The 2008 Great Recession significantly reshaped how Americans perceive their class identity, according to new research from a team led by Stephen Antonoplis, a social personality psychologist at the University of California, Riverside. The study reveals that financial hardships during this period led many individuals to identify more strongly with lower social classes, a shift that has persisted well into the 2020s.
Class identity influences many aspects of life, including personal behavior and social interactions. While previous studies have established connections between higher class identification and improved health outcomes, the long-term effects of economic downturns on class identity had not been thoroughly examined until now. Antonoplis noted, “We know a lot about the consequences of class identity, but how it morphs over time, particularly in relation to historic events, remained unclear.”
The Great Recession, which spanned from late 2007 to 2009, offered a unique opportunity to investigate this phenomenon. The study analyzed four longitudinal datasets, including the American National Election Studies, the General Social Survey, the World Values Survey, and the Health and Retirement Study. These datasets provided insights into American class identity from the mid-1950s to the early 2020s.
Using an interrupted time-series model, the researchers assessed changes in class identity before, during, and after the recession. The findings were striking: on average, individuals reported a decreased sense of class identity following the recession. This decline in self-identification with higher classes continued long after the economic downturn, with many Americans categorizing themselves as working or middle class more than a decade later.
Antonoplis emphasized that the recession’s impact on class identity underscores the flexibility of this social construct. He stated, “Class identity is not just a static psychological phenomenon; it is influenced by significant societal events.” This research aligns with theories that suggest individuals’ self-perceptions are shaped by their economic environment.
The study also highlights the broader implications of how large-scale social and economic events can influence individual psychology. The Great Recession coincided with various cultural movements, such as Occupy Wall Street, which reflected a growing discontent with economic inequality. Understanding how class identity shifts motivated participation in these movements is crucial for future research.
Looking ahead, Antonoplis and his colleagues aim to explore the mechanisms that drive changes in class identity and their subsequent effects on behavior. The research raises questions about whether similar trends were observed in other countries affected by the Great Recession, such as Canada and Japan.
“[Social] structures do indeed matter to the constructs that we typically care about in psychology,” Antonoplis remarked. The hope is that this study will inspire further exploration into how external events shape individual identities and societal perceptions.
The findings from this research not only contribute to the understanding of class identity but also encourage other psychologists to investigate these critical questions and their implications for social behavior and policy.
