Rags to riches

From social issues rise is when changed the membership of a social class or to a group or income qualification level up. The opposite is social decline.

Both are forms of vertical social mobility within a society - as opposed to horizontal mobility, in which certain socially relevant factors (eg, the workplace) change, without this having an impact on the social class.

Variants

Social mobility can take place in the course of generations, or even in the career of an individual. A typical case of social advancement is the two-generation rise above a platform profession.

Social Relegation may also relate to a given profession, if their economic or cultural basis improved or lost. Also search immigrants usually climb the social ladder, which is often due to the fact that immigrants are often incorporated at very low levels in the host society, so that a strong need for a status improvement developed.

History

In the Middle Ages, the possibilities were added to a low social status and most likely still in the church and clergy. Social position was transmitted in the caste system usually hereditary, which led to almost insurmountable class barriers. This began to change with the French Revolution. In the 19th century, the acquisition of titles of nobility or of admission to Court the bourgeoisie were very popular. The introduction of free trade broke the barriers of the guild system and allowed some of the material advancement. The parvenu, who signaled by clothing, money, titles his social advancement, but was often underestimated. At least in the German agreement was reached on education as an important status characteristic ( " nobility of mind ").

In modern societies, social mobility is often accompanied by an educational advancement. As before, however, this rise is slowed down by educational disadvantage and even at the highest education (PhD ) of the promotion to the elite remains dependent on social origin.

From rags to riches

The phrase From rags to riches refers to the rise of a person from poverty to wealth up. It is a common archetype in literature and pop culture (see: American Dream). In the English language with "from rags to riches " ("from rags to riches " ), a similar phrase. As a "self -made man " a person is called, has made a career in this type of promotion. Also, the term upstart is used in this context.

These patterns of activity give the poor hope to become rich and famous. They are most common in societies like the U.S., where represents the belief in the chance of social ascent in a different social class an important part of the national consciousness.

According to the study Understanding Mobility in America by economist Tom Hertz of American University, however, the social mobility in the U.S. is much lower than in most European countries. People who are poor remain poor in most cases. Those born in the lowest social class, has hardly ascend after his investigations a chance. Therefore, the myth that anyone can achieve anything if he make an effort to correct only for the less gifted and socially disadvantaged more of a curse: he suggests that all the poor and needy are to blame for their situation themselves.

In Germany, the phrase is just as common, but social mobility in Germany since the 1980s ( previously had in the post-war period until 1978 still increased) decreased and only comparatively small. Ascent stories on the pattern From rags to riches missing in societies with strict hierarchy or caste system like in India.

Media and historical figures

Numerous media in past and present make use of the motif " from rags to riches":

• Fairy tales like Cinderella or Snow White
• Films like Scarface or Rocky
• Video games such as Rags to Riches or Grand Theft Auto
• Game shows like The quiz with Jörg Pilawa or Millionaire?
• Reality TV shows such as Big Brother or Germany sucht den Superstar

Self -made man

The term self -made man (translated "self- made ​​man " ) originated in the United States; he describes ( as ideal ) someone who " works hard " from simple or poor circumstances through his own power and a lot of work to success, wealth and prestige.

The term self -made man was coined by Frederick Douglass (1818-1895), who gave a speech with that title in 1859. In it he gave a definition of the self -made man and explained the means by which such a rise is to be realized. In his autobiography, A Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, he describes his life as a prototype of the rags to riches story. Born a slave, Douglass made ​​it through hard work and an indomitable will to liberate themselves and to be his time to the most famous African- Americans. Douglass delivered his self -made man speech more than 50 times in the U.S., Canada and Great Britain.

The idea of ​​the " self -made man " is a core piece of the American Dream - a dream since the time of the first immigrants. When Benjamin Franklin, one of the founding fathers of the United States, his autobiography wrote, he gave her an instruction manual for how an unknown son of a candle Turner could be a extremely profitable, highly respected member of American society, by asking yourself a new identity beyond his ancestral social class created. Franklin was able to express this idea eloquently. His social advancement was surpassed by the life and success of his contemporary Johann Jacob Astor, who made ​​the ascent from penniless immigrant to the first multi-millionaire in the USA.