Social Class Matters: Rejoinder to “The Menace of Misinformation: Faculty Misstatements in Management Education and Their Consequences”

Abstract

“Faculty Misstatements in Management Education and their Consequences” is a thought-provoking article that draws attention to what information is being disseminated in business schools. The article argues that faculty communicate misinformation about the economic model and what matters in life. This rejoinder addresses the notion that social class plays a significant role in what students value and what matters to them in life. Social class refers to the division of individuals or groups of culture based on wealth, income, education, type of occupation, and social network. Social class matters because it shapes individuals’ experience of themselves in the world. I argue that socioeconomic factors matter when you discuss beliefs, values, and norms. Student demographics are changing in higher education. Working-class students are gaining access to higher education, which means that the classrooms in business schools are becoming more diverse. Ultimately, social class plays a role in how students view life and how they treat other people. The article concludes with a call to faculty to understand and explore differences in our classroom.