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Soc. 118: Media, Culture & Society

Soc. 118: Media, Culture & Society. Chapter 7 The Rules of the Game: Cultural Consumption and Social Class in America. Chapter 7: Overview. Class Cultures in America High and low culture In-class exercise: Categorizing Culture The invention of class Video clip: “Class Dismissed”

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Soc. 118: Media, Culture & Society

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  1. Soc. 118: Media, Culture & Society Chapter 7 The Rules of the Game: Cultural Consumption and Social Class in America

  2. Chapter 7: Overview • Class Cultures in America • High and low culture • In-class exercise: Categorizing Culture • The invention of class • Video clip: “Class Dismissed” • Class and Conspicuous Consumption • Video clips: “People Like Us” • Cultural Capital • Video clips: “People Like Us” • Cultural Omnivores • Blurring boundaries

  3. Social Class and Cultural Consumption in America • Social stratification • Ranking system • Socioeconomic status (SES) • Position in hierarchy • Creates social inequality • “Titanic” • Portrays class distinctions • Passenger survival rates from disaster • 60% of 1st class • 43% of 2nd class • 25% of 3rd class

  4. Class Cultures in America • Categorizing Culture • In-class exercise: Highbrow/Lowbrow • High Culture • Fine art for the elites • Examples • Popular culture or mass culture • Lacking value or virtue? • Examples • Video: • “Class Dismissed: Class Clowns” • Stereotypes of working class • The invention of class culture • History of arts consumed by all • Popularity of Shakespeare • Industrial revolution and creation of upper-class • Nouveau riche or New bourgeoisie • Making class boundaries • Moral panics about “low culture” • Jazz 1920s  Heavy metal 1980s

  5. Class Cultures in America • Conspicuous consumption • Status displays • Show off wealth, luxury items • Conspicuous leisure • Free time pursuits • Video clips • “People Like Us” • “Joe Queenan’s Tour” • “All You Need is Cash” • “WASP Lessons” • “Marrying the Rich” • Cultural capital • Pierre Bourdieu • Knowledge, proficiency • Taste, style, etiquette • Passed down generations • Cultivate, appreciation, exposure • Travel, language • Gives social advantages • Source of discrimination • Reproduces class structure

  6. Blurring Class Boundaries in America • Cultural snobs (David Halle) • Manhattan elites • Cultural omnivores (Richard Peterson) • Far ranging tastes • Code switching (Elijah Anderson) • Multiple varied worlds • Example: • Jay-Z • Blurring boundaries • Blending high and low • Example: • Heavy metal and classical • Modern dance with musical theater • Aretha Franklin and popular musicians at Inauguration

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