A contemporary class structure: Capital disparities in The Netherlands

Area of Science:

• Sociology
• Social Stratification
• Economic Sociology

Background:

• Recent debates on social inequality highlight income disparities, labor market shifts, and post-industrial societal changes.
• Existing theories often focus on economic factors, necessitating a broader understanding of class divisions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To theoretically redefine social class based on four types of capital: economic, social, cultural, and person capital.
• To empirically examine the social structure of the Netherlands using this multidimensional capital framework.
• To identify distinct social classes and analyze their characteristics and societal implications.

Main Methods:

• A dedicated survey was integrated with microdata from national population registers, tax authorities, and benefit agencies.
• Latent class analysis was employed to assess resource distribution and identify social structures.
• The study analyzed the interplay of economic, social, cultural, and person capital within the Dutch population.

Main Results:

• Six distinct capital groups were identified in the Netherlands: established upper echelon, privileged younger people, employed middle echelon, comfortable retirees, insecure workers, and the precariat.
• Each class exhibits a unique combination of the four capital types, demonstrating that economic factors alone do not define class.
• Significant disparities in capital resources correlate with age, social hierarchy, and differing views on politics, society, and personal well-being.

Conclusions:

• Social class is a multidimensional construct influenced by economic, social, cultural, and person capital.
• The Dutch social structure comprises six distinct classes with varying capital compositions and life experiences.
• Understanding these diverse capital distributions is crucial for comprehending structural inequality and its impact on societal views and well-being.