Contemporary Class Analysis

Abstract

Abstract A popular thesis in social stratification maintains that the middle class is declining. This chapter argues that this thesis is flawed both conceptually and empirically. Conceptually, it mixes up the middle class and the working class, and empirically, it misrepresents the trends that shape the class structure. The chapter discusses the concept of social class and proposes a model that grasps the class structure of contemporary Western societies. Based on the conceptual distinction between the middle class and the working class, labor force surveys clearly show that the early twenty-first century saw, not the demise, but the expansion of the (salaried) middle class in the Western world. Never in history have so many people worked in managerial, professional, and technical jobs as do so today. By contrast, over the last four decades, the working class has experienced a massive employment decline—with far-reaching consequences. The political clout of the working class has declined, as is illustrated by decreasing trade union density and strike activity and in rising income inequality. Moreover, working-class decline has led to a fundamental realignment of class voting and contributed to growing family instability. Instead of eroding the middle class, the last decades have thus put an end to the working-class century.