The Subjective Dimension of Social Stratification

Over the last half century, mainstream stratification research has focused on measurements of objective differences in education and occupation, as building blocks of class schemas and stratification indexes. Research considering how people perceive themselves in the stratification system – that is, the subjective dimension of social stratification – has been relatively very scarce. This panel seeks papers that address: conceptual and methodological challenges to the operationalization and measurement of 'subjective class' and 'subjective status'; the substantive differences between objective and subjective measurements; the social processes shaping individuals' self-perception of their position in the stratification system; the impact of these subjective dimensions on other aspects of social life – like well-being, sociability, attitudes, political preferences and life choices.