Is social class subjective?

Yes, social class can be partially subjective, as its definition includes subjective access to resources alongside objective measures.

Social class, often referred to as socioeconomic status (SES), is a complex concept that reflects an individual's or family's position within a social hierarchy. While certain aspects are clearly measurable, personal perception and experience also play a significant role.

Understanding Social Class: Objective vs. Subjective Dimensions

According to research, social class is defined as "a hierarchical category based on one's objective or subjective access to resources" [15]. This definition highlights that both measurable factors and personal perceptions contribute to an individual's social standing.

Objective Social Class

Objective social class refers to the tangible and quantifiable aspects of an individual's socioeconomic position. These are indicators that can be observed, measured, and compared across individuals or populations.

• Key Measurements: Objective social class is typically assessed using a combination of specific indices [15,16,17,18]:
  • Educational Attainment: The level of education an individual has completed (e.g., high school diploma, bachelor's degree, postgraduate degree). Higher education often correlates with better job opportunities and income potential.
  • Annual Income: The total financial earnings of an individual or household within a year. This is a direct measure of economic resources.
  • Occupational Status: The prestige, power, and economic rewards associated with one's profession. Certain occupations are widely recognized as having higher status than others (e.g., doctor, lawyer vs. service worker).

These objective measures provide a standardized way to categorize individuals within a social structure, allowing for statistical analysis and comparison of life outcomes, access to services, and opportunities.

Subjective Social Class

Subjective social class, conversely, pertains to an individual's personal perception and self-assessment of their position within the social hierarchy. It reflects how people see themselves in relation to others, their sense of belonging, and their personal understanding of their economic and social standing.

• Personal Interpretation: This dimension involves:
  • Self-Identification: When individuals are asked to place themselves into a social class category (e.g., working class, middle class, upper class), their response is subjective. It's based on their feelings, experiences, and interpretation of their own life circumstances, which may not always perfectly align with objective measures.
  • Perceived Access to Resources: An individual might feel they have or lack access to certain resources (e.g., healthcare, quality education, social networks) even if their objective measures suggest otherwise. This perception can heavily influence their worldview and life choices.
  • Social Identity: Subjective class can be tied to one's sense of identity, community, and shared experiences with others they perceive to be in a similar social stratum.

Why Both Dimensions Matter

Understanding both objective and subjective aspects of social class is crucial because they can influence different outcomes:

In conclusion, while social class is often discussed in terms of concrete indicators like income and education (objective measures), it also fundamentally incorporates how individuals perceive their own standing and access to resources (subjective measures). Therefore, to accurately answer the question, social class is both objective and subjective.