Contemporary Inequality
The post-industrial class structure based on four types of capital
On Tuesday 4th of April 2023, the platform Inequality (prof. Marco van Leeuwen) organized a Symposium around the release of a new report by the Dutch Institute for Social Science Research (SCP) on contemporary Dutch class structure in the Academy building in Utrecht. The report was presented by Prof. Cok Vrooman and shows how class divisions coincide with other social distinctions (age, gender, ethnic background), and with differences in subjective well-being and people’s views on society and politics. A number of distinguished scholars reflected on the report. They applauded the efforts of the SCP both to bring class central in the discussions on life chances of the Dutch, and, as requested, shared some critical reflections on parts of the report.
Prof. Joop Schippers (ÀÖÓãºǫ́, Economics) pointed at the limitations of looking at resources only and not focusing on outcomes. He observed that discrimination is largely overlooked in the report. He also raised a question around how changes over time are categorized. The ‘young privileged’ turn older? Flexworkers might get permanent contracts over time? Regional differences were also identified as something to look into in the future. (UVA, Sociology) pointed out the need to talk about class in Dutch society and reflected on the lack of power analysis in the report and the need to take hierarchies into account. He also asked important questions on the theoretical underpinnings of the 7 classes that are identified in the report. (AMC, Public Health) agreed with the need to acknowledge inequality as a multi-dimensional problem but pointed out the risk of combining dimensions too easily and mixing objective assessments with subjective ones. We might lose sight of specific types of inequality. The entangled approach hides many forms of inequality as well. (RUG, Law) finished the afternoon with a personal reflection from the legal side.
The afternoon formed a profound scholarly reflection on the important issue of the current class structure in the Netherlands, and ways to measure it, in pleasant atmosphere (with a view of blossoming fruit trees in the sun).