Social class in the United States

1
Social class in the United States
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Social class and social status

• Topic of much controversy
• Many competing definitions
• Public view there is no class in American
  society
• Alternate view social status is determined by
  achievement
• Confused by comparison with very different
  British class system

3
English class structure

• Differ by accents, clothing, politics
• Hereditary upper class (aristocrats)
• Old aristocrats (from ancesters' merits)
• New aristocrats (from personal merit)
• Middle class
• upper - professionals
• lower shopkeepers, small businesses, teachers
• Working class (labour)
• Little social mobility

4
Historical background to social class in the
United States

• English settlement
• Revolution
• Massive 19th century immigration
• 2nd World War and meritocracy
• 1970's revolution in role of women

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Influence of English settlement on social class
in the United States

• 1607-1776 (British Colony)
• Hereditary (English) upper class
• Colonial lower-upper class of large landowners
  and wealthy businessmen
• Examples
• George Washington,
• John Adams,
• Thomas Jefferson
• Middle class of professionals, business owners
  and farm owners
• Lower class of workers and landless farmers
• Lowest class of slaves

6
Influence of the 1776 Revolution on social class
in the United States

• Ideology of equality myth that all (but slaves)
  were middle class
• Abolition of hereditary upper class
• Replacement by large landowners and wealthy
  businessmen
• More opportunities for the middle class
• Government programs to provide land for landless
  farmers

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Influence of massive 19th century immigration on
social class in the United States

• Successful native" born Americans at the top
• Beginning of "aristocracy of birth"
• Desirable" immigrants (English, Scots, Germans)
• "White trash" (unsuccessful native" born
  Americans
• Less desirable" immigrants (Irish, Italians,
  Eastern Europeans, Jews)
• Undesirable" immigrants (Asians)
• ex-slaves

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Situation before WW2 (experienced by most
post-war educated Chinese leaders)

• US run by a few wealthy families
• 19th century trade
• Early capitalism
• Professions (upper middle class) primarily
  protestant Christian white males of English,
  Scots, and German origin (WASPWhite Anglo-Saxon
  Protestant)
• Admission to best colleges and professions mostly
  by social connections
• 4.6 of the adult population had a college degree
  (in 2007 it is 25)

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Influence of the 2nd World War and meritocracy on
social class in the United States

• Meritocracy rule by most qualified
• Problem of incompetent "social" officers in army
• Response
• Programs of training and testing
• Promotion based on performance
• Programs at end of war
• College education paid for all veterans
• College admission for merit rather than family
• Nation-wide standard entrance examinations

10
Influence of the 2nd World War and meritocracy on
social class in the United States, continued

• Admission to professions by education and
  licensing (both determined by examination rather
  than connections)
• Public intolerance of non-merit-based promotion
• Civil rights programs to open education and
  professions to minorities
• Womens movement opened education and professions
  to women

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Influence of the 1970's revolution in role of
women on social class in the United States

• Opening of all professions to women
• Major shift in marriage patterns
• Temporary increase in divorce rate
• Increase in income-inequality based on marriage

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Pre-1965 marriage patterns

• Upper and middle class women did not work
• Wives roles
• raising children
• managing house
• entertaining
• charity
• Successful men often married younger, attractive
  women from lower background
• e.g. professionals married secretaries
• Impact lessening class differences

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Post-1975 marriage patterns

• Upper and middle class women usually work
• Wives roles
• earning money
• raising (fewer) children
• professional success
• Successful men usually marry women at their own
  educational and professional level
• Impact
• increasing class and income differences
• Decline in marriage rates at lower social levels

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Factors in American class structure

• wealth,
• income,
• education,
• type of occupation,
• membership in social networks

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Simple three-class model

• Most commonly accepted
• the "rich"
• the "middle class"
• the "poor"

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6-level sociological model

• the rich and powerful
• upper middle class (highly educated and well-paid
  professionals)
• lower middle class (semi-professionals)
• working class (clerical and blue collar
  employees)
• working poor
• marginalized underclass

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Alternative 6-level sociological model

• Old rich and powerful
• New rich and powerful
• upper middle class (highly educated and well-paid
  professionals)
• lower middle class (semi-professionals, clerical
  and blue collar employees)
• working poor
• marginalized underclass

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Continuum model

• Accepted by most people
• Almost everyone is "middle" class
• There are minor social status differences between
  people
• social status is determined by achievement
• social status changes (usually upward) over life

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Important things to consider

• Americans are uncomfortable talking about social
  class it is not supposed to exist
• To a large extent in the long term one can choose
  one's social class, since major determinants for
  young people are
• education,
• type of occupation,
• membership in social networks
• Social networks include religious networks many
  Chinese in the US choose these badly
• You cannot control what you do not understand