- 27 Dec 2016 12:27
#14755237
When we discuss class it appears to be something static that can never change. If the son or grandson of a steel mill worker becomes a billionaire he will still take pride in his working class background.
A wealthy merchant in the 1600s could descend from peasants who were living as tenant farmers un the 1100s. Their descendants could potentially be destitute and working in an urban sweat shop by the 1800s.
When social class has the potential to shift how do we identify someone's class status? If a businessman had peasant origins hundreds of years ago then how is he different to the industrial worker with recent peasant origins? And if he somehow loses his wealth and goes to work in a factory what class is he then?
A wealthy merchant in the 1600s could descend from peasants who were living as tenant farmers un the 1100s. Their descendants could potentially be destitute and working in an urban sweat shop by the 1800s.
When social class has the potential to shift how do we identify someone's class status? If a businessman had peasant origins hundreds of years ago then how is he different to the industrial worker with recent peasant origins? And if he somehow loses his wealth and goes to work in a factory what class is he then?