Challenging the inference in social science that taking subjectivity into account somehow conflicts with approaches that emphasize the reality of the material conditions of existence, this book shows how subjective perceptions of one’s future can help to capture class and inequality, considering the extent to which material conditions (such as wealth, income, and power) are revealed by subjective indicators. That is to say, to take the full measure of social inequality, “feels like” economic opportunities matter: subjectivity, when considered as temporal and closely linked with material conditions of existence, helps us apprehend social constraints.

By presenting three empirical case studies that encompass both qualitative and quantitative methods, the author not only elaborates on arguments in Bourdieu’s early and relatively unknown works but also demonstrates the importance of sense of security and insecurity as markers of class inequality.

An original analysis of wealth that deepens and enriches the study of class inequality, Class and Time-Based Subjective Inequality highlights the relevance of a dynamic and absolute definition of subjective inequality for capturing marginalized positions. It will, therefore, appeal to scholars of sociology, economics, and politics with interests in social theory, contemporary inequalities, and social class.

Nicolas Duvoux is Professor of Sociology at the University of Paris 8, France, Full Professor at the Geneva School of Social Sciences, Switzerland, and Director of the Geneva Centre for Philanthropy (GCP). His research focuses on issues of social solidarity, poverty, philanthropy, and social policy. He is the author of L’autonomie des assistés: Sociologie des politiques d’insertion (2009), Le Nouvel Age de la solidarité: Pauvreté, précarité et politiques publiques (2012), and Les oubliés du rêve américain: Philanthropie, État et pauvreté urbaine aux États-Unis (2015).