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Systemic Classism, Systemic Racism: Are Social and Racial Justice Achievable in the United States?
Systemic Classism, Systemic Racism: Are Social and Racial Justice Achievable in the United States? THOMAS KLEVEN† I. INTRODUCTION The thesis of this article is that the United States is systemically a highly classist and racist society, that classism and racism are interrelated and overlapping phenomena, and that the achievement of a non- classist/non-racist society requires a mass movement of working-class people of all ethnicities for social and racial justice for all. By systemic classism/racism I mean that the political and economic institutions of the society are structured and operate to systematically disadvantage working-class people in general, and ethnic minorities in particular, and to systematically advantage a relatively small and largely white upper elite class, and a rather substantial and predominantly white upper middle class. By systemic advantage/disadvantage I mean that the opportunities to succeed in life are unequally distributed along class and racial lines, and that society’s institutions produce and perpetuate this class/race hierarchy. The discussion of race focuses primarily on African Americans and Hispanics, both of whom have been systematically disadvantaged on account of ethnicity.1 As the society’s largest disadvantaged minorities, † Professor of Law, Thurgood Marshall School of Law, Texas Southern University. I would like to thank my colleagues who attended and made helpful comments on an earlier draft of the article presented at a Faculty Quodlibet at the law school in November, 2007. I would especially like to thank Asmara Tekle-Johnson for suggestions on how better to organize the article, and Jon Levy for pointing out errors in and suggesting sources for the historical parts of the article. -
Chapter 8: Social Stratification
UNIT 3 238 SOCIAL INEQUALITY Chapter 8 Social Stratification Chapter 9 Inequalities of Race and Ethnicity Chapter 10 Inequalities of Gender and Age Enrichment Readings Chapter 8 – Elliot Liebow “The Lives of Homeless Women,” page 272 Chapter 9 – Patricia Williams “The Skin Color Tax,” page 306 Chapter 10 – Lois Gould “The Story of Baby X,” page 342 239 CHAPTER 8 SocialSocial StratificationStratification 240 U S Your Sections I Sociological N Imagination 1. Dimensions of G Stratification ane Smith, aged forty and reeling from 2. Explanations of a bitter divorce, was discouraged. A se- Stratification Jrious back injury meant she could no longer work at her nursing aide job. 3. Social Classes in America Without a high school diploma, she found that no one was willing to hire her. 4. Poverty in America Reluctantly, she applied for welfare and was enrolled in a program designed to develop 5. Social Mobility job skills. She completed an eighteen-month course and was hired by an engineering firm. After two years, Jane has moved up in Learning Objectives the company and now thinks of herself as an intelligent, capable person. A different type of welfare story involves After reading this chapter, you will be able to Mary, the “welfare queen.” Many politicians have used her as a typical example of how ❖ explain the relationship between stratifica- the social welfare system is abused. Mary tion and social class. managed to register for government aid ❖ compare and contrast the three dimensions under dozens of assumed names and col- of stratification. lected thousands of dollars from food ❖ stamps and other federally subsidized pro- state the differences among the three grams. -
Social Grade a Classification Tool Bite Sized Thought Piece 2009 There Are Several Demographic Classification Systems Used in Market Research
Social Grade A Classification Tool Bite Sized Thought Piece 2009 There are several demographic classification systems used in market research. A well established system, as well as the most widely known and used, is that of social grading, derived from the British National Readership Survey (NRS). Whilst everyone in the industry is familiar with the term social grade and its six groups A, B, C1, C2, D and E, what is less well known is how social grade is defined and how it can be used as a powerful discriminator. Social grade in its current form has been used on the NRS since the 1960s and has provided a valuable insight into changes in the occupational make-up of Britain over time. Ipsos MediaCT has a long association with the NRS and has been the research contractor since 1977. Looking at the last 50 years of NRS data, and taking those classified as AB (higher and intermediate managerial, administrative or professional occupations) as an example, the proportion has increased from 12% to 27%. Social Grade of CIE, 1968-2008 % AB % C1 % C2DE 52 45 65 62 59 29 28 23 22 22 27 12 16 18 21 1968 1978 1988 1998 2008 Source: NRS Social Grade of Chief Income Earner Social % Description Grade population A High managerial, administrative or professional 4 B Intermediate managerial, administrative or professional 23 Supervisory, clerical and junior managerial, C1 29 administrative or professional C2 Skilled manual workers 21 D Semi and unskilled manual workers 15 State pensioners, casual or lowest grade workers, E 8 unemployed with state benefits only Source: NRS 2008 (unweighted sample 37,359, estimated population 15+ (000s) 49,077 How is Social Grade defined? Social grade is a classification system based on occupation and it enables a household and all its members to be classified according to the occupation of the Chief Income Earner (CIE). -
A Socioeconomic Classification for Brazil
Rev. bras. Ci. Soc. vol.2 no.se São Paulo 2006 * A socioeconomic classification for brazil José Alcides Figueiredo Santos ABSTRACT This article presents a new socioeconomic classification for Brazil, applicable to the national social statistics, exposing its theoretical foundations and the operational criteria used in the construction of its empirical categories. Built on a social class approach, this classification intends to contribute to the characterization, description and explanation of the production and reproduction of the durable inequalities that permeate the highly unequal Brazilian society. Using micro data from the 2002 National Household Survey, the article presents the relative distribution of the class categories in the Brazilian society and its income gaps. Finally, it points out some importants results of the process of construct validation of this typology. Keywords: Socioeconomic classification; Social class; Social structure; Class typology; Brazilian society. Introduction This article presents a new socioeconomic classification - applicable to the national statistics of Brazil – , exposing both its theoretical grounds and the operational solutions taken into account in the construction of its empirical categories. Such classification is an instrument that might significantly contribute to a better characterization, description and explanation of the production and reproduction of social inequality in Brazilian society’s concrete conditions. [1] It has been successfully submitted to a process of construct validation which has explored the conditioning effect exerted by the sphere of class inequality, measured by such typology, upon race inequalities in Brazil (Figueiredo Santos, 2005). The sociological approach in conceptualizing and measuring social classes has much to contribute to the understanding of the configuration, evolution and consequences of socioeconomic divisions and their relationships with other forms of durable inequalities which permeate the highly unequal Brazilian society (Tilly, 1999). -
The Problem of Social Class Under Socialism Author(S): Sharon Zukin Source: Theory and Society, Vol
The Problem of Social Class under Socialism Author(s): Sharon Zukin Source: Theory and Society, Vol. 6, No. 3 (Nov., 1978), pp. 391-427 Published by: Springer Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/656759 Accessed: 24-06-2015 21:55 UTC REFERENCES Linked references are available on JSTOR for this article: http://www.jstor.org/stable/656759?seq=1&cid=pdf-reference#references_tab_contents You may need to log in to JSTOR to access the linked references. Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at http://www.jstor.org/page/ info/about/policies/terms.jsp JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. Springer is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Theory and Society. http://www.jstor.org This content downloaded from 132.236.27.111 on Wed, 24 Jun 2015 21:55:45 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 391 THE PROBLEM OF SOCIAL CLASS UNDER SOCIALISM SHARON ZUKIN Posing the problem of social class under socialismimplies that the concept of class can be removed from the historical context of capitalist society and applied to societies which either do not know or do not claim to know the classicalcapitalist mode of production. Overthe past fifty years, the obstacles to such an analysis have often led to political recriminationsand termino- logical culs-de-sac. -
SOCIOLOGY 9191A Social Science in the Marxian Tradition Fall 2020
SOCIOLOGY 9191A Social Science in the Marxian Tradition Fall 2020 DRAFT Class times and location Wednesday 10:30am -12:30pm Virtual synchronous Instructor: David Calnitsky Office Hours by appointment Department of Sociology Office: SSC 5402 Email: [email protected] Technical Requirements: Stable internet connection Laptop or computer Working microphone Working webcam “The philosophers have only interpreted the world, in various ways. The point, however, is to change it.” – Karl Marx That is the point, it’s true—but not in this course. This quote, indirectly, hints at a deep tension in Marxism. If we want to change the world we need to understand it. But the desire to change something can infect our understanding of it. This is a pervasive dynamic in the history of Marxism and the first step is to admit there is a problem. This means acknowledging the presence of wishful thinking, without letting it induce paralysis. On the other hand, if there are pitfalls in being upfront in your desire to change the world there are also virtues. The normative 1 goal of social change helps to avoid common trappings of academia, in particular, the laser focus on irrelevant questions. Plus, in having a set of value commitments, stated clearly, you avoid the false pretense that values don’t enter in the backdoor in social science, which they often do if you’re paying attention. With this caveat in place, Marxian social science really does have a lot to offer in understanding the world and that’s what we’ll analyze in this course. The goal is to look at the different hypotheses that broadly emerge out of the Marxian tradition and see the extent to which they can be supported both theoretically and empirically. -
Making Sense of State Socialization
Review of International Studies (2001), 27, 415–433 Copyright © British International Studies Association Making sense of state socialization KAI ALDERSON Abstract. At present, International Relations scholars use the metaphor of ‘state socializ- ation’ in mutually incompatible ways, embarking from very different starting points and arriving at a bewildering variety of destinations. There is no consensus on what state socializ- ation is, who it affects, or how it operates. This article seeks to chart this relatively unmapped concept by defining state socialization, differentiating it from similar concepts, and exploring what the study of state socialization can contribute to important and longstanding theoretical debates in the field of international relations. Introduction Norms are gaining ground in the study of International Relations.1 Not only are they the focus of extensive conceptual and theoretical work, but international norms are increasingly seen as weight-bearing elements of explanatory theories in issue- areas ranging from national security to the study of international organization.2 Regime theory continues to generate an extraordinarily fecund research pro- gramme,3 and its central insight—that relations among competitive sovereign states are shot through with norms of cooperation—links contemporary scholarship to long-standing reflections on the nature of the international.4 Constructivist scholars, for their part, argue that social norms offer a radical alternative to interest- and power-based accounts of international politics.5 1 As readily attested by the contributions to the recent fiftieth anniversary edition of International Organization, 52: 4 (1998). See, in particular, contributions by Peter J. Katzenstein, Robert O. Keohane and Stephen D. Krasner (esp. -
Outlines of Sociology (1898; Reprint 1913)
Lester F. Ward: Outlines of Sociology (1898; reprint 1913) [i] OUTLINES OF SOCIOLOGY - by Lester F. Ward - (1897; reprint 1913) Page 1 of 313 Lester F. Ward: Outlines of Sociology (1898; reprint 1913) [ii] Page 2 of 313 Lester F. Ward: Outlines of Sociology (1898; reprint 1913) [iii] OUTLINES OF SOCIOLOGY BY LESTER F. WARD AUTHOR OF "DYNAMIC SOCIOLOGY," "THE PSYCHIC FACTORS OF CIVILIZATION," ETC. New York THE MACMILLAN COMPANY LONDON: MACMILLAN & CO., LTD. 1913 All rights reserved Page 3 of 313 Lester F. Ward: Outlines of Sociology (1898; reprint 1913) [iv] COPYRIGHT, 1897, BY THE MACMILLAN COMPANY. --------- Set up and electrotyped January, 1898. Reprinted June, 1899; February, 1904; August, 1909; March, 1913. Norwood Press J. S. Cushing & Co. – Berwick & Smith Norwood Mass. U.S.A. Page 4 of 313 Lester F. Ward: Outlines of Sociology (1898; reprint 1913) [v] To Dr. Albion W. Small THE FIRST TO DRAW ATTENTION TO THE EDUCATIONAL VALUE OF MY SOCIAL PHILOSOPHY THE STANCH DEFENDER OF MY METHOD IN SOCIOLOGY AND TO WHOM THE PRIOR APPEARANCE OF THESE CHAPTERS IS DUE THIS WORK IS GRATEFULLY DEDICATED Page 5 of 313 Lester F. Ward: Outlines of Sociology (1898; reprint 1913) [vi] Page 6 of 313 Lester F. Ward: Outlines of Sociology (1898; reprint 1913) [vii] PREFACE This little work has been mainly the outcome of a course of lectures which I delivered at the School of Sociology of the Hartford Society for Education Extension in 1894 and 1895. They were given merely from notes in six lectures the first of these years, and expanded into twelve lectures the following year in substantially their present form. -
Mao Zedong's Class Analysis Method and Its Contemporary Value Shuang Li* No
Advances in Intelligent Systems Research, volume 163 8th International Conference on Management, Education and Information (MEICI 2018) Mao Zedong's Class Analysis Method and Its Contemporary Value Shuang Li* No. 232, Wensan road, Xihu district, Hangzhou city, Zhejiang province [email protected] Keywords: Mao Zedong; Class analysis method; Contemporary value Abstract. In the article analysis of social classes in China written by Mao Zedong in 1925, the author combined the Marxist theory of class analysis with the concrete reality of Chinese society, and accurately divided the classes existing in Chinese society at that time, providing useful guidance for the formulation of revolutionary strategies. With the development of Chinese society becoming more and more complex and diversified, Mao Zedong's class analysis is still of great significance. Mao Zedong's thought of class analysis inspires us not to lose the Marxist theory of class analysis; In the new era, we should master the essence of class analysis theory and correctly analyze Chinese social class and class problems. The analysis of ideology should go deep into the class and stratum problems. We should use class analysis to build the Chinese dream of national rejuvenation. Introduce. Since the reform and opening up, China has undergone profound adjustment and reform in its social and economic structure and industrial structure. China's social structure has become increasingly complicated and diversified, and some emerging strata have emerged. How can we properly analyze and grasp this new structure of Chinese society? At the same time, various ideological trends are surging in the ideological field, and people's values are diversified. -
Class Structure and Political Ideology
CLASS STRUCTURE AND POLITICAL IDEOLOGY Val Burris Marxist theorists have devoted much eVort recently to the clari cation of the concept of class and the elaboration of alternative models of class structure. The main focus of this theorizing has been the class position of salaried intermediaries and their role in the class struggle. With a few exceptions, most Marxists today recognize the existence in advanced capitalist society of a signi cant group of people who cannot be included in the working class, even though they work for a salary or wage. Various names have been applied, to this group—“new middle class,” “new petty bourgeoisie,” or “professional-managerial class”—and com- peting theories have been advanced to explain the nature and signi cance of these positions within the class structure. Disagreements over how to conceptualize intermediate class positions have prompted extensive debates over the basic principles of Marxist class analysis and the application of those principles to modern capitalist society. Three issues have been central to this debate. First is the de nitional question of specifying the boundaries of classes—especially the bound- ary which separates intermediate class positions from the working class. Second is the conceptual issue of clarifying the nature and identity of these intermediate class positions. Do they qualify as a “class” in the full sense of the term? lf so, do they constitute a new class within advanced capitalism or the evolution of some earlier intermediate class? Third is the political question of predicting the alignment of this group in the struggle between capital and labor. -
Nationalism, Ethnic Conflict, and Class Struggle: a Critical Analysis of Mainstream and Marxist Theories of Nationalism and National Movements
NATIONALISM, ETHNIC CONFLICT, AND CLASS STRUGGLE: A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF MAINSTREAM AND MARXIST THEORIES OF NATIONALISM AND NATIONAL MOVEMENTS Berch Berberoglu Department of Sociology University of Nevada, Reno Introduction The resurgence of nationalism and ethnonationalist con ict in the aftermath of the collapse of the Soviet Union and its associated Eastern European states in their transition from a form of socialism to a market- oriented direction led by bourgeois forces allied with world capitalism during the decade of the 1990s, has prompted a new round of discus- sion and debate on the origins and development of nationalism and the nation-state that has implications for contemporary nationalism and nationalist movements in the world today. This discussion and debate has been framed within the context of classical and contemporary social theory addressing the nature and role of the state and nation, as well as class and ethnicity, in an attempt to understand the relationship between these phenomena as part of an analysis of the development and transformation of society and social relations in the late twentieth century. This paper provides a critical analysis of classical and contemporary mainstream and Marxist theories of the nation, nationalism, and eth- nic con ict. After an examination of select classical bourgeois statements on the nature of the nation and nationalism, I provide a critique of contemporary bourgeois and neo-Marxist formulations and adopt a class analysis approach informed by historical materialism to explain the class nature and dynamics of nationalism and ethnonational con ict. Critical Sociology 26,3 206 berch berberoglu Mainstream Theories of the Nation and Nationalism Conventional social theories on the nature and sources of national- ism and ethnic con ict cover a time span encompassing classical to con- temporary statements that provide a conservative perspective to the analysis of ethnonational phenomena that have taken center stage in the late twentieth century. -
Petty Bourgeoisie’
Comments on the Term ‘Petty Bourgeoisie’ (S.H. — 4/28/19) Introduction First, I apologize for the length of this essay; as I got into the issue I kept thinking of additional aspects and related topics that should be mentioned. (Of course there are no doubt many more aspects not mentioned here!) And of necessity a discussion about how the petty bourgeoisie is defined must also discuss just how the proletariat and the bourgeoisie should be defined. These are not totally separate issues. Second, in this discussion I am not going to make any distinction between the various English and French spellings: I am taking the most common English term, ‘petty bourgeoisie’ to be the same thing as the ‘petit bourgeoisie’ and the ‘petite bourgeoisie’. Third, it is certainly true that the term ‘petty bourgeoisie’ is used in different ways by different people; i.e., it means different things to different people. Although some other conceptions will be mentioned, I am not setting out to catalog all the many different conceptions and to treat them all with equal validity, as a general lexicographical study would do in creating entries in a standard (bourgeois!) general-purpose dictionary. Instead, I am setting out to say 1) how I think the term has been used within Marxist-Leninist-Maoist theory, and 2) how I think it should be used within that theory in the U.S. today. In other words, I am setting out to define a technical term within MLM theory, but to also talk about a number of additional issues that come up in this regard.