Contributed by Dagoberto Chavez, student in graduate social stratification class.
This video summarizes the science fiction movie "In Time". It takes place sometime in the future when nobody ages past 25 and is compelled to continually pay to keep living in the form of time credits. If one fails to maintain a positive balance, then one instantly dies. The movie well illustrates how a stratification order can be built around virtually any commodity as long as it is scarce and believed to be necessary to sustain life.
Contributed by UTSA Political Science graduate
student, Dagoberto Chavez.
The dinner scene from James Cameron’s Titanic well symbolizes
the negotiated nature of prestige in the context of social interaction. Jack
(played by Leonardo DiCaprio) is introduced by Rose (played by Kate Winslet) to
her family, friends, and very well-off acquaintances. Immediately, Cal (the
pompous fiancé of Jack’s love interest, Rose) asserts his superiority by
telling Jack that he “could almost pass for a gentleman,” thus reminding Jack
of his low social status both in life and at dinner. Before sitting to eat,
Rose begins to “educate” Jack about just who is in their presence in terms of
wealth and power. Rose’s embedded culture of the Upper Class is highlighted.
Jack, a carefree wandering peasant, is in the presence of high esteemed Royals
and Ambassadors. This is further reinforced through dialogue at the dinner
table when Cal introduces Jack by stating that he is joining them from the
“third class.” This is not only a reference to Jack’s sleeping quarters on the
ship, but an unsubtle characterization of Jack’s social status--highlighted
again as Jack confusingly looks down at his silverware set and asks whether or
not they are ALL meant for him. The scene concludes with a brief conversation
about Jack’s living conditions and travel opportunities as Jack describes how
he is able to make ends meet while abroad. it is apparent that some at the
table disapprove of his way of life, especially through the symbolic
representation of Rose’s mother sipping a glass of champagne after making a
snarky comment about whether or not Jack finds his “rootless existence
appealing.” Here, we see Jack uphold his honor with modesty and feigned
upper-class swagger.
Social Negotiation
Jack’s ability to defend himself while surrounded by
upper-class individuals illustrates Cameron’s attempt to frame Jack as the
primary protagonist. Jack’s ease in dealing effectively with a challenging
social situation suggests the hero’s cool under fire. More importantly for our
purposes, Cameron uses this characterization to show that status is not fixed,
but negotiated. Although Jack is objectively poor, he maintains his dignity
through social negotiation. As a proud, card-carrying member of the working
class, Jack never abandons his roots as he admits to his status as third class.
In so doing, he asserts himself as an authentic individual in contrast to the
pretentious others at the table. He establishes this as an exclusive accolade
for those of the lower class.
Dramaturgy & The Titanic
Dramaturgy, a concept developed by the late sociologist
Erving Goffman, holds that social life is a never-ending play. Individuals
interpret their role on the basis of impression management mechanisms--Social
Setting, Appearance, and Manner of Interaction.
+Social Setting
Social settings can determine how one acts and reacts to
stimuli. This can be conveyed by the type of objects present and how they are
set up. Essentially, this will determine role expectations and limitations. For
instance, during the dinner scene with Jack, Rose, and her family, the setting
is in first class during a very fancy dinner. This is expressed by the type of
music playing, draperies and furnishings, and the food being served. Further,
the placement of the silverware and the offering of caviar, a prestigious dish,
reinforces this mechanism.
+Appearance
According to Goffman, clothing, physical stature, race, and
stereotypes are the primary stimulants for appearance. All the men, including
the waiters, are wearing tuxedos, an outfit associated with prestige and power.
An additional layer of appearance used here can be seen through the use of
stereotypes. As Rose introduces Jack to the many prestigious characters around
them, she does so through the use of their titles rather than their names
alone. It is clearly established that they are in the presence of very
important people, indeed Dukes and Senators. Although they only appear in the
background for a moment, the viewer is able to see Jack interpret this
information through his body language and facial expressions. Hence, the stimuli
of stereotypes successfully conveyed to Jack his role and the expectations
associated with said role. Additionally, Jack was blatantly instructed to act
as if he owned a “goldmine because they love money;” Here, the use of
stereotypes is reinforced by the blatant use of admitting how an expectation
needs to be met.
+Manner of Interacting
According to Goffman, individuals interact with one another
in ways to convey how they want to portray themselves. One way of establishing
this is through the use of body language, which is quite apparent in the scene.
For example, as Jack, Rose, and others walk throughout the dining area their
stature is clearly poised and proper. As Goffman would say, they seem as though
they are on a stage acting out a play. Every move is calculated and precise. To
say that their interactions are casual suggests the polar opposite of the mood
and setting.
Face Work /Interaction Ritual & The Titanic
Virtually in every interaction, a person acts in ways
consistent to that of their Line. According to Goffman, Line is everything
people say or do to express their perspective of a situation, the others, and
themselves via other individuals. Essentially, Line is the judgement of
everything and everyone during a social interaction. Individuals set
expectations for themselves through the use of statements. Their peer’s will
either approve of these statements through praise or deny them through
criticism or silence. Further, this Line is always connected with an
individual’s face. This is the positive social value people claim for
themselves through the use of the Line. Therefore, if one presents a standard
through comments, that standard tends to be associated with that individual’s
face. This theory adds an additional layer of complexity seen during the dinner
scene on the Titanic.
Cal and the other social elites attempt to establish a line
of prestige and superiority. As they develop their line by criticizing Jack’s
status, they attempt to set their stereotype as one above his (the underclass).
They do this by constantly questioning Jack’s “rootless existence” and his
ability to “join” them from the 3rd class. They assert themselves and establish
their own line by labeling Jack as a lesser human being. However, in actuality
they are allowing Jack the opportunity to establish a line critical to theirs.
In response to the criticism, Jack establishes a line superior to that of
theirs by turning negatives into virtues. Jack identifies his lack of stable
living conditions as an opportunity of freedom. Jack’s ability to disassociate
this third class condition as a limitation and associate it with the idea of
opportunity is compelling. He successfully converts a condition exclusive to
the third class and presents it as something unattainable to the upper class.
This ultimately sets his Line above those of presumably greater prestige.
This post was contributed by Nari Kim from this fall's introductory sociology class. This post was later cross-posted to The Sociological Cinema.
In this clip from the movie White Chicks, FBI agents, Kevin and Marcus (played by Shawn Wayans and Marlon Wayans), pick up the Vandergeld twins whom they are to supposed to protect. The sisters (played by Brittany Daniel and Jaime KIng) are white, young, and rich, as shown through their consumption of expensive goods such as private jet and designer clothes. Upon meeting, one sister demeans the agents by declaring “we already gave to the United Negro Fund.” Taken a bit back, the agents explain that they are supposed to drive them to their destination and protect them while there. In response, the women throw their bags at the agents and order them to clean up their dog's mess. As they get situated in the car, Marcus is surprised to discover that he is relegated to the cargo area as his seat is reserved for the dog. While driving, the women further bask in their privilege, noting that this isn't just “a” week, but “the” week at the Hamptons, and that only the "hottest of the hottest" (i.e., themselves) will be on the cover of the local magazine, detailing the lives of the rich and famous. In all, the twins make no effort to disguise their assumption of superiority to the agents by virtue of race and class. This clip would serve to humorously introduce any of several important stratification-relevant concepts, including status inequality, white privilege, and conspicuous consumption.
This post was contributed by Rene Gonzalez from this fall's undergrad social stratification class. This post was later cross-posted to The Sociological Cinema. Gentrification radically transformed my neighborhood. Growing up in and around east Austin, I have experienced first-hand the changes that can occur within an area over a mere decade. As a child, I visited family members throughout east Austin. All of us are Latino, and everybody not only knew everyone else, but also where they lived. Now as the city rapidly grows, many in my family are being forced by rising property taxes to sell their homes. These homes are primarily being bought up by young, affluent, white real-estate developers, who are scrapping such dwellings and doing complete renovations in order to attract young, affluent, white occupants.
I have seen Boyz N the Hood many times, but the scene featured above really stood out to me after our class discussion. Furious Styles (Laurence Fishburne) takes his son, Trey, and a friend to a nearby neighborhood where a billboard has just been put up offering to buy-up homes. Furious explains the specifics of how the property values in a neighborhood are brought down, while the land is bought out and sold for big profit. He also notes that this could be prevented if residents maintained solidarity by retaining black ownership.
Placing gentrification into a larger historical context, this clip from the Broadway play, Clybourne Park features a mix of humorous scenes that collectively illustrate salient attitudes and behaviors accompanying neighborhood succession over time: residential areas that were once white and middle class in composition transformed through white flight into those with predominately black working-class and poor populations, and then ultimately with gentrification, back into white upscale neighborhoods. See also this recent piece featuring Spike Lee, arguing that gentrification reveals government racism in the provision of far better public facilities and services to an area once it is gentrified.
This post was contributed by Jackie Davila from this fall's undergrad social stratification course. This post was later cross-posted to The Sociological Cinema.
The movie Pretty in Pink centers on a budding romance between Andie and Blane. Andie is from the “wrong side of the tracks,” and lives with her father, a down-and-out kind of guy whom she continually urges to get a decent job. However, she is a refreshing, free-spirit counterpoint to Blane, a “richie” who drives a fancy car, throws cool parties, dates the popular girls, and lives in a big house with well-manicured lawn. Her social status is obviously inferior to his, making this intimate teen encounter one that is complicated by not only social inequality, but by social exclusion and rejection, as well.
At school, Blane takes a shine to Andie. But given that both are expected to hang out with their own kind, they soon encounter resistance from friends and associates. In this scene, Andie confronts Blane on his denying to others that they are a dating couple. Andie knows he is embarrassed to be seen with her, but she nevertheless confronts him openly in the hallway during the school day. Although the scene suggests that all is over for the couple, they soon rekindle their romance when they later cross paths at the prom.
Interestingly, the book upon which the movie is based had Andie winding up at the prom with a selfless, working-class boy who had loved Andie all along. However, according to the movie's wikipedia entry, the ending for the movie was changed to reflect test-audience preference for Andie with Blane, underlining the cultural ideal that "true love conquers all."
Love thwarted by prestige differences resonates strongly as a trope in contemporary popular culture as is evident in movies such as Pretty Woman, and in one of my favorites, The Notebook, wherein the rich guy/poor gal is reversed as Noah, a simple country boy, falls hard for heiress, Allie. Showing the above clip from Pretty in Pink, or one from The Notebook (e.g. this scene) would work well as a discussion-starter in any course that addresses the social context of intimate relationships.
Although two movies centered around American slavery were nominated today for "best picture" Oscars, neither will give you the "big picture" about that system. Imara Jones alludes to what Django Unchained "won't tell you" in her recent Colorlinesarticle, but her observations quoted below equally apply to Lincoln.
1) Slavery laid the foundation for the modern international economic system.
2) Africans’ economic skills were a leading reason for their enslavement.
3) African know-how transformed slave economies into some of the wealthiest on the planet.
4) Until it was destroyed by the Civil War, slavery made the American South the richest and most powerful region in America.
5) Defense of slavery, more than taxes, was pivotal to America’s declaration of independence.
6) The brutalization and psychological torture of slaves was designed to ensure that plantations stayed in the black financially.
7) The economic success of former slaves during Reconstruction led to the rise of the Ku Klux Klan.
8) The desire to maintain economic oppression is why the South was one of the most anti-tax regions of the nation.
9) Many firms on Wall Street made fortunes from funding the slave trade.
10) The wealth gap between whites and blacks, the result of slavery, has yet to be closed.
