Social Factors and Family ~ Social Class Cherlin (2013) outlines the four-class model comprising upper-class families, middle-class families, working-class families, and lower-class families. Cherlin (2013) also says the three-status groups of people in the society comprise of college-educated, high school educated, and no high school-educated groups. In my assessment, the four-class model represents the best assessment of social classes in society. The poverty limit is a measure of income that represents the product of the economy and family diet (multiplied by three) (Cherlin, 2013). People use the poverty line measure to assess the economic status of a population. In 2010, the poverty rate for children of African American heritage was 37.4%; 34.1% for Hispanic children; and 12.5% for white children. Family patterns have diverged for the well-educated and poorly educated people in the sense that single-parenthood has increased for the poor, while well-educated people have fewer children today (compared to the past). Kin networks hurt the poor because they increase their levels of dependency on the breadwinner (Cherlin, 2013; McLanahan, 2009). Marriage mentoring programs, divorce reduction programs, and school-based programs (aimed at teaching people the benefits of marriage) provide a few examples of programs that aimed to promote marriage. Cherlin (2013) says that blue-collar Americans experience a significant decline in their rates of marriage, while white-collar Americans have stayed committed to traditional marriages. Cherlin (2013) also says blue-collar Americans prefer cohabiting relationships, while white-collar Americans live in traditional marriages. Cherlin (2013) says education has been an important distinction of family experiences because it affects people’s perceptions of the right time to marry, when to have children, and what types of families to have. Gerson & Jacobs (2004) argue that more educated people are working longer hours (compared to past years). This relationship suggests that many working people find themselves in a tight fix trying to distribute their time between work and home. Gerson & Jacobs (2004) explain that most workers feel overburdened at work because of the work-home crunch. Mothers feel the same pressure as the duties of domestic work and childbearing increase. Fathers also experience the same pressure through increased involvement in household activities. There is less flexibility between work and family functions for all the three classes of people in society. Blank (2007) says disconnected women are single mothers who do not have work and welfare. Their disconnection is the lack of opportunities (that could fit their unique social circumstances) for gainful employment. Blank (2007) proposes that disconnected women should enroll in temporary work waiver programs that would meet their unique social circumstances at work. Income, educational levels, and lifestyle could measure social factors. These measures are the most significant indicators of social class. However, they are insufficient measures of social class because they do not measure social class individually. Family background is similar to social class because