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This presentation defines social class and is the lead-in to a presentation on how social class is represented in Chaplin's movie, Modern Times
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Social Class Social Class in in
Modern TimesModern Times
A lecture in social class by Joshua Kjerulf Dubrow, for the Institute of Sociology, University of Warsaw, based in part on: Izydorczyk, Magdalena. 2009. „Modern Times for Modern Times: Chaplin’s Enduring Vision of American Social Class Inequality during Economic Crisis.” Master’s Thesis, American Studies Center, University of Warsaw.
In everyday use, and even among sociologists, the word “class” is used non-sociologically, meaning “a kind of category:”
“A set, collection, group or configuration containing members regarded as having certain attributes or traits in common: a kind of category” – American Heritage Dictionary 4th ed. (2000).
What is Social Class?What is Social Class?
What is Social Class?What is Social Class?
The results of battles over definition and measurement of social class are:
-- a big, long literature on class -- fierce disagreement on how to interpret the literature -- periodic revivals of class analysis -- emergence of class definition cults populated with sociologists who are convinced that their definition is the “right” one -- confusion for students who try to synthesize the literature.
What is Social Class?What is Social Class?
Objective vs. Subjective
Applying a criteria of inclusion to an individual in order to place them in a class category, regardless of whether the individual thinks they belong in that class category
The individual places himself/herself in a class category, regardless of whether the researcher thinks they belong in that class category.
Who is in what class category?
What is Social Class?What is Social Class?
Most definitions are concerned with the individual's relationship with the economic sphere, as opposed to "cultural" classes or "political" classes.
Sociologists engaging in modern class analysis identify economic class position as an individual’s position in the labor force.
Social class is largely based on the characteristics of their occupation: the skill level required for the job, the degree to which they are supervised by others, and who and how many workers they supervise.
Managers, employers, unskilled manual workers, and so on.
What is Social Class?What is Social Class?
Relationship to the means of production, and attendant occupational characteristics, are critical to defining and measuring social class.
Class is relational, and conflictual. How?
Classes have material interests. Each class has a conflict of interest with other classes because each class seeks to keep what they have and add more to what they have. Because resources are finite and are distributed unequally within capitalist society each class is in a struggle with other classes to realize their material interests.
What is Social Class?What is Social Class?
Most definitions are concerned with the individual's relationship with the economic sphere, as opposed to "cultural" classes or "political" classes.
White collar Upper non-manual
Skill Level Upper to upper middle class
Blue collar Upper manual Upper middle to middle class
White collar Lower nonmanual
Middle to working class
Blue collar Lower manual Working class
What is Social Class?What is Social Class?Most definitions are concerned with the individual's relationship with the economic sphere, as opposed to "cultural" classes or "political" classes.
Politicians define social classes primarily in terms of income. Classes are divided within an income distribution. Take this hypothetical example:
0 – 10,000
10,001 – 25,000
25,001 – 45,000
45,001 – 75,000
75,001 – 90,000
90,001 – 150,000+
Lower Class
Middle Class
Upper Middle to Upper Class
What is Social Class?What is Social Class?Most definitions are concerned with the individual's relationship with the economic sphere, as opposed to "cultural" classes or "political" classes.
They then attach occupations to it that earn, roughly, that amount of income:
0 – 10,000
10,001 – 25,000
25,001 – 45,000
45,001 – 75,000
75,001 – 90,000
90,001 – 150,000+
Lower Class
Middle Class
Upper Middle to Upper Class
Waiter/waitress, temporary worker
Clerical worker, small employer
Stock broker, manager of large firm
Social Class Social Class in in
Modern TimesModern Times
A lecture in social class by Joshua Kjerulf Dubrow, for the Institute of Sociology, University of Warsaw, based in part on: Izydorczyk, Magdalena. 2009. „Modern Times for Modern Times: Chaplin’s Enduring Vision of American Social Class Inequality during Economic Crisis.” Master’s Thesis, American Studies Center, University of Warsaw.
