1.

The distinction between owners and employees is explained by those who own the wealth of society and live off investments versus those who must work for a living. Owners generate income from the labor of other people through property, stocks, bonds, rents, and business profits (unearned income). Employees live off wages, salaries, and fees that represent only a portion of the value they produce.

Examples

2.

Adam Smith’s quote argues that human labor is the true source of all economic value. Money is just a nominal price tag, whereas the actual value of a commodity comes from the physical and mental work required to make it. For instance, raw timber has little market value on its own until loggers cut it down, factory workers process it into furniture, and truckers deliver it to a store

3.

I believe while people can feel a cultural identity around their job or career path, class primarily is an objective, not ethos of what identity is. Identity is what makes us who we are, where we come from and how we spend our time. Treating class purely as an identity reduces it to personal perceptions or lifestyle choices. In reality, class is a structural position that dictates what a person owns, what they must do to survive, and where their leverage lies in society

4.

“Class Structures Are Built Around a Close Form of Dependency”. My understanding of this quote is unlike demographic identities where one person’s status does not rely on a daily economic interaction with someone else, class positions only exist in relation to each other. A worker cannot earn a living without selling their labor to an employer, and a business owner cannot generate profit without hiring workers to produce goods or services

Example

In a hospital or medical lab, phlebotomists and lab staff depend on the healthcare corporation for an hourly wage and healthcare coverage, while the executive leadership and shareholders completely depend on the staff’s daily processing of patient samples to generate clinic revenue. If workers collectively strike, the owner’s revenue stops immediately, revealing how deeply dependent the owner is on their labor

Response to Option 2

Based on the reading, the area surrounding 36th Avenue represents working class to solid middle class community, with an increasingly noticeable upper middle-class presence. It is completely unsurprising that the community falls under these tiers. Astoria historically has been an immigrant and blue collar stronghold, with heavy Greek influence. There are pockets in Astoria that feel like Morocco, Brazil, Bangladesh, Greece, and so much more. With it’s close proximity to Manhattan, it makes sense the influence of the upper middle class has brought. Things like bike lanes, visual MTA station improvements (NOT service), and excess of coffee shop directly correlate to the social class that makes up the 36th Avenue train station in Astoria.

2. I live close to the A train, and the neighborhood around me is mostly low to medium income.The ideas from Reading 4.1 income is the biggest thing that shapes what social class people think they belong to. Since most people around here fall into the low to medium income range,reading 4.1 data would suggest that a lot of my neighbors would probably identify as working class or lower middle rather than upper class. The reading also mentions other things that affect class identity besides income like education level, age, race, and whether someone lives in an urban area. Since my neighborhood is in NYC and likely has a mix of education levels and a diverse population, those factors would also line up with a lot of people identifying as working class rather than upper class.
   I’m not really surprised by this. it matches what I see day to day, with a lot of working families, mixed income levels, and people working regular jobs rather than owning businesses or having high-paying careers.

Amir Khan

Ideology is the map through which we make sense of the social and political world. It’s not just individual opinion, it’s a coherent shared cluster of beliefs and values about how society should be organized. Ideology tells us what is normal and fair, while quietly defining what is wrong.

An example of ideology that comes to mind is the concept of the “American Dream”. This ideology can be interpreted in different ways. One one hand, it can be interpreted that success is defined by how hard you work, while conversely identifying people struggling as “not working hard enough”. This opens the door for poverty being viewed as laziness rather than systemic barriers.

My definition of ideology is the way in which we present ourself to society, and either adhere or abstain from social norms. The United States is, at its truest form, a place for multiple ideologies to mesh and transform into the greater culture. You can have places like Queens NY, which each street can have a different way of thinking. The ideology of freedom is what draws so many here, and with the current administration infringing on this ideology of freedom, it is ever important to stay true to our countries original principles. Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all.

Conservative vs Liberal Ideologies

There is a fundamental dividing line between American politics, and that is conservatism and liberalism. The differences center around the relationship of individual and government, as well as aspects of life and economy.

Conservatism centers around tradition, individual responsibilities, and limitations on government. Tradition reflects a belief in respecting established cultural norms and religious heritage. This can cause problems because America claims to be free for all, however conservatives constantly apply Christian values to policies and politics. Limitations on government and their involvement in laws at the state level are believed to do more harm than good.

Liberalism centers around equality, and progressivism. Equality and social justice are at the forefront of what being a liberal is, pushing the ideology that systemic barriers prevent people from achieving basic well being. They also believe in an active government, which can cause problems due to higher government spending an in turn, the tax payer footing the bill for something they don’t necessarily believe in.

The dividibg line between both parties comes down to healthcare. Healthcare is a very broad term, but something specific we can tackle in terms of breaking down the difference in ideologies. Things like abortion care, and healthcare for all once explored, can show the difference between the parties. Conversatives argue that abortion is murder, based on the traditional Christian/religious values, while liberals argue that it is up to the individual and doctor to decide what is right for the patient. Liberals argue that healthcare for all, regardless of immigration status and ability to pay, is a right that the government should fund and protect. This is just one example we can explore with key arguments on both sides.

Althussers Understanding of Ideology

Louis Althussers argued that ideology is not a set of abstract ideas in our heads, it is defined as our imaginary relationship to real conditions of existence. Society constructs an imaginary picture of who we are, where we for and we live out that picture through routine behaviors within society. Althusser calls them Ideological State Apparatuses. These ISA’s are schools, churches, media and family. Through a process called interpellation, these institutions call upon society to fit into specific subjects like “A good student”, “A hard worker”, or “A law abiding citizen”. We can use the pledge of allegiance as an example. By taking part in something like this every day at school, you do not just believe in patriotism, it is practiced in action to integrate in our society here in the United States. This ritual gives a harmonious belonging into a unified nation, regardless of the turmoil we experience and the infighting in politics.