Sociology Now, Census Update

THERE’S AN OLD BRITISH JOKE that goes something like this:

Two Oxford professors, a physicist and a sociologist, were walking across a leafy college green.

“I say, old chap,” said the physicist, “What exactly do you teach in that sociology course of yours?”

“Well,” replied the sociologist, “This week we’re discussing the persistence of the class structure

in America.”

“I didn’t even know they hada class structure in America,” said the physicist.

The sociologist smiled. “How do you think it persists?”

Most countries are aware of their

own class structure—the physics

professor didn’t need a sociology

course to know that England has

social classes—but in the United

States, class seems to be invisible.

Many people don’t even believe it

exists. Surely, they say, we’re an

equal-opportunity country. Class is

a relic of old European monarchies, where princes scandalize the media by consorting with

commoners.

But the United States does have a class structure. Every country does; social class is

present in some form in every human society. Even the Old Order Amish, perhaps the most

egalitarian society that has

ever existed, have three social

classes ranked by occupational

prestige: traditional farmers,

business owners, and day

laborers (Kraybill, 2001). The

details may shift and change

somewhat over time, but class

structure is omnipresent,

always operating in our lives,

Stratification

and Social

Class

205

Although it seems invisible, social

class remains the single best indicator

of... the sort of life you are likely to

have—where you will go to school,

what you think, and even whom you will

marry (or if you will) and how you like

to have sex!