The New Class Society

This provocative book refocuses our attention on class interests that are rapidly polarizing American society. It redefines the terms of class analysis by arguing that the distribution of resources critical to class membership is shaped by large organizational structures and processes located in the economic, political, and cultural arenas. The authors show why, in the 21st century, class membership will be based on access to a new mix of critical income, investment capital, credentialed skills verified by elite schools, and social connections to organizational leaders. The book is accessibly written for undergraduate students and for citizens concerned about the emerging iceberg of class inequalities—including features that are above and below the waterline of conventional social analysis as well as emerging struggles aimed at changing it.