ON SOCIAL-CLASS CONFUSION

Different schools of sociological thought have characteristic confusions about the concept of social class: whether it refers to individuals or households; whether it is, about social inequality, social change, or social mobility; and whether the relevant inequalities arise from differences in being (identity), having (resources), or doing (activity, especially working activity). The idea is defended that inequality of welfare is the touchstone of social class, but welfare levels depend on preferences as well as circumstances and actions. It follows that class is about the unequal levels of welfare that standardized individuals suffer (or enjoy) as a result of the social distribution of the forces of production. Given this conception, the scope of class confusion narrows to the questions of how to standardize individuals appropriately and where to draw the boundaries of classes in terms of the appropriate welfare levels.