Class for Dummies
Does driving a Mercedes make you rich?
You may be wondering why owning fancy cars or expensive clothes do not automatically make someone a member of the upper class. Well, in today’s society dressing well and owning nice clothing is something that crosses class boundaries. Because of this it is hard to tell whether a person is a member of a certain class based solely on the way they dress or the car they have. For example, some individuals will buy expensive cars but then not be able to afford the upkeep. Others may buy expensive clothes but be unable to have them dry-cleaned. Hence, the problem with basing an individual’s class solely on things like clothes or electronics is because these items often give the perception of high class but are accessible to members of other classes.
Money
Money defiantly plays a major role in class. If you make a certain amount of money than you are automatically put into a certain class. Though, it’s important to keep in mind that although one might make say 100,000 dollars and be assumed to be a member of the middle class, what if they have seven children they need to take care of or a child that requires lots of medical attention. There are lots of circumstances that cause making class boundaries very difficult.
Cultural Capital
As Wendy Luttrell states in Schoolsmart and Motherwise, cultural capital is “different kinds of knowledge, dispositions, linguistic codes, problem-solving skills, attitudes, and tastes, only some of which get rewarded or valued” (5). Cultural capital is something that every individual possess and it is usually heavily dependent on an individual’s class. Things such as table manners and the use of slang vary between different classes. Because cultural capital is not exactly something someone can go to a store and purchase it is usually a more accurate representation of an individual’s class simply because it represents ideals and values that their class holds. However, there are exception were individuals of a certain class have a different type of cultural capital than the class in which they belong. Cultural capital and access go hand in hand. Access to things like jobs and schools are based on one’s cultural capital. The knowledge of the best school districts, colleges, summer programs, jobs and more, and the where with all to get into them is how access and cultural capital go hand in hand.
More Complicated than this!
(cc) photo by Franco Folini on Flickr
(cc) photo by Metro Centric on Flickr
Class
Have you ever wondered what class you are? It wasn’t until college that I began to wonder which class I could claim as my own. I encountered many confusing obstacles because I was not sure what elements one needed to be a part of a certain class. Does owning expensive clothes or cars make an individual upper class? After learning about class and society for a semester the conclusion is no. These materialistic things play a role in determining one’s class but are not truly the main components. The elements that determine the true class an individual belongs to are the amount of money one has, the type of cultural capital they have, and the amount of access they have to things like education and good health care (Bourdieu as cited in Luttrell p.5).
(cc) photo by jimmyharris on Flickr
(cc) photo by Metro Centric on Flickr
What is Class?
Digital image. Brand Alyzers. Web. <http://brandalyzer.files.wordpress.com/2010/07/demography1a.gif>.
Digital image. The World Spins Madly On. Web. <http://annakarli.blogspot.com/2009/03/advice-needed.html>.
Diploma. Digital image. Web. <http://dpsteachers.wikispaces.com/student+projects>.
Luttrell, Wendy. Schoolsmart and Motherwise: Working-class Women's Identity and Schooling. New York: Routledge, 1997. 1-137. Print.
Cultural Capital
Money
Guess What?
I've decided I can claim to be a part of the middle class.
I Wonder What Class I'm In?
Even though society separates people very quickly into different classes it isn’t really that simple. Millionaires can wear clothes from goodwill and housekeepers can shop at Macy’s. Plus, a person can change classes throughout their lifetime! Therefore, even using elements such as cultural capital, money, and access to determine an individual’s class is not completely accurate because class is very complicated and it means different things to different people and is based on an individual’s experiences. Class is complicated!