What Is Class?

Sociologists have tried to provide a definitive answer to this question. However, class can be an elusive thing. One problem in discussing class is that it means different things to different people. It’s a matter of perspective. Most Americans would describe themselves as middle class. And if they fall short on the economic parameters of that class, they probably would answer that they are on their way up the ladder and will get there.

Class can be defined in a variety of ways; it is a tribe, a rank, part of culture and even one’s taste and appearance. It is a way in which a person can define himself, a way to attain an identity. When speaking in terms of the upper and upper-middle class, it is a way to exclude others. Class can be mean and in the starkness of daylight can subjugate...