Debating the Reality of Social Classes. (March 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Kincaid, Harold
• Other Names: Bohman James guest-editor.; Bouvier Alban guest-editor.; Henderson David guest-editor.; Kaldis Byron guest-editor.; Montuschi Eleonora guest-editor.; Risjord Mark guest-editor.; Roth Paul guest-editor.; Wylie Alison guest-editor.; Zahle Julie guest-editor.; Bonilla Jesus Zamora guest-editor.
• Is Part Of: Philosophy of the social sciences. Volume 46:Number 2(2016:May)
• Page Start: 189
• Page End: 209
• Publication Date: 2016-03
• Subjects: social class -- ruling class -- underclass -- pluralism -- individualism-holism debate; Social sciences -- Periodicals; Social sciences -- Methodology -- Periodicals; Sciences sociales -- Périodiques; Sciences sociales -- Méthodologie -- Périodiques; 300.1
• DOI: 10.1177/0048393115614254
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0048-3931

Abstract

This article first surveys a significant set of issues that are intertwined in asking whether social classes are real. It distinguishes two different notions of class: class as organized social entities and class as types of individuals based on individual characteristics. There is good evidence for some classes as social entities—ruling classes and underclasses in some societies—but other classes in contemporary society are sometimes best thought of in terms of types, not social entities. Implications are drawn for pluralist accounts of social classification and the individualism-holism dispute.