[lit-ideas] Re: Obama Critique from Hanson
- From: Judith Evans <judithevans001@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Wed, 19 Aug 2009 20:06:43 +0000 (GMT)
'Diamond shaped' is what I was taught, Veronica, way back when. The US has
changed since then, the middle class shrank; but I suspect the diamond's still
there. Of course, also, US people, like British people, 'mis-describe' their
class.
So, probably not a triangle, still, despite worsening economic conditions and
changes in the last few decades.
I had problems finding something on 'Why There is No Socialism in the United
States', but this gives an idea.
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/reviews/why-is-there-no-socialism-in-the-united-states-625672.html
A search for 'diamond-shape' and 'social structure' met with even less success,
as I ran across 'all (industrial) societies are diamond-shaped now' and not
much else. (I suppose that's not surprising given the shrinking of the working
class.)
This is not to deny that the US is, as is the UK to a lesser extent, a
massively unequal society. And probably, for various reasons, the pain of the
jobless there is greater. And our societies' different ideological stances --
which the 'debate' on health and the NHS illustrates; our Tories are busily
disavowing their anti-NHS people -- don't stem from economic and social
structural traits alone.
Thanks for the welcome.
Judy Evans, Cardiff, UK.
--- On Wed, 19/8/09, veronica caley <molleo1@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> From: veronica caley <molleo1@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: Obama Critique from Hanson
> To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Date: Wednesday, 19 August, 2009, 8:15 PM
> Judy: Class structure in the US
> was diamond-shaped, with a large middle class and relatively
> small 'upper' and 'lower' ones. It's changed, yes...
> but the diamond is probably still there.
>
> You might be right. Partly because I think Southern
> US citizens tended to have jobs in various factories.
> But the way I remember it that the researchers said that
> people's self estimation of their class was at variance with
> that of sociologists.
>
> Re the diamond. I don't know. I am probably
> more inclined to think that it's more of a triangle,
> with fewer at the top, fewer in the middle and larger at the
> bottom. That's my conclusion reading the income
> distribution currently in play. Also, Americans have
> been going to Europe to find work. Now they are also
> starting to go to China. Better pay? Higher
> standard of living? One of my relatives was offered a
> fortune to work in Singapore for two years.
>
> I am so glad you are back. I missed your
> contributions.
>
> Veronica
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Judith Evans"
> <judithevans001@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Wednesday, August 19, 2009 2:35 PM
> Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: Obama Critique from Hanson
>
>
> Veronica
>
> > I had occasion to study a sociological abstract in
> school
> > many years ago that showed that just about everyone in
> the
> > US considers himself middle class.
>
> they were, then. (Not all! but 'just about everyone'
> fits non-US standards of subjective class
> identification.) Class structure in the US was
> diamond-shaped, with a large middle class and relatively
> small 'upper' and 'lower' ones. It's changed, yes...
> but the diamond is probably still there.
>
> Judy Evans, Cardiff, UK
>
>
>
> --- On Wed, 19/8/09, veronica caley <molleo1@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> wrote:
>
> > From: veronica caley <molleo1@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> > Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: Obama Critique from Hanson
> > To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > Date: Wednesday, 19 August, 2009, 3:21 PM
> > Eric: "Despite the Democratic
> > Party's political strength -- seen in its majority
> > representation in Congress and in state houses
> > across the country -- more Americans consider
> > themselves conservative than liberal
> >
> >
>
>
>
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