Social Immobility: Climbing the Economic Ladder Is Harder In The U.S. Than In Most European Countrie

huffingtonpost.com



This article supports my observation that the U.S. has been losing its middle class since at least the 1980's. I myself have not earned what my father did, as in my 20's and 30's I chose to go into the arts, where your income is usually fluctuating and often low. In this way my experience may not be typical.

I have certainly noticed that a surprising number of my college students have ended up working in big box stores and in similar jobs where they are underemployed, underpaid and typically have no benefits. Even if (and I hope when) they move up to better paying positions they will have lost a number of years worth of income, and so will probably never equal their parents' level of "success." The middle-class jobs are just not there, especially as we are losing more and more of our industry to third-world nations.

Maybe I should tell my students to move to Canada or some countries in Europe.

America is supposed to be the "land of opportunity," where people come from all over the world to climb the ladder to success, but it turns out we have more class divisions than we would like to admit.

Here's a visual concept of the 'ladder of success' in the US:




It's a rope ladder.....

America has a become a country where everyone is out for themselves and will do whatever it takes to get ahead and make money. Many Americans especially the upper middle class and wealthy have it as their primary goal in life to become "millionaire" worthy. Look at our business culture. Look at our politicians. Everyone is bought and paid for and corrupt. The only reason our society is held together is through force i.e. taxation. Otherwise no one would want to pay or do anything for the "common good". America was founded on the common good and altruistic intentions. This whole............social darwinsitic capitalism that has been forced down our throats is perpetuated by a group of wealthy bankers and peopel who only care about making money.

Sure there are many people who are not like this.....but collectively we have reached a new low as a society in my opinion. But I can't say Europe is any easier to get ahead. I mean look at those countries......everyone lives in apartments and drives smart cars. Sorry but I don't want to live like that and that's not what America is all about.

Combine the above with our government's stranglehold on the ability to open up and run a small business and you have the great USA! Anyone who thinks we aren't already a fascist country needs to open their eyes.

[edit on 17-3-2010 by Zosynspiracy]

[edit on 17-3-2010 by Zosynspiracy]

So does nobody care that the U.S. is becoming no longer the land of opportunity? That most of Europe beats us in the ability to climb the ladder to social and economic success?

How do you feel about our brightest and best moving out of the country in search of better opportunities?

How do you feel about losing the middle class?

Anybody?????

I think we are being played here, I read a report not so long ago claiming the same thing in reverse. I will of course try and find it to back up my point.

Also a factor here is population differences, remember 'Europe' and the EU version of 'Europe' are two different concepts.

My first job in management pays the same as my last job in management. Same position, 13 years apart. Minimum wage was roughly $5.00 back then I think even lower. Over the years average job minimum wage went up. Executive pay went up. Middle Management pay stayed the same or was cut to make room for a supervisor position. Now we see what used to be one manager per location being assigned multiple locations to manage. Prices keep going up though. Pay goes down in relation to those prices. Corporations stopped paying bonuses, and perks many years back. All of this has squeezed the middle out.

Originally posted by Sestias
huffingtonpost.com

s America the "land of opportunity"? Not so much.

A new report from the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) finds that social mobility between generations is dramatically lower in the U.S. than in many other developed countries.

So if you want your children to climb the socioeconomic ladder higher than you did, move to Canada.

The report finds the U.S. ranking well below Denmark, Australia, Norway, Finland, Canada, Sweden, Germany and Spain in terms of how freely citizens move up or down the social ladder. Only in Italy and Great Britain is the intensity of the relationship between individual and parental earnings even greater. For instance, according to the OECD, 47 percent of the economic advantage that high-earning fathers in the United States have over low-earning fathers is transmitted to their sons, compare to, say, 17 percent in Australia and 19 percent in Canada.

Recent economic events may be increasing social mobility in the U.S. -- but only of the downward variety. Harvard Professor Elizabeth Warren, for example, argues that America's middle class had been eroding for 30 years even before the massive blows caused by the financial crisis. And with unemployment currently at astronomical levels, if there are no jobs for young people leaving school, the result could be long-term underemployment and, effectively, a lost generation.

Please visit the link provided for the complete story.

This article supports my observation that the U.S. has been losing its middle class since at least the 1980's. I myself have not earned what my father did, as in my 20's and 30's I chose to go into the arts, where your income is usually fluctuating and often low. In this way my experience may not be typical.

I have certainly noticed that a surprising number of my college students have ended up working in big box stores and in similar jobs where they are underemployed, underpaid and typically have no benefits. Even if (and I hope when) they move up to better paying positions they will have lost a number of years worth of income, and so will probably never equal their parents' level of "success." The middle-class jobs are just not there, especially as we are losing more and more of our industry to third-world nations.

Maybe I should tell my students to move to Canada or some countries in Europe.

America is supposed to be the "land of opportunity," where people come from all over the world to climb the ladder to success, but it turns out we have more class divisions than we would like to admit.

Pfft.. another huffington post rag story...

OK, ever been to Europe... I lived there for 5 years. People don't own nice residential houses there unless they are rich. Most people are damned to apartments and public transportation because owning and driving a car cost a small fortune. If that is the Utopia you dream about, please, please, please move there and stop trying to turn the U.S. into "that".... there is plenty of "that" there... go get some if you really think that it is so good.

As for earning less than your fathers... well, I am going to be mean here but if you spent tens of thousands at college to get a freeking ARTS degree then your not to damned bright. Don't complain how bad your life and wages are if you squandered your education on "low to no paying" professions. I bet not to many of your peers who received medical, law, or engineering degrees are having these problems (there is always a few exceptions of course and expect to see a reply from someone claiming to be an engineering graduate).

Anyway, If "teaching, art, and journalism" for example don't freeking pay well, don't spend your time and money becoming one.... .... .... ....

I read the rest of the article.. talking about MORE social programs... Let's be 100% honest here.... most of the freeking PROBLEMS are caused by social programs and the DEPENDENCY it causes. People are allowed to remain ignorant, people are encouraged to be idiots because it's "cool". Children see "dependency" as an "option".

You want to fix it, get RID of the Department of Education and allow a full voucher system to be put in place. Allow parents to choose a school (that performs) for their children. If a school sucks then guess what, they will go out of business.

Change the damned curriculum... teach Reading, Writing, and Math ONLY for the first 4 years. Start teaching "Career" education in High School, get these students trained for 4 years in a real skill... stop wasting time on "elective" easy credit crap and get down to business and teach something of freeking Value.



I know... it is VERY hard for educaters and teachers with tenure to understand that concept but really "START TEACHING CURRICULUM WITH VALUE NOT POLITICAL / SOCIAL OPINIONS"

Repeat after me.... Curriculum of value... Curriculum of value....

Oh, Value means "actually worth something in the real world" for those who don't know.

[edit on 20-3-2010 by infolurker]

reply to post by Sestias
My white collar job is being outsourced to india, hey what do I know.

You are seeing what happens when corporations take over and are not regulated.

America is run by and for the corporations for profit at the expense of the people.

In order for the big CEO's that run and the elite few "haves and have mores" that own these corporations to keep making more "profit" and more money they are giving our jobs to people on the other side of the planet.

Oh and don't forget the movie and music stars we idolize and will gladly turn over millions/billions of dollars to.

For Indians and Chinese to increase their living standard, someone has to pay and right now that someone is Americans.

America has been losing it's middle class for a while now, people are starting to wake up and smell the coffee, but it's a little late to fix the leak in the dike when the hole is the size of a 747.

A really good book is Outsourcing America: Whats Behind Our National Crisis And How We Can Reclaim American Jobs by Ron Hira and Anil Hara

Preview here: books.google.com... CA&hl=en&ei=YJOkS-2NL4a4NZKblcQI&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=8&ved=0CCkQ6AEwBw#

It's called "going global" and most Americans will have to either get use to a lower standard of living or kick Corporate America and her lobbyists out of our politicians beds in DC.

Read my location.

The asylum is being run by the inmates, at least here in the good old USA.


[edit on 20-3-2010 by ofhumandescent]

reply to post by infolurker


I said very clearly that I CHOSE to go into the arts and teaching. I'm glad I made these choices, and if I had to do it over I would do the same thing. I said plainly that my experience is not typical; many people don't choose to "drop out" of the middle class as I did.

I posted this article because it has been my observation that the middle class has been eroding since about the 1980's.

Not everything one observes and wishes to discuss is due to one's personal unhappiness.





[edit on 20-3-2010 by Sestias]

reply to post by ofhumandescent


Thanks.

I'll check out the book you recommend.