Note:
Gunnar Myrdal died in 1987, less than 70 years ago.
Therefore, this work is protected by copyright,
restricting your legal rights to reproduce it.
However, you are welcome to view it on screen, as you do now.
Read more about copyright.
Full resolution (TIFF) - On this page / på denna sida - VIII. Social Stratification - 31. Caste and Class - 2. The “Meaning” of the Concepts “Caste” and “Class”
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
Below is the raw OCR text
from the above scanned image.
Do you see an error? Proofread the page now!
Här nedan syns maskintolkade texten från faksimilbilden ovan.
Ser du något fel? Korrekturläs sidan nu!
This page has never been proofread. / Denna sida har aldrig korrekturlästs.
670 An American Dilemma
2. The ^^Meaning” of the Concepts ^^Caste” and ^^Class”
When attempting to define our value premise for the discussion of
social stratification in this chapter, we have first to take notice of the fact
that Americans in general in all castes and classes are outspoken in their
disapproval of distinctions in social status. Leaving out of consideration
for the moment the several subordinate castes (Asiatics and Indians, as well
as Negroes), whose members have specific reasons for favoring an equali-
tarian social philosophy, the visitor from abroad meets everywhere in
America an ideology denouncing class differences which is more pronounced
and sanctioned by more patriotic pride than perhaps anywhere else in West-
ern civilization. This ideology has clearly a definite intent to mark off
American ideals from those of the Old World.
Even the educated Americans exaggerate the amount of class discrimina-
tion in Europe, especially with regard to England, the old mother country.^
This is an old tradition from colonial times. But it has been adopted and
strengthened by wave after wave of immigrants who partly rationalized
their uprooting and transference to this country by a belief in the rigidity
of the class system in Europe and the free competition and boundless
opportunities in the New World. As we have pointed out, this equali-
tarianism was—for the whites—^given a most prominent place even in the
ideology of the ante-bellum South.®
This ideology permeates popular thinking to the degree that Americans
in general do not recognize their own actual class status. Most Americans
—in all social classes—^believe they are “middle class.”^ Perhaps this
national theory is responsible also for the fact that American sociology
(which generally must be given the highest ranking in the world) is weak
and undeveloped in regard to the problems of social stratification. When
recently a group of social anthropologists and sociologists stressed caste
and class,® their colleagues everywhere in America exhibited an interest in
the adventure rather out of proportion to the specific scientific novelties
involved. Also the tendency to exaggerate the rigor of the American class
and caste system, which is sometimes apparent in the work of the group of
investigators led by Professor W. Lloyd Warner, is more easily understood
when it is recalled that they are out to challenge a popular national theory
with deep historical anchoring in the American Creed.®
Before we proceed, it is necessary to consider some reasons why the
popular theory that America has little class stratification is more plausible
and, indeed, also more true than superficial observation of the tremendous
socio-economic differentiation would lead one to believe. Because of the
settling of the colonies largely by religious dissenters, the Revolution
against England, the expulsion and voluntary exile of the Loyalist Tories,
* See Chapter 2v3, Section 4..
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
