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Resumo

This article argues that in the United States and other advanced capitalist societies, the form and intensity of social stratification is increasingly shaped by the capacity of individuals and groups to engage in classification struggles. Classification struggles involve contests over the boundaries and meanings of social categories, which in turn affect the material and symbolic resources allocated to those occupying particular categories. We identify three distinct but interconnected forms of classification struggles: struggles over institutional categories, struggles over everyday categories, and struggles over categorical inequality as such. We argue that these struggles are becoming increasingly central to the dynamics of stratification in the neoliberal era, as the state retreats from its role in regulating markets and redistributing resources, and as market-based mechanisms of allocation become more pervasive. We illustrate our argument with examples drawn from a variety of settings, including education, healthcare, and the labor market.

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