Social class as a relevant variable for middle-class women: Implications for psychology training and practice based on a qualitative investigation.

Abstract

Middle-elass elients comprise a significant proportion of individuals seeking psychotherapy each year (Seligman, 1995). To date, however, little research has examined the intra-and interpersonal development and well-being of middle-class clients, constricting the consideration of social class in psychological training and practice. The purpose of the current study is to explore the meaning and implications of social class for 12 White middle-elass women. Using a descriptive phenomenological approach, the current study examined how participants think and feel about their social class membership, including how belonging to the middle-social class affects daily life experiences. Results revealed several notable themes, including: (a) the invisibility of social class, (b) security and contentment as a result of the middle-class "safety net," (c) expectations of what a middle-class lifestyle "looks like," (d) struggles to pass on middle-class privileges, (e) the need to project a middle-class image, and (f) using social class to make sense of life experiences. Results are discussed in the context of implications for psychological training and practice.

Development and Validation of the Privileged Social Class Attitudes Scale (PSCAS)

“…Although research has largely overlooked the particular experiences of people with social class privilege, the research that does exist about the attitudes and experiences of such individuals aligns with research on other forms of privilege, finding that although social class is salient for individuals with social class privilege (e.g., Sommerfeld, 2014), the implications of social class may be less visible to those with social class privilege than to those without (e.g., . Furthermore, in accordance with research about other privileged identities, studies have found those with privileged social class identities tend to assume their worldview is universal and normative and that people not subscribing to their worldview are deviant (e.g., Liu & Pope-Davis, 2003).…”