Are there classes in America? In The Classless Society Paul Kingston
forcefully answers no.
This book directly challenges a long-standing intellectual tradition of
class analysis, recently revitalized by such prominent scholars as Erik
Olin Wright and John Goldthorpe. Insisting on a realist conception of
class, Kingston argues that presumed "classes" do not significantly
share distinct, life-defining experiences.
Individual chapters assess the extent of class structuration in five
dimensions of life: mobility (how demographically cohesive are
classes?), interaction patterns (do classes exist as communal groups?),
cultural orientation (are there class cultures, as Bourdieu and his
followers maintain?), class sentiment (to what extent do objective
position and subjective sentiments align?), and political orientations
(do classes represent distinct political forces?). This broad assessment
is the basis for Kingston's conclusion that classes do not exist in
America in any meaningful way.
The Classless Society analyzes prominent general "maps" of the
American class structure, as well as the less-studied extremes of
socioeconomic position ("Lives of the Rich and Poor"), the alleged
emergence of post-industrial classes (the "New Class" and the
"McProletariat"), and class structuration in other societies ("American
Unexceptionalism").
Kingston rigorously addresses the question, "How would you recognize a
class if you saw one?" thus establishing clear grounds for engaging the
issue. He relates the findings and methods of the best contemporary
research in substantial detail, allowing the reader to assess the book's
conclusions from a thorough evidentiary base.
