Updating Understandings and Measurements of Social Class from Objective and Subjective Perspectives

Increasing levels of inequality have generated renewed interest in social class, and in particular, how societies structure opportunities that facilitate access to education, income, wealth, housing, healthcare and so on. Sociologists examining social stratification may employ quantitative methods to define and estimate objective measures of social class. For example, measures of income and wealth, measures of levels of education and occupational prestige; measures of deprivation and poverty. Sociologists examining social stratification using qualitative methods may interview participants about their perceptions of social class. For example, asking participants about the relevance of social class, about their perceptions of indicators of social class, or about their understanding of how society structures opportunities available to people according to their family background. This session invites papers examining objective and/or subjective indicators of social class. Our aim is to widen debate about how inequalities structure the life chances of growing segments of our communities.