A COMPARISON OF TWO MEASURES OF SOCIAL CLASS

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine whether a significant difference exists between two different measures of social class. Respondents' self-reports of social class were compared to their classification based on a social class index derived from socioeconomic indicators. This study found a significant association between the two measures of social class. Except for those classified as upper class by the social class index, most respondents tended to over-report their social class. Furthermore, this study found that the divergence between the two measures was significantly associated with educational attainment for non-Whites and Whites. Differences between self-reported social class and classification by the social class index tended to diminish as the level of educational attainment increased for under-reporting and matching reporting; however, it increased for over-reporting. The hypothesis that the effect of education on the difference between self-reported social class and the social class index will follow a different pattern within levels of race was rejected for respondents with less than a high school diploma; however, the hypothesis was supported for respondents who had a high school diploma or attended college. The findings demonstrate the complexity of measuring and predicting social class.