Social Class: How does it Work Ch 11

Logics of Class Analysis (Mechanisms)

In this chapter of the Social Class: How does it Work, book I find an analysis of the different types of causal mechanisms central to determining life chances (336). Three mechanisms or clusters were defined in an effort to understand the ways in which unequal life conditions and individual attributes control for successful results in peoples lives. These opportunities can be developed through the constant exclusion of a group. These mechanisms are referred to as class- based individual attributes and condition, class based opportunity hoarding, and class- based domination and exploitation (pg 336).

Individual attributes and life conditions are described as a mechanism where all social determinants are ignored and the relevance of social determinants always works through the ways they shape the characteristics of individuals (pg 337). In the example of Opportunity Hoarding as a mechanism, Credentialing and licensing are particularly important mechanisms. This mechanism runs through a form of exclusion and closure. This mechanism is also a central theme in class analysis that focus on social networks as channel for the dissemination of information and other kinds of resources (pg 340). The last mechanism described was that of Domination and exploitation. This mechanism can be described as forms of structured inequality that simultaneously require the continual active cooperation between exploiters and exploited dominators and dominated, generating systematic antagonisms of their interests (pg341).