| Concept | Definition | Best measure |
| Social Class | Grouping of society hierarchically into distinct groups based on social standing. | Occupational prestige of head of household. Children take the social class of the household head until their career is under way, usually by about age 25. |
| Socio-Economic Status (SES) | The household’s current economic situation, which changes over the person’s employment life cycle. | Annual after-tax household disposable income, plus current market value of owned assets. |
| Perceived Social Class | Upper, middle, or lower class in status as perceived by others. | Occupation Residential area Vehicle type Dress style—work Dress style—leisure First and last names Speech—vocabulary and accent |