The Persistence of Classes in Post-Industrial Societies

Abstract

Class structures have undergone important changes in recent decades with the rise of postindustrial societies. Terry Nichols Clark & Seymour Martin Lipset (1991) have interpreted these changes as evidence that class is fragmenting & losing its importance. Here, their analysis is rejected, arguing that the birth of new sources of inequality does not imply the death of old ones. Empirical evidence on the relationship between class & earnings in the US in late 1991 demonstrates that class-based stratification continues to be a central factor in social stratification. Clark & Lipset also argue that class affects politics, the family, & the economy less than it used to. It is contended that their position is based on a selective reading of the empirical literature. The countervailing evidence is discussed, & it is concluded that class effects persist. 1 Table, 108 References. Adapted from the source document