The Implications of Intergenerational Class Mobility for Class Theory: A Comment on Western

Abstract

Focusing on the relative permeability of particular class boundaries (defined by Wright's class schema), Western's (1994) analysis does not draw out the most critical implications of mobility patterns for class theory — namely, whether classes actually exist as relatively cohesive social entities with common life experiences. Wright's “class system” is not even remotely marked by intergenerational social closure, nor are presumed class advantages commonly transmitted across generations. The lack of intergenerational class structuration undermines a key tenet of class theory.