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In Families or as Individuals? Theoretical and Methodological Problems in the Incorporation of Women in Class Analysis
Author(s) -
Albright Karen
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
sociology compass
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 31
ISSN - 1751-9020
DOI - 10.1111/j.1751-9020.2008.00156.x
Subject(s) - class (philosophy) , social class , identification (biology) , sociology , class analysis , life chances , epistemology , social psychology , psychology , political science , law , biology , philosophy , botany , politics
The issue of how to properly include women in class analysis has posed a significant problem for social scientists for the past 40 years. A lack of consensus on this issue has informed the debate regarding women's subjective class identification as well as that regarding their objective class location. The failure to resolve it highlights a deeper problem in the study of social class: an uncertainty regarding whether the proper unit of class analysis should be the family or the individual. This article discusses the theoretical and methodological problems in the study of women's class and suggests further development of the dynamic conception of class offered by an ‘individuals in families’ approach.