Exploring Collective Symbols

Abstract

This article traces the history of a collective symbol—specifically, America as a middle-class society—within the syndicated comic strip from 1925 to 1975, documenting shifts in both the class distribution and the portrayal of various classes of comic society. Two distinct conceptions of stratification are delineated: The first treats the middle class as a role model for an aspiring strip citizenry; the second announces the absorption of nearly the entire comic status hierarchy by this middle stratum and, thereby, the institutionalization of a classless society. These variant conceptions reflect sequential changes in the American legitimating apparatus for class during the half-century from 1925 to 1975.