"Social class or social stratum is a grouping of people into a set of hierarchical social categories."
Ranking of individuals based on their economic status or occupation, which can influence purchasing decisions and consumption patterns.
Social stratification: The division of society into different strata or levels based on characteristics such as income, education, occupation, and prestige.
Income inequality: The unequal distribution of income among individuals or groups within a society.
Cultural capital: The set of skills, knowledge, and cultural assets that contribute to social mobility and social status.
Social mobility: The movement of individuals or groups from one social class to another over time.
Consumption patterns: The ways in which individuals and groups use, buy, and consume goods and services based on their social class.
Status consumption: The use of goods and services as a marker of social position, prestige, and status.
Lifestyle segmentation: The division of the market into different lifestyle groups based on shared values, attitudes, and behaviors.
Brand identity: The perceived personality and image of a brand, which can be enhanced or altered through marketing efforts and messaging.
Advertising and media: The ways in which media and advertising shape consumer behavior and reinforce social class hierarchies.
Perception and self-perception: The role of self-perception and social comparison in shaping consumer behavior and social class identity.
Social capital: The network of relationships and social connections that contribute to social and economic success.
Consumption ethics: The ethical implications of consumption behavior and the relationship between consumption and social responsibility.
Globalization and consumer culture: The ways in which globalization has impacted consumer culture and social class dynamics in different parts of the world.
Intersectionality: The ways in which social class intersects with other markers of identity, such as race, gender, and sexuality, to shape social and consumer behavior.
Power and privilege: The relationship between power, privilege, and social class, and the role of social class in reproducing inequality and maintaining hegemony.
Lower Class: People who live in poverty, often with limited access to education, healthcare, and employment opportunities. Their income and social status are significantly lower than the national average.
Working Class: People who work in skilled or semi-skilled jobs, but their wages remain low compared to professional or management level workers. This group includes factory workers, clerks, and low-level service workers.
Middle Class: Individuals in moderate-paying jobs such as managers, professionals, and business owners that enjoy a comfortable lifestyle. They typically have access to higher education and healthcare and can afford to save money for retirement and education.
Upper Middle Class: Individuals with higher education, such as advanced degrees and professional credentials, with high-paying jobs in finance, law, or medicine. This group enjoys a luxurious lifestyle and has a high level of social and political influence.
Upper Class: People with substantial wealth and income, inherited or earned. They have a high level of social prestige, and their lifestyle is similar to that of celebrities and other famous individuals.
Elite Class: The wealthiest and most influential people in society, including billionaires, top politicians, and major business executives, with immense global power and influence.
Underclass: A group of people who are considered to be permanently marginalized and excluded from the mainstream. They are often homeless, incarcerated, or addicted to drugs, and are generally considered to be the most disadvantaged members of society.
"The most common [social classes] being the upper, middle, and lower classes."
"Membership in a social class can, for example, be dependent on education, wealth, occupation, income, and belonging to a particular subculture or social network."
"The term 'class' is a subject of analysis for sociologists, political scientists, anthropologists, and social historians."
"There is no broad consensus on a definition of 'class'."
"Some people argue that due to social mobility, class boundaries do not exist."
"Academics distinguish social class from socioeconomic status, using the former to refer to one's relatively stable sociocultural background and the latter to refer to one's current social and economic situation which is consequently more changeable over time."
"Karl Marx thought 'class' was defined by one's relationship to the means of production."
"The proletariat work but do not own the means of production, and the bourgeoisie, those who invest and live off the surplus generated by the proletariat's operation of the means of production, do not work at all."
"Max Weber argued that 'class' is determined by economic position, in contrast to 'social status' or 'Stand' which is determined by social prestige rather than simply just relations of production."
"The term 'class' is etymologically derived from the Latin classis."
"The term 'class' began to replace classifications such as estates, rank, and orders as the primary means of organizing society into hierarchical divisions."
"This corresponded to a general decrease in significance ascribed to hereditary characteristics and increase in the significance of wealth and income as indicators of position in the social hierarchy."
"Academics distinguish social class from socioeconomic status."
"Sociologists define 'class' as one's relatively stable sociocultural background."
"Political scientists analyze 'class' as a means to categorize citizens by wealth in order to determine military service obligations."
"Anthropologists study 'class' in relation to social and cultural contexts."
"Social historians explore the historical development and impact of different social classes."
"Membership in a social class can, for example, be dependent on education, wealth, occupation, income, and belonging to a particular subculture or social network."
"Membership in a social class can, for example, be dependent on education, wealth, occupation, income, and belonging to a particular subculture or social network."