Social Class and Behavior: Simultaneous Class Positions Yield Different Amounts of Income

Abstract

We used data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics to present preliminary findings on the social class behavior of the poor and general populations in the USA. Analysis supported the notion that individuals are engaged simultaneously in multiple class positions, e.g., self-employed and welfare recipient, that yield different amounts of income. Moreover, no single label or explanation, e.g., “underclass” or “the poor are marginal to the economy,” seems appropriate to describe the complexity of the economic behavior of poor individuals.