Socioeconomic Classes? "The center of culture is the cult"

For the last week of September, we discussed our perception of classes in the United States. The definition of culture is the customs, attitudes, and beliefs that distinguish one group from another. We can't say race just by itself is our culture. We can't say the country we live in is all that our culture is. Rather, our experiences in life, our religion, even little quirks about our family can affect our culture. In our society, we like to label people into a certain class. Upper class, middle class, lower class, and even groups like preps, cowboys, skaters, cheerleaders, etc., etc. Because of stereotypes, there are outside forces that push on classes, pushing us down, or shoving us up. Class is simply one factor of culture. Things that affect our class are money, education, lineage, where you live, your mannerisms, your speech, and your occupation. Regardless of where you are, having limited parental access affects development and behavior. So, does it matter what class you are, in the sense of what is best for families? Is upper class better for your kids than lower class? Why all the need to distinguish whether you are this or that, why label yourself? Do we label to feel better about ourselves? Does it go the other way, and cause depression among people? Lastly, what are your thoughts on quantitative research, or, research with large numbers, versus qualitative research, meaning research of small focus groups with lots of questions about thoughts and feelings during said research? Ponder which is best. Or, perhaps, it depends on the research.