Assessing Classism in Academic Settings

Although gaining more attention recently, classism is an area that has historically lacked consideration in psychological literature (Ostrove & Cole, 2003). Classism is a type of discrimination, much like sexism or racism. In the case of classism, people occupying lower social class levels are treated in ways that exclude, devalue, discount, and separate them (Lott, 2002). Researchers have examined individual experiences related to social class or socioeconomic status, but the emphasis has not been on defining empirical domains of classism and assessing base rates. An emphasis on assessing classism fits well with Ostrove and Cole’s (2003) call for a critical psychology that can investigate, among other things, social class as it relates to experiences of discrimination. Examining classism in college is particularly important because college represents an important developmental phase where young people are transitioning from adolescence into adulthood. This transition often results