class consciousness

noun

1. awareness of one's own social or economic rank in society.
2. a feeling of identification and solidarity with those belonging to the same social or economic class as oneself.

class consciousness

1. Identification with other members of one's own class and awareness of its relationship with other classes. According to Marxist theory , the proletariat (see also proletariat ) will assume class consciousness when workers realize that they are being exploited by the bourgeoisie ; then a proletarian revolution will be inevitable. Contrary to this theory, however, the American working class is primarily socially conservative .

Other Words From

• class-con·scious [klas, -, kon, -sh, uh, s, klahs, -], adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of class consciousness¹

First recorded in 1885–90

Example Sentences

Class consciousness has largely remained dormant in America, in large part because most people consider themselves to belong to the same amorphous socioeconomic class.

From Salon

As Noodle likes to say, “the greedy beat the needy,” and thus, “Wonka” becomes a film about class consciousness and the redistribution of wealth.

From Los Angeles Times

In commemoration of that clash, May Day was established as a larger international holiday that helped “build worker class consciousness” around much of the world, he said.

From Seattle Times

Olsen: And now “The Menu” and “Succession” are connected in a way that even I think relates to some of your work on “Shameless” or even going back to “Entourage” and that there is an interest in a class consciousness in your work and I’m wondering how aware are you of that and to you like what is that getting at?

From Los Angeles Times

“Nothing says class consciousness like a song where the entire middle verse is about how the poor can’t eat because of obese welfare recipients,” another wrote.

From Los Angeles Times