What Is Class?
7 hours ago
- #socioeconomic status
- #social theory
- #class discourse
- American discourse on 'class' is confusing, with personal and inconsistent definitions based on like or dislike of individuals.
- People conflate economic and social class, using varied indicators (e.g., education, income, occupation) that often point in different directions.
- Socioeconomic status (SES) uses an index combining multiple variables into a single number to define class as a spectrum, but conflicts with desires for discrete categories.
- SES typically includes education, income, and occupation, allowing for nuanced assessments but highlighting how indicators can vary within deciles.
- Noah Smith's potential-based definition of class is criticized as unworkable, as it could eliminate upward mobility and allow multiple simultaneous class memberships.
- The Marxist concept defines 'working class' as economic dependency on the labor market, a distinct idea relevant to socialist discourse.
- Discourse should focus more on arguing about class indicators and avoiding unworkable definitions to clarify understanding.