Why class discrimination is invisible

Abstract

The article analyzes the reasons behind the persistent invisibility of class discrimination in social life and social science. Unlike gender and race, social class is not readily visible, clearly bounded and its boundaries agreed upon; membership can change and is not officialized by the state; position is perceived as a flexible and meritocratic; plus the social sciences have failed to develop a properly analytic concept of discrimination. I illustrate my argument with field observation of a California criminal court in which bias based on class is pervasive and overt, yet unseen and affirmed by judges, prosecutors and defence attorneys.