Who Is The Working Class, Actually? episode artwork

EPISODE · Dec 18, 2025 · 37 MIN

Who Is The Working Class, Actually?

from Shifting Terrain · host Shifting Terrain Productions

How do you define the working class? Is it based on education, income, job, or taste? Is there even a definitive answer?Several guests are on the show to help figure it out. Starting with Rachel Sherman, a professor of Sociology at The New School in New York City, who lays out the many possible ways to define class. We also hear from Joan Williams, Founding Director of the Equality Action Center at UC Law San Francisco and a prominent public intellectual. Joan returns to talk numbers, a particularly important detail for a certain group looking toward one end of the income distribution.Marbella Eboni Hill, Assistant Professor of Sociology at North Carolina State University, speaks about the intersection of race and class; and how understanding their relationship makes the murky waters of the class conversation much more clear.  We also hear from Río, Olive, and Colin. Between their jobs cooking, bartending, and personal training, they talk with a lot of people. And, arguably, have the most expert things to say about class in the United States today. Not surprisingly, they’ve got some clear ideas that reflect the reality of being a working class person in these increasingly unaffordable times. Rachel Sherman: WebsiteJoan C. Williams: WebsiteMarbella Eboni Hill: WebsiteColin Davis: InstagramFollow Shifting Terrain on InstagramDrop us a line: [email protected]

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Dec 18, 2025

Embed this episode

How do you define the working class? Is it based on education, income, job, or taste? Is there even a definitive answer? Several guests are on the show to help figure it out. Starting with Rachel Sherman, a professor of Sociology at The New School in New York City, who lays out the many possible ways to define class. We also hear from Joan Williams, Founding Director of the Equality Action Center at UC Law San Francisco and a prominent public intellectual. Joan returns to talk numbers, ...

Distinct summary based on available episode metadata or transcript content.

Ready to play

Who Is The Working Class, Actually?

0:00 37:59

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

No similar episodes found.

No similar podcasts found.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of Shifting Terrain?

This episode is 37 minutes long.

When was this Shifting Terrain episode published?

This episode was published on December 18, 2025.

Can I download this Shifting Terrain episode?

Yes. Use the download control on the episode player to save the publisher-provided media file.
URL copied to clipboard!