The Psychology of Social Class

Book excerpt: In The Psychology of Social Class, leading social psychologist Michael Argyle provides a comprehensive account of psychological and other research into social class using data from Britain, the United States and elsewhere. By addressing differences in social class, the book broadens the perspective of social psychological research to examine such topics as the effect of achievement motivation and other personality variables on social mobility and the effect of social class on health. After examining the historical development of class and the attempts to abolish it, Argyle describes the class system currently existing in Britain and compares it with others in the modern world. Included are discussions of psychological models of class, and hierarchies in small groups and social organizations. A detailed account is provided of class differences in behavior and beliefs, covering such aspects as marriage, friendship, speech, style, personality, sexual behavior, crime, religion, and leisure. Finally, Argyle examines the images people have of the class system, the effects of class on well-being, and discusses possible explanations of class differences in terms of genetics, socialization, work experience, differences in lifestyle and the sheer effects of social status.