In this text author William Ming Liu presents theory and research on the impact of classism and social class on mental health. He provides an original framework—the Social Class Worldview Model—for exploring each person’s individual and subjective life experiences. These experiences form a perspective that is unique to the individual. The author then helps the reader integrate this realization into the study of poverty, economic inequality, wealth, and the often overlooked implications of greed, materialism, and consumerism for a more complete understanding of social class and classism. Liu’s original Social Class Worldview Model–Revised provides a theoretical framework for integrating each individual’s reaction to social class and classism experiences and addressing that worldview within counseling and psychology work. Readers receive guidance in additional ways to act as advocates for their clients—regardless of affluence—through a study of privilege, social justice, empowerment, and competence.

The Social Class Worldview Model

The social class worldview model

Our local food cooperative is one of three different food markets in our city, and each of these different markets serves a particular social class community. The large-warehouse national chain market such as Walmart tends to appeal to the working-class community. The regional food market is a chain store, is much smaller in size than the warehouse market, and tends to appeal to most everyone across the social class hierarchy. Stocked with local and national brands, it tends to be the middle-ground market. Finally, our food cooperative (co-op) is distinctly attractive to what I would consider to be the professional and upper-class members of the community. Organic and locally grown foods are found at our co-op, ...

  • Loading...
locked icon

Sign in to access this content

Get a 30 day FREE TRIAL

  • Watch videos from a variety of sources bringing classroom topics to life
  • Read modern, diverse business cases
  • Explore hundreds of books and reference titles