There are so many different ways sociologists and laypeople approach defining class. In section, the overview of different theoretical conceptualizations was helpful. Marxian views on one’s relation to the means of production is helpful, as is Weber’s more comprehensive inclusion of things such as prestige and status. But I think what’s most interesting is how people self identify within certain classes.

Mary Pattillo speaks to this in her video interview as discusses the difficulties sociologists face when thinking about class. Even the most objective measurements (being literally in the middle of the income distribution, or having a middle class job) have very wide applications (for example both blacks and whites can have a middle class white collar job, but if black people are all working in clerical positions whereas whites are holding managerial and ownership roles).

I would be interested in further exploring aspects of self class identification, especially because Fraizer and DuBois seem to think that a lot of middle class African American define themselves as middle class based off how far away they are from the disadvantaged poor. There is a purposeful distancing from the poorer classes, and a general sense of discontentment at being lumped together under the common label of “Negro” expressed by both The Philadelphia Negro and Black Bourgeoisie despite the decades in between their publishings. I’m hopeful that this tendency has decreased somewhat with Tumblr social justice, “#staywoke”ness, and a general awareness of classism, but is this widespread or mostly due to the academic settings I’m currently in?