Survey
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
Download ppt-7 - WordPress.com
Document related concepts
Transcript
Chapter 7 The Rules of the Game Social Class and Cultural Consumption in North America A group of people with relatively similar levels of access to wealth, prestige, and power. Social class is a form of social stratification. What is Social Class? What are the functionalist, conflict, and interactionist perspectives on social stratification? Other forms of social stratification include: Gender Race Ethnicity Religion Social class is seen as one of THE most major ways in which society is stratified No consensus on number of social classes- 3, 5, or 6 Why are sociologists obsessed with social class? While not always connected, social class might have a connection with race, ethnicity, religion, etc. Central Valley Health Policy Institute at Fresno State Social class in turn impacts other areas of life Life chances- Max Weber Access to health care Loans/mortgages Neighborhood you live in School you attend Top 1%- inherited “Old” money Upper Upper and Lower Upper Classes Membership might be based on blood Rockefellers, Vanderbilts, Hiltons etc. Next 2%- more achievement based; earned “Nouveau Riche” Might be richer than top 1% but lack the “blue blood” Upper Middle Class Upper Middle and Lower Middle Classes Typically earn enough to save AND live well Probably college educated Health insurance Lower Middle Class May earn about the national average May have some college or no college Below average income May have unstable unemployment Working Class, Poor and Under Classes Underemployment May depend on public assistance May not participate in political process Do not earn enough to rise above poverty line Do not believe they can earn enough- Pew Research Study Oscar Lewis and the Culture of Poverty Horizontal -movement from one social position to another of a similar rank. Ex. Pilot to police officer. Vertical- movement from one social position to another of a different rank. Ex. Airline pilot becomes bank teller -> downward Intergenerational- change in social position of children relative to their parents. Mobility, Status and Social class Plumber->President of the United States President of the United States->Plumber Intragenerational- change in social position within a person’s adult life. Teacher’s aide->school teacher->Superintendent of school district Accounting firm CEO-> Taxicab driver Status Ascribed- the social position into which a person is born (sex, race, kinship group). Common in Closed Stratification Systems. Achieved- the social position that a person chooses or achieves (spouse, parent, professor, artist). Common in Open Stratification System. Highbrow culture- Upper classes Social Class and Media Ballet, Opera, Abstract art Lowbrow culture- Mass culture Rap music, professional wrestling, pornography Definitions change with the years. Jazz was lowbrow. How did the distinction between highbrow and lowbrow originate in the United States? Shakespeare – popular culture Enjoyed by both upper and lower classes Language wasn’t a problem thanks to the King James Bible Diverse genres blended in theaters Industrial Revolution- “humble backgrounds”-> influenced by European nobility Established class boundaries to further demarcate themselves from the masses Status conscious European Nobility and their customs How do you enforce highbrow and lowbrow culture? The gilded age (1870s to 1900s) invented cultural distinctions based on class Used wealth to develop special entertainment venues Create dress codes High ticket/entrance prices Codes of behavior 1) What are some forms of high and low brow culture today? Make a list of at least five examples each for high and low brow. Class Activity and Discussion 2) What are the major distinguishing characteristics of high and low brow culture today? Make a list of some major differences. 3) Who enforces the distinction between high brow and low brow culture? 4) What are some rules in place to enforce this distinction? Do different social classes have different cultures and tastes? Wealthy, urban, and professional: classical music, opera, ballet, NPR and PBS, abstract art Does what we consume (media and other products) indicate our social class? Gilded age reinforced class (and culture) distinction We continue to reinforce it today by certain behaviors Thorstein Veblen-Sociologist- 19th century Conspicuous consumption-> overt displays of what a person can afford to spend money on->often unnecessary expenditure Conspicuous Consumption and Leisure Marked by demonstrative assets rather than actual use and practicality Veblen goods- demand for good increases as price increases-> goes against classic economic theory Such behavior is used to maintain and gain class Originally confined to the wealthy just after the Industrial Revolution Now associated with the poor- pecuniary emulation- ironically, wealth display in these groups highlights current class Conspicuous leisure-> Leisure or time off for the sake of having time off and demonstrating class Gentleman and Ladies and “what is a weekend?” Behaviors associated with conspicuous consumption and leisure could be: Class Status and Conspicuous Consumption Demonizing foods consumed by lower classes Disapproval of cultural tastes Avoiding cultural/economic/social choices of the lower class Other classes imitate the upper class Buying hard to afford designer brands Status symbols associated with the upper classes Buying knock offs Why do brands and class matter? Cultural tastes and consumer habits reflect our class (whether we like it or not) This places us within a system of stratification Each strata comes with awards and consequences Brands you wear can get you attention at a store Cultural status can be converted in to financial wealth Reinforces class structure Pierre Bourdieu – Cultural Capital-> same qualities as wealth-> wealth is unevenly distributed and so is cultural capital Cultural capital can be inherited like wealth through socialization Cultural Capital What exactly is cultural capital? Storehouse of certain types of knowledge Ability to intelligently discuss that knowledge Experience with cosmopolitanism Familiarity with the rules for upper class codes of conduct Clothes Dining Interviews -> promotions in high income occupations Today’s industrial economy technical capital might matter more Silicon Valley Other occupations still demand knowledge of cultural capital William Labov’s study in NYC Modern slant may be toward being an omnivore and not a snob An omnivore is someone who has “far-ranging tastes” (Grazian) Cultural Omnivores The taste is mixed as opposed to being exclusively one class The omnivore may have come about as a result of American mobility- core roots remain the same while other tastes are added on as one goes up and down the class ladder Fits with national ideals of egalitarianism and democracy Upwardly mobile immigrants bring in and keep ethnic roots while acquiring new ones Rising commercialization of “working class” culture Example: Graffitti The modern definition of cultural capital might be more relaxed Ability to intelligently straddle more than one class Ability to switch from one class’s tastes to another with ease Elijah Anderson- Code Switching- linguistic term Schizophrenic National Culture Media and national culture are schizophrenic Blending in the upper and lower class tastes Fusion is the theme of the day and this might be reflected in the omnivorous tastes of cultural consumers Sports represent an egalitarian cultural ideal where the masses mingle The Labor of Fun What is fun? What is work? Are video games fun or work? Conducting Research in Sociology
