Travel Blog Assignment #3. Class Period: B4

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http://www.essortment.com/chinese-history-four-social-classes-21266.html (SOURCE)



China has four different class levels in their social class. The levels are ranked in the following order: highest class, second class, third class, and lowest class. People in the highest class are distinguished because they are people who have the best education, power, and wealth. If a person is part of the government, that person is greatly respected and greatly rewarded. Additionally, a person can be in the highest class for having power passed down from ancestors. In other words, a person can be born into the highest social class. People in the second class are farmers and servants. More than half of the Chinese population belong in the second class. Specifically, seven of ten Chinese people are in the second class. Servants were the most depended upon, but servants were still taken advantage of and charged high taxes. The farmers were responsible for all agricultural duties. Land was sacred in the eyes of farmers, and land was often passed down to sons. Artisans, people who craft things with their hands, were in the third class. Artisans were considered skilled and had plenty of job offerings, so they were financially stabilized. Merchants belonged in the poorest class. Merchants were not valued in society because since it did not take much skill to be a merchant, merchants could be easily replaced.

Better treatment and opportunities are offered to the Chinese people who belong in the high class. Like many people of all different classes around the world, discrimination does occur when a country is divided into different social classes. People in the highest class are treated better and valued more because of their power and education. On the other hand, people in the lowest class may do a lot more physical and difficult work, but people in the lowest class are still rejected by society. In China, the social structure is beneficial and harmful. The social structure is beneficial because the people are organized. The social structure is also harmful because the social structure labels people and categorizes them according to their abilities and income.

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