1. Social claSS
and the
U.S. PreSidential electionS 2012

2. What iS Social claSS?
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).

3. 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.

4. What iS Social claSS?
Objective vs. Subjective
Applying a criteria of The individual places
inclusion to an himself/herself in a
individual in order to class category,
place them in a class regardless of
category, regardless of whether the
whether the individual researcher thinks
thinks they belong in they belong in that
that class category class category.
Who is in what class category?

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. 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- Skill Level Upper to upper
manual middle class
Blue collar Upper manual Upper middle
to middle class
White collar Lower Middle to
nonmanual working class
Blue collar Lower manual Working class

8. 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 Lower Class
10,001 – 25,000
25,001 – 45,000
45,001 – 75,000
Middle Class
75,001 – 90,000
Upper Middle to
90,001 – 150,000+
Upper Class

9. 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 Lower Class
10,001 – 25,000 Waiter/waitress, temporary worker
25,001 – 45,000
45,001 – 75,000
Middle Class
Clerical worker, small employer
75,001 – 90,000
Upper Middle to
90,001 – 150,000+
Upper Class
Stock broker, manager of large firm

10. Who Did Not Have Health Insurance in America in 2008? (%)
White, non- Income Less than
10.4 24.5
Hispanic $25,000
Income $25,000
Black 19.5 21.1
to $49,999
Worked Full-Time
Hispanic 32.1 17
in Past Year
Worked Part-
Age 18 to 34 26.9 23.4
Time in Past Year
Foreign Born,
43.8
Not a Citizen
Source: U.S. Census. In 2008, 15.4%, or 46.2 million people in America,
did not have health insurance.