1. What’s the difference between owner and employees in Reading 4.3? Give an example of each.

The main difference? It all comes down to work versus wealth. Owners are the ones calling the shots-they hand out the work and sit back while the money rolls in. Meanwhile, employees are the ones actually doing the heavy lifting, but they only get a fraction of the profit their labor generates. Owners are all about maximizing what they make while minimizing what they pay workers. Think of a big-time CEO who owns a chain of coffee shops-they make money whether they show up or not. But the baristas? They’re the ones grinding (literally and figuratively) every day to keep the place running while earning an hourly wage.

2. How do you interpret Adam Smith’s quote on page 28? What is it saying about labor?

Smith is basically saying labor is where the real value is-not money itself. We tend to think cash is king, but without workers actually doing the job, there wouldn’t be anything to profit from in the first place. The hustle, the effort, the skills-THATS what truly matters. If you strip away the workers, the economy would crumble because no one would be there to keep things moving.

3. What are your thoughts on Reading 4.4’s argument that class is NOT an identity?

I get why people feel like class is part of who they are. Erik Olin Wright said something that really stuck with me. “What you have determines what you have to do to get what you get.” That pretty much sums up the reality of generational wealth and opportunity gaps. Some people start life on third base while others are till trying to find the stadium. The article makes a good point-people in similar financial situations often bond over shared struggles, which makes class feel like an identity. When you grow up having to fight for every opportunity, it hard not to see it as part of who you are.

4. How do you understand the argument that “class structures are built around a close form of dependency”? Can you think of an example?

It’s a two-way street, kind of like a weird, unspoken deal between the upper and working classes. The rich need workers to keep their businesses running and profits flowing, while workers need jobs to survive. But here’s the kicker: one side definitely has more power than the other. The owning class gets to set the wages, while the working class has to hope they’re enough to cover rent and groceries. It’s like a restaurant, without chefs, servers, and dishwashers, the place wouldn’t function, but the owners are the ones raking in the big bucks from the business.