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Classism
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At a glance
Source-by-source
“Classism is a system of beliefs, attitudes, and actions – fueled by institutional power – that advantages and strengthens the dominant class groups through differential treatment and the assignment of worth and ability based on economic status or perceived social class.”
SumOfUs builds its class guidance around an anti-classist framework, defining classism as a system of beliefs, attitudes, and actions fueled by institutional power. It frames class as underpinning many other social injustices and treats classism as language communicators should recognize and name.
“Classism entails differential treatment of people based on social class or perceived social class, and oppression of members of certain social classes to the advantage of other class groups.”
Sierra Club defines classism as differential treatment based on social class and the oppression of some class groups to the advantage of others. It ties the concept to the meritocracy myth, and advises writers to avoid framing that links a person's worth to their economic contributions.
“The assignment of characteristics of worth and ability on the basis of actual or perceived social class and the attitudes, policies, and practices that maintain inequality on the basis of class. … Classism serves to define and reinforce social class groups. …”
APA's second edition defines classism in its Socioeconomic Status glossary as the assignment of worth and ability on the basis of social class, plus the attitudes, policies, and practices that maintain class inequality. It locates classism across interpersonal interactions, education, housing, health care, and public policy — naming it as standard vocabulary.
“Differential treatment based on social class or perceived social class. Classism is the systematic oppression of subordinated class groups to advantage and strengthen the dominant class groups. … Policies and practices are set up to benefit more class-privileged people at the expense of the less class-privileged people …”
Racial Equity Tools, citing Class Action, defines classism as the systematic oppression of subordinated class groups to advantage the dominant ones — operating through policies and practices that benefit class-privileged people and produce wealth inequality, plus the culture that perpetuates those systems.
Synthesis
“Classism” is the word to use, not avoid. It is this chapter’s structural concept, the parallel to ableism and racism. All four sources define it the same way: differential treatment based on actual or perceived social class, and the systematic oppression of subordinated class groups to the advantage of dominant ones. APA says it operates across “interpersonal interactions, education, housing, health care, legal assistance, politics, public policy”; SumOfUs says it is “fueled by institutional power”; Racial Equity Tools makes the same point in different words, as “systematic oppression” operating through “policies and practices,” not only attitudes. The agreement is near-total, and it is definitional rather than cautionary. Classism is standard equity vocabulary.
Sierra Club adds the frame that gives the concept its political edge: classism “goes hand-in-hand with the commonly-held myth that the U.S. is a meritocracy” — that success reflects hard work and its absence reflects laziness. Naming classism is how the corpus rejects that myth and insists on the structural barriers and generational wealth that “personal responsibility” framing hides. This is why classism anchors the chapter: it names what the other terms enact. “Ghetto” is classism in a place name; the deficit descriptors on the “disadvantaged” page are classism in an adjective.
The guidance is stable from SumOfUs (2016) through 2023, refining rather than revising. The one practical wrinkle is familiarity: unlike “racism” or “sexism,” “classism” is still a less-recognized term for many general-audience readers, so the sources tend to define it on use.
Audience notes
- Journalists and editors. “Classism” is standard, usable vocabulary — but less familiar to general audiences than “racism” or “sexism.” A one-line gloss on first use helps, and naming the specific policy or practice keeps it concrete rather than abstract.
- Advocates and internal comms. Pair it with the meritocracy frame the sources flag: name structural barriers and generational wealth rather than letting “classism” float as a vague grievance.
- It names a system. Like ableism and racism, classism describes structures and policies, not just individual rudeness — keep the institutional level in view.
Related terms