The Relative Importance of Social Class and Ethnicity in Human Development

Human social and cognitive development is largely an outcome of the child-rearing practices of the cultural subgroups which make up a modern complex society. The social classes are the most pervasive and powerful in their influence. However, ethnic subgroups (defined in terms of religion, race, or nationality background) are also effective, more so at the lower-working-class level than at the upper-middle-class level. But certain ethnic groups (e.g., Jews in the USA and nationality groups in the Soviet Union) may be more effective than socioeconomic status groups.