Class

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Related to social class: social stratification, Social mobility

class

n. in legal (not sociological) terms, all those persons in the same category, level of rights (e.g. heirs of dead person who are related by the same degree), or who have suffered from the same incident. Whether a person is part of a class is often crucial in determining who can sue on behalf of the people who have been similarly damaged or collect his/her share if a class action judgment is given. (See: class action)

Copyright © 1981-2005 by Gerald N. Hill and Kathleen T. Hill. All Right reserved.

CLASS. The order according to which are arranged or distributed, or are supposed to be arranged or distributed, divers persons or things; thus we say, a class of legatees.
     2. When a legacy is given to a class of individuals, all who answer the description at the time the will takes effect, are entitled; and though the expression be in the plural, yet if there be but one, he shall take the whole. 3 M'Cord, Ch. R. 440.
     3. When a bond is given to a class of persons, it is good, and all composing that class are entitled to sue upon it; but if the obligor be a member of such class, the bond is void, because a man cannot be obligor and obligee at the same time; as, if a bond be given to the justices of the county court, and at the time the obligor is himself one of said justices. 3 Dev. 284, 287,289; 4 Dev. 882.
     4. When a charge is made against a class of society, a profession, an order or body of men, and cannot possibly import a personal application to private injury, no action lies; but if any one of the class have sustained special damages in consequence of such charge, he may maintain an action. 17 Wend. 52, 23, 186. See 12 John. 475. When the charge is against one of a class, without designating which, no action lies; as, where three persons had been examined as witnesses, and the defendant said in addressing himself to them, "one of you three is perjured." 1 Roll. Ab. 81; Cro. Jac. 107; 16 Pick. 132.

A Law Dictionary, Adapted to the Constitution and Laws of the United States. By John Bouvier. Published 1856.
References in periodicals archive ?
To measure social class, the researchers obtained information about these applicants' income, education level and perceived standing in society as part of the application process.
Age is related to subjective social class, with about half of young Americans in the most recent study identifying as working or lower class, significantly more than among those who are older.
"The parents of high social class spend more money on providing educational resources to their children..." [Interview in Urdu with a mother (of low scorer male student from private college in Multan) from high social class]
Although scholars generally agree on the importance of capital to SES, there is disagreement about the role of prestige and status, and some have made a distinction between SES and social class. Liu et al.
The results also highlight how those from lower social classes are taking advantage of platforms like Facebook to increase their social capital beyond national borders.
Armstrong and Hamilton, however, add complexity to the literature on social class in higher education by illustrating the less tangible and measurable ways in which social class impacts the lives of students from low SES backgrounds.
Existing gap in students' mathematics achievement have long been coupled with the demographic categories of race and ethnicity, culture and language, SES and social class, gender and disabilities.
The study adds that even children from advantaged backgrounds who don't achieve academically still have family resources and personal attributes that protect them from any serious downgrading in social class.
Out of these 40 patients belonged to high social class and 40 patients belonged to low social class.
Due to inadequate data relatively little analytical work on this issue has been undertaken however the present study is an attempt to explore why some women engaged in economic activities are more satisfied while some of them are not irrespective of their education and social class.
Similarly, most of the people belonging to social class B and B+ do not prefer branded attire because it's expensive and provides less value in comparison to the price charged.
However, despite the resurgence of interest in social class within the psychological sciences (e.g., American Psychological Association, 2008), there has been little discussion of the impact of social class on SAI.