Class Barriers

       Last week we watched a video about class distinctions in America. The most interesting section to me was the part where the middle-class woman hires a coach to help her appear upper class. The video made an interesting argument, that even if you have money, to truly fit in with those of a higher class you need to learn a complicated set of social customs and rules. The point was that at the highest level, social ability is as much a marker of class as wealth, and to advance one's class is more complicated than simply finding a good job. When I watched the video, I wondered whether this also applied to class changes lower on the spectrum; rising from a lower class to the middle class, or between different parts of middle class society.
      I don't think the social barriers are as high between changing between lower classes as they are with advancing into the upper class. The world the video shows, of fancy parties, is much more unforgiving than the world in general. The amount of attention to detail the woman needed to even attempt to appear natural in the new setting was pretty stunning, but I'm not sure we can apply the same principle to other strata of society. I'm speaking mostly from personal beliefs, but I can't believe an engineer or other high-end blue collar worker would judge someone for not wearing the right clothing the same way those at the party would have judged the woman if she was not wearing a 3,000$ outfit.
       Because of the severity of social situations in lower classes is significantly less, I believe the barriers between advancing from the lower to middle class are mostly educational or monetary. A construction worker can advance his status  if he is able to go through a vocational program and become an electrician, or another specialized job. I don't think there is a strong difference in customs between segments of the working class, and his increased income as a result of his better job would be enough to say he has raised his status.
      What you think about the barriers between classes lower than the upper class? I mostly am basing this argument off of personal belief, so I'm interested what others with different experiences have to say.

Image Credit: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/black-tie-event.html