Is Social Class Nominal or Ordinal: A Deep Dive into Its Nature

Social class is a term often used to describe a person's position in society. Frequently, it is categorized as an ordinal variable, suggesting a hierarchical ranking based on factors such as income, education, occupation, and social status. However, the classification of social class as ordinal raises questions about its nature and whether it is truly ordinal or nominal.

Understanding Nominal and Ordinal Variables

Nominal variables consist of categories that have no inherent order or ranking. For example, types of fruit—apple, banana, or grape—are nominal because they do not have a natural order. On the other hand, ordinal variables have a meaningful order, but the differences between categories may not be uniformly quantifiable. An example of an ordinal variable is a pain scale from mild to severe. While we know the order, the exact difference between mild and moderate may not be quantifiable.

Classifying Social Class

Social class is typically considered an ordinal variable because it can be ranked in a hierarchy based on the aforementioned factors. Categories such as upper class, middle class, and lower class follow a meaningful order, indicating a relative position in society. However, the differences between these classes are often not uniform or quantifiable, especially when considering subjective factors like social status and tradition.

Challenges in Defining Social Class

The process of defining social class is not straightforward. If social class were based solely on measurable quantities like income brackets, it might be considered ordinal. However, social class is often defined in more complex and qualitative terms.

For instance, in England, the "upper classes" may not have the same income as a wealthy businessman, and in many cases, they have less income than someone like Bill Gates. What makes them "upper class" is often a combination of factors that are not easily quantifiable, such as inherited status, tradition, and historical context. Therefore, the upper class classification can be more subjective and qualitative rather than purely ordinal.

Overlap and Discrepancies in Social Class

Further complicating the classification of social class is the presence of overlapping groups and varying statuses. For example, does an African American shop owner have the same effective social status as a white American shop owner? The answer is often no, and such discrepancies highlight the qualitative and nuanced nature of social class.

Moreover, many characterizations of social class do not produce linear, straightforward hierarchies. Instead, they result in a multiplicity of groups that can be in competition or share equal status. This multiplicity and the overlap of statuses make it difficult to establish a clear, linear ordinal scale for social class.

The Subjectivity of Social Class

Determining social class is not a "values-free" exercise. It is almost always grounded in particular values, norms, and societal standards. The nature of social class as ordinal or nominal depends on the values expressed in the definition of social class. In practice, many definitions of social class tend to gloss over discrepancies and are not particularly useful for practical purposes.

For most practical purposes, social class can be more appropriately classified as a nominal variable. A nominal classification acknowledges that social class is a qualitative description that reflects complex, subjective, and overlapping societal roles and statuses rather than a simple linear hierarchy.

In conclusion, whether social class is nominal or ordinal is a nuanced question that depends on how it is defined and the values it is based on. While it can be considered ordinal when based on measurable factors, the complexity and subjectivity involved in defining social class often favor a nominal classification in practice.