Class Matters (edition 2005)

Very interesting study of the impact of class in US society. Takes apart the mythology we have of a classless society and provides warnings about the growing concretization of our class structure through an increasing lack of mobility. ( )

Class Matters is a compilation of the work of a number of New York Times writers. It is composed of a number of stories, about different individuals, originally published in the Times. The stories were interesting, but I found many of the premises and conclusions questionable, including the underlying premise that most Americans think that this is a classless society. I would wager that most Americans recognize that there are social classes in America, as in all countries. It also seemed to me that too many times these writers confused class with income. Paul Fussell's Class is a better look at the subject. ( )

Class Matters is special series of reports investigating social class in the U.S. published in 2005 by the New York Times. I read it in the book-club-friendly paperback compilation, but it's readily available, in quite a snazzy presentation, at nytimes.com/class.

The series is anchored in a definition of class as the combination of four attributes: education, income, occupation, and wealth. We are asked to imagine that everybody is dealt a hand of cards, "one from each suit," and then invited to explore how the cards have played out for specific individuals and families. The overarching thesis is that, although outward class distinctions seem to be disappearing, class continues to be "a powerful force in American life," and social mobility is not as prevalent as commonly believed (and may even be in decline). In between this premise and the personal profiles, there's a wealth of survey data and some serious statistical graphing jujitsu.

I snoozed through those numbers but perked up considerably at the human narratives. The two stories I found most riveting (even harrowing) are "Angela Whitiker's Climb" out of poverty and drug addiction to middle-class registered nursedom, and "Five-Bedroom, Six-Figure Rootless Life," the tale of a "relo" class family who moves between suburbias every few years for work. Also fascinating is "15 Years on the Bottom Rung," which looks at class matters for different generations of immigrants in the microcosm of an upscale Manhattan restaurant.

Turns out that online the statistics are actually fun to ogle and play with! Hats off to the New York Times Web ninjas. This interactive graphic asking "Where do you fit in?" elicited more than one "whee!"

And from sunshiny thoughts of this engaging, in-depth journalistic project my head drifts to gloomy concern over the struggling newspaper business and the effects on such original reporting: "As the financial pressures mount—the outlook for 2009 is dismal—and the cost cutting continues, we can only hope that the original news reporting by top-flight journalists is not a major casualty." (CNET column)

Class does indeed matter, particularly for access to health care and education. Essential reading for anyone who thinks that class disparities are a thing of the past in the US. ( )