Social Class

Danielle Kline October 24, 2011 Social Class: Representation and Reproduction INCOME Upper-upper class Lower-upper class Upper-middle class Middle class Working class Under class  Upper-upper class: old money, inheritance, family name (0.5%) Household  Lower-upper class: made their own money, extremely wealthy but didn’t come into it (0.5%) income:  Upper-middle class: highly educated professionals, authority jobs, high $100,000 income, management jobs (14%) Median household  Middle class: fair amount of educational professional or semi-professional income: (nurses, middle mgmt.) (30%)  Working: high school education, semi-skilled jobs, training (30%) $49,777  Working poor: low status, unskilled jobs, unstable jobs, wages at or barely above poverty wages, possibly high school ed. or GED (bus boy, waiter (20%) Poverty line (family of 4):  Under class: lower poverty lines, unemployment, low education (5%) $22,113 Media Representations of Class  Reading 38. “Media Magic” by Mantsios o What messages does the news media send about class  The poor o Do not exist – not covered in media o Are faceless – numbers/statistics o Undeserving – only deserving in specific situations o Sexist and racist – single moms/blacks o Blame the victim o Eyesore – should be taken care of so we don’t have to deal with it o Only have themselves to blame o Are down in their luck  The wealthy o Are potentially us – only address wealthy in news o Do not exist (as a class) o Fascinating and benevolent – source of entertainment o Include a few bad apples – they’re exception  The Middle Class o Is us – blurs lines between working and middle class o Is a victim – cost of poverty is born by middle class o Is not a working class Family Reproduction of Class  Reading 55. “Invisible Inequality” by Annette Lareau  Qualitative Ethnographic study o Interviews and observations of children, ages 8-10, and their families o 3 phases rd  Observations of 2 3 grade classrooms in the Midwest  Observations of 1 3 grade class in 2 different neighborhoods in northeast  Home observations of 12 children and their families in northeast o Article contrasts lives of 2 African American boys  Alexander Williams: 2 married parents, 2 jobs, middle