ANTH 3160 Study Guide - Summer 2018, Comprehensive Midterm Notes - Social Reproduction, Ford Focus, Social Class
12 Oct 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
ANTH 3160
MIDTERM EXAM
STUDY GUIDE
Fall 2018
Unequal Childhoods: Class Race and Family Life
Ch.1 Concerted Cultivation
Middle Class
• Middle class parents take part in 'concerted cultivation' when it comes to raising their kids
• What does that mean? = they create a sense of entitlement in their kids which plays an important role in
institutional settings + middle class children learn to question adults and address them as equals
• Will try to elicit their feelings and thoughts
• Ie. Alexander and Garret = have organized activities throughout the week; such as piano or baseball
Working Class/Poor Families
• However for kids like Billy, Wendy and Harold, their families arent wealthy -- have to work hard to put food on the
table so they do not use concerted ultiatio … the tell their kids hat to do istead hih is ko as usig
directives
• They see a boundary between adults and kids
• Ie. Playing with cousins
• Focus on accomplishment natural growth
• However this choice is not seen as the best option in the eyes of social institutions (ie. School)
• These kids will appear as having a sense of distance, distrust and constraint
• This illustrates that a parents' social class impacts a child's life experiences
• Working class children will gain a more child-like childhood, long leisure time and daily interactions with kin
• Middle class kids will gain skills that are important to their future and institutional advantages
Cultural Repertoires
In Class Discussion
• USA, 12 different families from middle class, working class and poor families
• Children come from 2 different schools
• Method she used ~ participating at the rituals of the families (AKA. Naturalistic Observation)
~ she ade sure the did’t iterat ith her
~ longer she stayed, the more comfortable they became with her and opened up
• Kids felt special ~ sense of entitlement
• Middle class felt more concerned about their reputation
~ to them it is more important how they are seen as parents and their status
• ~ portraed the itetioall etitled … ot the ost flatterig
• She tried to be as truthful to the way they live their lives
• Representation = part of reflexivity
~ do’t at to repliate stereotpes
Tallinger Family
• Whole family revolves around Garret's schedule (involved in a lot sports) , even though he has two siblings
~ a lot of sibling rivalry; younger brother is not that great at sports
~ this a result of the organization of the family life
~ Garret does’t id it eause he does’t kow anything else so thus enjoys it
~ if there is a moment where he isnt do anything = he is bored
~ parents have demanding jobs but they spend a lot of time driving their kids and talking to them
~ mother took on a less more demanding job to help raise their kids
~ a lot of oflit ith the siligs hih is resoled ith adult iteretio … the do’t lear ho to resole their
conflicts on their own
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
• Middle lass kids = adults he speds tie ith are his parets ad other authoritatie figures … o tie ith other
kids or extended family
• A lot of money within the family
• But still Garret feels like his fail as’t as ealth as other failies ad ot well off
• Hoeer, the lear life skills … talk to adults, adults are there to get hat the at ad get their o a; do’t
hold back and will tell you if smt is wrong
~ good at negotiating within organizations
~ looking at adults in the eyes = interview skills
~ more confident
~ confident where the rules are known
~ exposed to travelling and opportunities to learn about the world
Taylor Family
• Does’t partiipate i a lot of sheduled atiities
• A lot of leisure time
• Parets do’t get ioled in the conflicts
• Working class families give a directive and expect it to be way obeyed
• Life skills they are learning ~ figure out how to be self motivated, how to organize their leisure time and how to be
independent
~ Tyrec will be able to learn how to resolve issues, make friends
~ eetuall there is a sese of restrait … at do eerthig the at to do eause of ot haig aess to
resources
• Workig lass kids are uh happier at the tie = less proe to aiet ad stressed out … had a hild hood
~ looked back on it fondly
~ lots of extended family; relied on them
Brindle Family
• Poor family
• Poor neighbourhood and school has a few resources
• Rough financially and family wise
~ phsial spae as all the ould afford ad it as’t aitaied
~ no matter how hard the mother tried to keep it organized
• Mom has a history of alcohol abuse
• Katie experiences a real life of restraint
~ not that many toys
~ time to spend with her own friends
~ not a lot of adult involvement
~ not that many activities
• But still tries to create a meaningful life for herself
• Katie ould’t go to shool eause of laudr ~ ot haig lea lothes
• Has to wait in line to get food stamps
~ takes a lot of tie … do’t hae reliale trasportatio
~ cant rely on what is offered in their neighbourhood
• Structural conditions: what their school offers, housing (ability to have friends over), geography of where they live
(prices, where they can get food)
• The way parents raise their kids has an affect on how these kids' lives are organized, structured shapes their
possibilities
Class
• She expected to find differences b/w all 3 groups but there was overlap b/w working and poor class
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Alexander and garret = have organized activities throughout the week; such as piano or baseball. In class discussion: usa, 12 different families from middle class, working class and poor families, children come from 2 different schools, method she used ~ participating at the rituals of the families (aka. ~ she (cid:373)ade sure the(cid:455) did(cid:374)"t i(cid:374)tera(cid:272)t (cid:449)ith her. ~ longer she stayed, the more comfortable they became with her and opened up: kids felt special ~ sense of entitlement, middle class felt more concerned about their reputation. ~ to them it is more important how they are seen as parents and their status: ~ portra(cid:455)ed the(cid:373) i(cid:374)te(cid:374)tio(cid:374)all(cid:455) e(cid:374)titled (cid:374)ot the (cid:373)ost flatteri(cid:374)g, representation = part of reflexivity. She tried to be as truthful to the way they live their lives. Tallinger family: whole family revolves around garret"s schedule (involved in a lot sports) , even though he has two siblings.
