Classism is a socially constructed phenomenon that has deeply embedded historic roots from ancient caste systems and feudal times to the Industrial Revolution persisting to modern day. Classism is expressed through individual attitudes and behaviours but it is also prevalent due to the creation of systems, policies, and practices that have been designed to benefit the dominant groups (owning class, ruling class, middle class) at the expense of the subordinate groups (working class, poor).   

 

To Note:

 

Classism is the systematic oppression of poor and working people by those who control resources such as: 

 

• Jobs

• Wages

• Education

• Housing

• Food

• Services

• Medicine

• Cultural definitions

 

Classism remains through a socially constructed system of beliefs that rank individuals by:

 

• Economic Status

• “Breeding”

• Institutional Power

• Occupation

• Levels of Education

 

Related Areas of Conceptualized Class Status:

 

Economic Class

• Refers to income, wealth accumulation

 

Political Class

• Refers to power to influence the workplace or political processes

 

Cultural Class

• Refers to education, tastes, communication styles, lifestyle

 

Macro Categories of Class Breakdown:

• Poor/Working Poor

• Working Class

• Lower-Middle Class

• Middle Class

• Professional Class

• Upper Class

• Owning or Ruling Class

 

Sensoy & DiAngelo (2012)

 

Leistyna (2009)

 

 

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Types of Systems

 

A Caste System - considered a 'closed' stratification system in which people can do little or nothing to change their social standing. 

 

• People are born into their social standing and remain in it their whole lives. It is based on fixed or rigid status distinctions, rather than economic classes per se. People are assigned roles regardless of their talents, interests, or potential. 

• The feudal systems of Europe and Japan can in some ways be seen as caste systems in that the statuses of positions in the social stratifications systems were fixed, and there was little or no opportunity for movement through marriage or economic opportunities.

 

A Class System - considered an 'open' (or partially open) system based on both social factors and individual achievement. 

 

In a class system, social inequality is structural, meaning that it is “built in” to the organization of the economy.  Canada is considered to have an open system..

 

• People are at least formally free to gain a different level of education or employment than their parents.

• Social mobility exists as people can move up and down within the stratification system. They can also socialize with and marry members of other classes, allowing people to move from one class to another.

 

Many people perceive Canada to be a country with a high standard of living and predominantly middle-class.  It is often ssumed that the distribution of wealth in our country would be even...but it is not.  There are millions of people who struggle to pay rent, to buy food, and find work that pays a living wage.  These families and students are in our communities and in our schools, and can often go unnoticed.

 

Distinguishing between classes can be complex and should be viewed by considering how much relative power and control members of a class have within their lives - both their economic power and in terms of their 'life chances'.

 

(Retrieved from OpenStax)

 

Internalized classism is "the acceptance and justification of classism by working class and poor people." 

 

This may include:

 

• feelings of inferiority to higher-class people

• disdain or shame about traditional patterns of class in one’s family and a denial of heritage

• feelings of superiority to people lower on the class spectrum than oneself 

• hostility and blame towards other working-class or poor people

• beliefs that classist institutions are fair

 

www.classism.org