ABSTRACT

CLASS BECOMES TRANSLATED INTO social reality through its effects upon human behavior, and the range of behavior so influenced is broad. The class position of the individual establishes important conditions for his existence and sets the style for much of the spectrum of his personal horizon. His personal interaction, his experiences, and his impressions of what his life is all about are all styled by class to a great extent. In greater or lesser degree, class has been found to influence child-rearing practices, political attitudes and political activity, sexual patterns, consumer behavior, social participation in the community, social ideology, physical and mental health, and fertility. The list could be expanded but it should be evident that class impinges on behavior at many points. Class creates a social mold that is so inclusive that the individual is seldom free of it. Often, his attempts to escape it are hindered because others continue to appraise his behavior in class terms even when he does not.