Model of US Social Classes

Posted on ma 08 april 2019 in blog

Michael O. Church made a model of US social classes in 2012. The percentages given refer to US population numbers only. These models may have a limited correspondence to the social classes of Europe. I have taken the information from the original article and condensed it further.

  • Underclass (U) - 10%
    • generationally poor
  • Labor (L) - 65%
    • Labor provides the work and values effort and loyalty
    • based on: income, work as a commodity
    • the infrastructure is largely physical and the relevant connection is knowing how to use that physical device or space, and getting people to trust a person to competently use (without owning, because that’s out of the question for most) these resources
    • aspires to occupational success and organizational leadership
    • working poor (L4) - 30%
    • primary labor (L3) - 20%
    • high-skill labor (L2) - 14%
    • labor leadership (L1) - 1%
  • Gentry (G) - 23.5%
    • The Gentry provides culture and it values education and creativity
    • based on: access to respected institutions
    • the infrastructure is an “invisible graph” of knowledge and education and “interestingness”, comprised largely of ideas
    • aspires to education and cultural leadership
    • transitional gentry (G4) - 5%
    • primary gentry (G3) - 16%
    • high gentry (G2) - 2.45%
    • cultural influencers (G1) - 0.05%
    • the typical socioeconomic ordering would have each Gentry level two levels above the corresponding Labor level in social standing. Thus, G1 > G2 > (G3 ~= L1) > (G4 ~= L2) > L3 > L4
  • Elite (E) - 1.5%
    • The Elite owns things and values control and establishment
    • based on: aspiration to ownership
    • the infrastructure is a tight, exclusive network centered on social connections, power, and dominance
    • strivers (E4) - 0.5%
    • elite servants (E3) - 0.8%
    • national elite (E2) - 0.19%
    • global elite (E1) - ±60000 people worldwide
    • social standing: E1 > E2 > (E3 ~= G1) > (E4 ~= G2) > G3 > G4

The US social order then becomes roughly:

     <low>  <---------------->  <high>
U < L4 < L3 < L2 < L1   E4 < E3 < E2 < E1
              G4 < G3 < G2 < G1

If I were to place myself somewhere in this hierarchy, I probably hang somewhere between L2/G4 and L1/G3.

community