ABSTRACT
The New York Times ran a story recently entitled "Survey Finds Rising Perception of Class Tension". The survey, conducted by the Pew Research Center, found that, "conflict between rich and poor now eclipses racial strain and friction between immigrants and the native-born as the greatest source of tension in American society". The recent Occupy Wall Street demonstrations are another indication that many Americans are finding the lopsided distribution of wealth and income unfair. The existence of social divisions has led to class conflict, and a significant aspect of this discord affects how American justice has been historically shaped. In early American history "social class" referred chiefly to a structural dualism with a small wealthy gentry on the one hand and a large body of modest and poor citizens in contrast. An appreciation of American social class is apparent when discussing justice and yet it is a difficult concept to define.
