Page 14 - Ruminations

12. Now and Venn

Social class in America can be defined by many variables, typically
along continua of income, occupation, education and title or prestige.
But it really requires only three binary categories: white/non-white,
male/female, and Christian/non-Christian. One could further refine
these distinctions to privilege Anglo-Saxon, heterosexual and
Protestant—but that is not necessary for this broader presentation. It
may be pictured as a Venn diagram (below), showing eight
combinations of the three qualities, and the assignation of their human
bearers into four classes:

Region White Male Christian Class

4 Y Y Y First
3 Y N Y Second
7 N Y Y Second
2 Y Y N Second
5 N Y N Third
1 Y N N Third
6 N N Y Third
8 N N N Fourth

This is as true today as it was at the founding of the republic.