Is class still relevant in society today?
of course! However the development of a middle class has been a huge achievement of most Western societies as a result of revolution. Class is inevitably a determining factor in many ways – but Western countries have strived to develop a middle area between elitism and crushing poverty. class systems do not have to be hugely rigid as they are in some countries (ie: India), however Americans (for instance) qualify themselves as “upper class” “middle class” “upper middle class” “lower middle class” or (to sound politically correct here) “low income class”. The very fact that people label themselves and others (even if they are trying to help them) means there is some importance to class systems in Western society. The major difference between a “classic” caste system and the kind we have in the U.S. is the great opportunity for social mobility. Very often other societies do not believe in class mobility, and may limit your mobility by race, ethnicity, religion, or heritage – in the U.S.
