Week 8: Class, Cultural Capital, Taste and Power dt 21st Jan 2014

Class

Karl Marx defines class as: determined entirely by one's relationship to the 'means of production' i.e. Land, machinery, material access. the classes in a Capitalist society:
Proletarians: those who work but do not own the means of production, e.g. factory workers making but not owning the machinery used for making.
Bourgeoisie: those who live off the surplus generated by the Proletarians. The means of production belongs to them.
Aristocracy: those who have land as means of production.
www.marxists.org/glossary/index.htm
 Class was determined by occupation, wealth and education.

A major survey conducted by BBC suggests people in UK now fit into seven social classes.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-22007058
The new research suggests that class has three different indicators:
Economic, Social and Cultural.

1. Elite: most privileged group with highest level of all three capitals( more cultural, social and economic engagement, wealth and education)
2. Established Middle class: the largest group of all, second wealthiest and second highest for cultural capital and high on social engagement.
3. Technical Middle Class: low on social engagement and lack of interest in culture.
4. New Affluent Workers: young class group which is socially and culturally active with middling level of finance..
5. Traditional Working Class: low on all forms of capital but not completely deprived. Members of this group have the oldest average age of 66 and reasonably high house value.
6. Emergent service workers: new , young urban group which is relatively poor but has high social and cultural capital.eg areas like Stokes Croft, Montpelier-Bristol.
7. Precariat or Precarious Proletariat: the poorest, most deprived class who score low on social, cultural and economic capital.

Class distinction is more fluid in contemporary society. This new model suggests we have some control over them.

Taste

Taste is understood as an indicator of class( the kind of things you choose to engage in or avoid).
According to Catherine McDermott taste: 'involves the critical judgement of human objects and culture and it suggests a well-trained appreciation of what is aesthetically pleasing.' ( McDermott, 1994,p195)
In other words taste is based on knowledge, connoisseurship and critical appreciation.
In cultural context it can be determined by makers, critics, media, everyone.
Our tastes are learnt and hence taught.
They are not natural or neutral.
Their learning starts the moment we are born.
They reflect our value system. ( family, culture, religion)
Our tastes in clothes, food, cars, art, design, position us within our culture's hierarchies.
They demonstrate our 'Cultural capital'.

 Cultural Capital

Pierre Bourdieu 91979) Distinction: Asocial Critique of the Judgement of Taste.

• interested in construction and performance of class
• interested in roles that education, consumption and cultural capital play in its formation.

Cultural capital is a form of value associated with culturally authorised tastes, consumption patterns, attributes, skills and awards.
Webb.J.Schirato,T.(2002)
Within the field of education , an academic degree constitutes cultural capital.

For Terminology refer to http://faculty.smcm.edu/Inscheer/mce.html

Interesting fact-In the Renaissance period the hierarchy in art was :
Highest- art showing religious and historical themes
Middle- portraiture, paintings of women.
Lowest- Still life.