Comparing countries, exporting classifications, surpassing methodological nationalism: class, gender, and education gaps in and between France and Portugal

Abstract

The 'globalization turn' in the sociology of class has led to the resurgence of studies comparing social classes in Europe over the past 20 years and to question the methodological nationalism of the class analysis. But it has also paid little attention to the selection of the most appropriate empirical tools for quantifying class in a comparative approach. This article explores the links between occupations, class structures, and countries by applying the French and the Portuguese occupational classifications to both countries. France and Portugal are an especially suitable pairing for comparative study because social class and inequalities are central to sociological research in both countries, and their divergent intellectual histories produced different tools for quantifying social stratification. The Portuguese classification, which attaches great importance to the ownership of capital, helps to understand the diversity of the class position of the self-employed and the structure of the economic elites. The French classification, based on employment status and qualifications, highlights the role of diplomas and the public/private divide. Ultimately, the Portuguese social structure appears to be more polarized than the French one. This cross-national and cross-classification comparison brings to light features of the social structures of the two countries and the contrasts between them that would have remained a blind spot if we had used an international classification. Paradoxically, these national classifications help to overcome methodological nationalism and ethnocentrism.