certain changes in the working-class stereotype of a “hard-hatted, blue-collared, middle-aged, white man”, according to Rebecca Piirto Heath (1998). The representations of the working class in today’s media have slightly changed, as there have appeared new different trends and directions that influenced the society.

Nowadays, the working class in not popular, as there are many new different kinds of jobs that people want to get, and also, today in the time of crisis people are looking for something special and think more creatively. People try to invent new things, they try to find new approaches, and also, they use their ideas and creativity to start their own business. Modern working class has intentions to become better and find more prestigious job, as the whole society has aims to develop their knowledge and experience and to work in better companies and in better conditions.

Many people believe that everything is changing so fast that it is almost impossible to foresee what will happen tomorrow with the working class and what the tendencies for the future are. In the past many people considered being a working class as something prestigious, but now the situation has changed. According to Peter Rachleff, professor of history at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota , “No one wants to be working class in America. According to Rachleff, “We are bombarded by so much popular culture that tells us continually that this is a middle-class society.”

Some experts, including Moore, say, that the middle class didn’t exist until the current century. The changes after the World War II led to the better life, with homes, cars, children at college, etc. According to The future of America’s Working Class (2010), “Over the past decade, job gains in Britain, like those in the United States, have been concentrated at the top and bottom of the wage profile. The growth in real earnings for blue-collar professions–industry, warehousing and construction–have generally lagged those of white-collar workers.”

Politics and economics are interconnected, and consequently, the results of work of the government determine the possibilities and perspectives that people canget. According to David Moberg (2000), “By contrast, in describing changes over several decades in the American economy–economic slowdown, growing inequality, and a “great divide” in educational attainments–Teixeira and Rogers conclude that the three-fourths of Americans without a four-year college degree have lost ground economically.” New working class is a correct definition of people who work today and relate themselves to the modern working class. There are many nuances that help to determine the conditions and other aspects in the peculiarities of the working class.

All in all, things change and people make their choices considering their work and their interests. Working class of today differs a lot from the working class that existed some time ago, as everything has changed and there are many issues that nowadays are considered contradictory and useless. Working has become a style of life, and the job has become a conscious choice that changes person’s life. In the modern world appeared more types of jobs that attract people and the representations of the class in today’s media have changed.

 

 

 

References

David Moberg (2000). The Working Class Majority: America’s Best Kept Secret by Michael Zweig Cornell University.
Rebecca Piirto Heath (1998). The new working class: in a supposedly classless society, nearly half of Americans consistently identify themselves as working class



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