Understanding Social Class and Classism

Abstract

The chapter explores the social construct, associated meanings, identities, and assumptions of social class. The chapter begins by offering basic definitions and possible responses to the material in the chapter. In exploring social class as social construct, the chapter considers the relation of social class to capitalism, and the ways that understanding social class is impeded by primary emphasis on financial resources and economic mobility. It explores how social class is not only about access to financial resources, but also related to stereotypes, hierarchy, social class culture, and other types of resources or capital (e.g., education, social networks, etc.). In exploring social class identity, the chapter identifies the tendency of many people to describe themselves as middle class and illustrates decreases in salience of formal social class identities as bases of self-understanding or social movements. Simultaneously, this section describes the continuing effects of social class on lived experience, health, and well-being. In exploring classism, the chapter differentiates between the experience of having or not having adequate resources and social class stereotypes, culture, and related experiences. It considers classism at individual, interpersonal, and institutional levels and explores these through the example of education. The chapter includes reflection exercises for readers to explore their assumptions and stereotypes about social class categories, their social class background and identity, their experiences of privilege and/or oppression related to both having or not having resources and being from specific social class cultures, and invites them to consider the experiences of those who are different from themselves.