Moral Classification and Social Policy

Abstract

Moral classification is fundamental to social life, and one of the most powerful sources of moral classification in modern society is governmental social policy. This chapter outlines the connections between moral classification and social inequality, discusses the role of the state in creating official classification schemes, and illustrates how social policy both responds to and produces moral categories in society. The chapter concludes by suggesting that future research should devote more attention to the causal influence of moral categories on social policy development.