Socialist Night School: What is Class?

As socialists, we always talk about building a movement of and for the working class. But, who is the working class? How do we understand class more broadly? In public discourse, class is often portrayed as a composite of cultural markers: the working class wear overalls and drive pickup trucks; the middle class have office jobs and New Yorker subscriptions. It doesn’t take much to see that this is hopelessly wrong, but understanding class as a social relationship requires some thinking. 

Who is working class in an era of deindustrialization and precarious employment? How should socialists think about the middle class—who it encompasses and its politics? What are some of the barriers that prevent the vast majority of society from organizing collectively? Despite significant transformations in the economy, why are workers still the only class best poised to lead the fight for political transformation? Join Philly DSA for a class on class.

Readings

• Ralph Miliband, “Class and Class Conflict”
• Vivek Chibber, “Capitalism and Class Struggle”
• David Broder, “The Left is Back (Sort Of)”