Are social classes pre-determined? This vintage film on DVD aims to discover this question during an era (1957) when many citizens of various races and social classes were still not extended complete civil rights. Despite the American Dream of the pursuit of life, liberty and property – is our society still basically hierarchical?
Included Films:
Social Class in America
Social Class in America
Produced: 1957
Length: 14 Minutes
Social Class in America is a dramatized sociological experiment used to expose what class divisions mean in America. Produced in the 1950s (when class divisions were more rigid), the film captures three newborn boys from a small American town. One, Gil Ames, is the son of a wealthy manufacturer. Ted Eastwood is middle class, the son of a white collar worker. Dave Benton is the lower class son of poor parents. The three lead very different lives, for instance Gil Ames mixes mostly with men of his own kind at the Ivy League college he goes to after high school. Though the film is ostensibly about mobility, middle class Ted is the only example of someone moving vertically from one class to another. The film is quick to point out, though, that he is only perceived as higher class in New York, where such things are possible. This film claims that one of the strengths of America is its citizens potential for upward mobility, but the films story itself belies this. This film is a fascinating study of social class in mid twentieth century America.
