I think that social class still very much matters today. It may not be something that we express very often or are obvious about it these days but class still plays a role in our behavior. A few decades ago class was very important. The rich looked down at the poor people and had no problem expressing their disdain for them. Today it would be seen as more rude to outwardly talk about not liking people of a lower class. People may see you as stuck up or snobby. Also, today we have a lot more classes than existed years ago. People who are not in the upper class can still enjoy a comfortable lifestyle and there are those in the upper class who use their money for good causes to help those less fortunate.
I think that class shapes society, although not as much as before. We have a lot more opportunities for upward mobility. However, as shown on the website People Like Us, each person stuggles individually with their class. Some people have a harder time moving up classes when they began in a lower one. When people move down classes by choice or not they are looked down upon by the class they once belonged to. I think the way people treat different classes can be blatant (especially from the upper class to the lower class) but a lot of the interaction that takes place on a daily level is more subtle. Think about the movie Pretty Woman. When Julia Roberts goes into that pricey store in her revealing dress she is asked to look elsewhere for clothes. I have seen the looks that poorer looking people get when they walk into nice stores. They are followed by the sales associates because they may steal something. How many of us avoid homeless people when we walk through cities? We may not say anything outloud, but we cannot help but think about these class differences.
I think that class still matters a lot in today's society. We may not be as vocal about it and we may have more opportunities for upward movement, but we can't deny that class separates us from other people.
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