Social class is a neglected, misunderstood, yet overwhelmingly powerful factor in the United States. In Everyone Has Class Allison L. Hurst and Sean McCloud draw on both personal stories and insights from recent studies to recount the many ways class influences American life. The authors explore the material conditions we live in, the social relationships we develop, and the unconscious and conscious psychological and physical habits we form based on our social class location. Each chapter reveals the profound presence and complex influence of social class—beyond that of money, education, and occupation—providing readers with an understanding of what social class is and how it operates in our everyday lives.

Starting with “what is class?” in chapter one, personal narratives alongside interviews with key researchers and scholars allow entrée for everyone to the meaning of the term class, the impact of class, and the broader applications and perspectives within the study of class. Can one overcome class? Does recognizing its effects allow us to navigate our own social standing? Through twelve stand-alone chapters, Hurst and McCloud show how class shapes and influences both individual and social lives in consequential ways.

Allison L. Hurst is a professor of sociology in the School of Public Policy at Oregon State University. Her recent books include Amplified Advantage: Going to a “Good College” in an Era of Inequality and Working in Class: Recognizing How Social Class Shapes Our Academic Work. 

Sean McCloud is professor of religious studies and department chair at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. His recent books include American Possessions: Fighting Demons in the Contemporary United States and Divine Hierarchies: Class in American Religion and Religious Studies.