Hard work used to promise a stable life, and when that promise breaks, anger follows. Joan C. Williams explains how social class shapes political identity, voting behavior, and the resentment driving today’s divide, including here in South Carolina. From the diploma divide to class blindness among elites, we connect national research to the realities of the South Carolina Statehouse, rural communities, and the working families who feel economically squeezed. Joan helps us understand why voters across the Palmetto State are frustrated and how class dynamics shape our elections.

00:00 The Idea of Class Immigrants

07:21 Social Honor and Class Shame

09:58 Class Identity, Empathy, and Politics

11:28 Hard Work, Guilt, and Class Discomfort

16:14 Elite Individualism, Class, and Race

23:06 Gender Roles, Masculinity, and Status Loss

29:09 Performance Pressure Politics

35:52 Conspiracy Thinking and Trump’s Appeal

40:39 Making Class Politics Work

44:54 The Class Bubble Quiz