A Better Class of Analysis - Sort Of

We get The Economist at work. Normally I give it pretty short shrift, because of its obvious right-wing, Anglo-American biases. But occasionally they publish interesting stuff.

There's an article in the June 9th issue on social class in America, called 'Minding About the Gap'. It reinforced a lot of my own suspicions about contemporary issues of class, not only in America, but also in Canada and other largely immigrant-built societies. Personally, I reckon we in North America like to think we live in a classless society, but in reality, class is very much a feature of the social landscape. Granted, it's less structured and institutionalised than in places like Britain, but to pretend that we live in a utopian meritocracy, where everyone somehow manages to be middle class, is ludicrous.

The Economist says:

For a people who pride themselves on ignoring social class, Americans are suddenly remarkably interested in it. The country's two leading newspapers are winding up blockbuster series on the subject. ... [T]he series' conclusion is that social mobility has failed to keep up with widening social divisions: in other words, that class does indeed matter.

America, of course, is rife with social distinctions, but it has always prided itself on the assumption that talented people are free to rise to their natural level. The country's favourite heroes have been Benjamin Franklin types who made something out of nothing. ... And its favourite villains have usually been Paris Hilton types, who combine inherited wealth with an obvious lack of talent.

The idea that "talented people are free to rise to their natural level" is, of course, at the root of the American Dream - and indeed, is the foundation of the attractive promise offered by all immigrant societies. But what happens if, for lack of funds, encouragement, or opportunity, talented people find themselves stuck on the lower rungs of the ladder of progress? In a classless society of equals, the obvious explanation is that such people simply haven't worked hard enough - that their lack of success is their own fault. Which neatly lays blame with individuals, and exonerates society and the Establishment from criticism.

The article goes on to suggest that increasing class distinction in America is largely due to decreasing access to higher education - an argument I find somewhat dubious. But it's interesting to see the topic of social class in America broached by an American publication. It's not often I see this subject explored.