Class in America

Class lines have always been a touchy subject in the United States, a country that celebrates social freedoms and mobility. But this month, a long series in the New York Times is examining how class touches Americans today.

New research suggests that since the 1980s, class movement in the U.S. has stagnated. Also, the spread in inequality has grown tremendously since the mid-70s.

Where do these changes leave Americans now? How have ideas of class changed to include new religious and political affiliations in their ranks? And how does class act on peoples' lives and loves?

Hear a discussion with reporters from the New York Times and a sociologist about class in America.

Guests:

Tom Kuntz, assistant editor for news for the New York Times

Tamar Lewin, reporter for the New York Times

Michael Hout, professor of sociology at the University of California, Berkeley

Eric Wanner, president of the Russell Sage Foundation.