New research published in Psychological Science finds that the 2008 Great Recession led many Americans to begin identifying with a lower social class. The change in class identity appears to have been long lasting rather than a short-term reaction to the downturn.
The study, led by Stephen Antonoplis at the University of California, Riverside, analysed four large datasets that tracked class identity for about 165,000 people over decades. Because the data are long term, the researcher could test whether the effects of the recession persisted for years.
Earlier work often used short experiments with the MacArthur ladder, a visual scale, and found brief shifts. Antonoplis measured self-perceived class and noted it did not always match income. He also pointed to widespread recession-era headlines that may have increased feelings of lower status. Researchers say these shifts matter because they affect health, well-being and political views, and future work will study those links.
Difficult words
- recession — a period when the economy becomes weaker
- dataset — a collection of related information or numbersdatasets
- identity — the way a person thinks about themselves
- self-perceived — how a person sees their own social position
- persist — to continue happening over a long timepersisted
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Discussion questions
- Have you ever changed how you describe your social class after a crisis or personal event? Why or why not?
- How could a change in class identity affect a person’s health or political views? Give one example.
- Do you think newspapers and headlines can change how people feel about their social status? Why?
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