Class Distinctions Research Articles

Privileged transmigrant motherhood and its practices of distinction

ABSTRACT Transnational motherhood and Latin-American migrants in the U.S. have been explored in the literature primarily in the context of labor migration and marginalized identities. Existing research delves into how mothers negotiate the challenges and opportunities posed by migration in their parenting journeys. However, scholars advocate to look closer at how the social location of individuals create specific sets of experiences. Using the lenses of transnationalism and translocational positionalities, I look at the motherhood identities of 32 mothers in the U.S. who belong to higher socioeconomic levels in Colombia. I find that through their motherhood practices and discourses, participants perform class distinctions to distance themselves from negative stereotypes associated with migrants from Latin America and white U.S. American culture. Addressing the nuances of motherhood, class, and race within the context of migration is a step toward understanding how identities and ideologies transcend transnational boundaries and the role they play in simultaneously fostering and hindering social inequalities.

Judith Leyster’s A Boy and a Girl with a Cat and an Eel: An Intersectional Approach

In A Boy and a Girl with a Cat and an Eel, concerns about class, decorum, and civility intersected with contemporary dialogue about the distinction between humans and animals, specifically, how human children needed to be educated to be distinguished from the wild, uncivilized state of animals and peasants. Both animals held significance surrounding behaviors that separated the moral from the immoral; cats and eels were pets and food, and they were used in baiting pastimes: cat clubbing and eel pulling. Paired with the children, Leyster’s choice of animals raised multiple moral questions and allowed for multiple interpretations, making the work widely appealing and setting Leyster apart in a tight market for genre paintings. These layers of possible meanings continue to make the work compelling today and shed light on how visual culture reflected and reinforced human–animal and social class distinctions.

Karl Marx’s Contribution to Social and Political Philosophy

Karl Marx, the revolutionist philosopher, interpreted history as a world view which is the dimension of social development. His dialectic effort and materialistic conception are intended to preserve the rights of social being particularly of the working people who are repeatedly being oppressed. Class struggle is the ultimate solution of distinctions among classes through which there will be no class and the existing working class will revolt against capitalist economy and, as a result, they will control means of production which will create the situation of the dictatorship of the working people. These class distinctions will be removed through the establishment of scientific communism referred by Marx. This article shows how Marx’s life and thought changed the course of history and how he influenced society to make a better place for living. I intend to show the reasons behind the worldwide acceptance of Marxism theoretically. My aim is to show how his theories and ideas are significant in socio-political aspects of philosophy. Philosophy and Progress, Vol#73-74; No#1-2; Jan-Dec 2023 P 259-279

Art museum visitors: how do they perform class distinction?

ABSTRACT Previous studies predominantly used sociodemographic factors to categorize art museum visitors, overlooking an in-depth exploration of the motivations guiding their museum experiences and relying heavily on aggregated data. Building upon Bourdieu’s (1984, Distinction: A Social Critique to the Judgment of Taste. Cambridge: Harvard University Press) theory of cultural consumption and Peterson’s (2005a. “Problems in comparative research: The example of omnivorousness.” Poetics 33:257–282. doi:10.1016/j.poetic.2005.10.002; 2005b. “Changing Arts Audiences: Capitalizing on Omnivorousness.” https://culturalpolicy.uchicago.edu/sites/culturalpolicy.uchicago.edu/files/peterson1005.pdf) omnivore/univore theory, this study aims to investigate the distinct segments of art museum visitors, considering their experience expectations and cultural preferences. Specifically, utilizing two-step cluster analysis, we explore the experiences sought by art museum visitors, considering their cultural preferences. Analyzing 411 questionnaires from visitors to Lyon’s premier fine arts museum, two distinct visitor groups emerge. Thus, the findings suggest that conventionally labeled ‘museum-goers’ represent diverse visitor types, emphasizing the holistic importance of considering a combination of factors. The results affirm Peterson's theory adding to the literature that these groups exhibit distinct cultural and culinary preferences, aligning with Bourdieu's social distinction theory. The study offers both theoretical and practical implications.

NEW CINEPHILIA TASTE: A STUDY ON ACADEMICS’ TASTE IN THE CASE OF NETFLIX TÜRKİYE AND MUBI TÜRKİYE

This study examines the views of cinema academics, which can be called ‘new cinephiles’ and ‘masters of symbolic taste,’ on MUBI and Netflix streaming platforms. In the theoretical part of the study, the boundaries of taste are first emphasized in cultural consumption. Then, the views on the formation of boundaries formed by the consumption of cultural products were emphasized. Categorical boundaries play an important role in cultural consumption, dividing art as popular or elite and individuals as high or low culture. Bourdieu’s cultural capital theory emphasizes how individuals with high cultural capital create class distinctions. Previous studies have shown that upper-middle-class individuals or ‘cultural omnivores’ tend to appreciate high and popular culture. With the emergence of digital platforms, these boundaries are being reconsidered. Research suggests that algorithmic recommendation systems on these platforms shape users’ tastes and potentially reinforce existing social and cultural divisions. This study used qualitative research methods and a phenomenological design to investigate the impact of viewing preferences and digital platforms on class divisions. The findings reveal that while these platforms increase access to a wide range of content, they reinforce class-based viewing practices. Characteristics of new cinephiles: Participants show a deep attachment to films and use various digital devices to watch them, suggesting a nuanced interplay between technology, cultural consumption, and social stratification.

Representation of Social Class and Economic Inequality in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

This research explores the portrayal of social inequality and how social inequality influence the social interactions and dynamics within each social class as depicted in the novel in F. Scott Fitzgerald's iconic novel, The Great Gatsby (1925). Drawing upon Goldmann’s genetic structuralism approach, the study delves into the socio-historical context of the novel to unravel the underlying structures governing characters' behaviors and narrative themes. The analysis identifies four key aspects of social inequality: 1) the American Dream, 2) economic inequality, 3) class distinction, and 4) gender inequality. Each aspect is shown to play a pivotal role in shaping the narrative and providing insights into the complexities of the social fabric of the time. Furthermore, the research examines how these aspects of social inequality influence social interactions and dynamics within each social class. It is revealed that social inequality not only dictates relationships and hierarchies but also perpetuates a cycle of aspiration, disillusionment, and moral decay. The characters' interactions are marked by a constant struggle for recognition, acceptance, and fulfillment within a system that values wealth and status above all else. Overall, this study is expected to offer a comprehensive analysis of social inequality in Fitzgerlad’s The Great Gatsby (1925), shedding light on its sociocultural significance and its enduring relevance in understanding societal dynamics.

Revolutionary Echoes: Marxist Insights into The Social Class and Economic Conditions in Rabindranath Tagore’s Subha

Rabindranath Tagore, a renowned literary figure and a futuristic, has written the short story Subha, a work that transcends its romantic narrative to offer a broader critique of power structures and societal ideologies. If someone is a woman, her situation is going to be worse; if she is physically challenged, her situation is going to take a nightmare - this is how the late nineteenth-century society used to treat women, painted by Tagore. The protagonist Subha is a woman who is physically challenged and her relationship with Amal, who belongs to the upper class, changes their relationship quo and causes one of the reasons for the plot’s trajectory. Applying Althusserian lenses to this exploration, the research scrutinizes the manifestations of the Ideological State Apparatuses within the narrative. The central research questions guide the inquiry, emphasizing an in-depth analysis of the operationalization of the Ideological State Apparatus in delineating social class distinctions. This paper maintained in a qualitative methodology involves a meticulous examination of the text and discerns the nuanced portrayal of social class within Subha. Drawing on Althusser’s Marxism theory, the study, moreover, investigates how the Ideological State Apparatus influences characters’ relationships, exploring the intersections of personal desires and societal expectations. However, the research findings aim to contribute to the understanding of how ideology shapes literary narratives, shedding light on the intricate dynamics between characters, social class, and plot trajectories. In a broader context, this study underscores the enduring relevance of Marxist theory in literary analysis, offering insights into the mechanisms through which ideological forces operate in shaping the sociocultural landscape depicted in Tagore’s Subha.

The question of values and the concept of the “person” in the Byzantine thought of the Palaeologan Renaissance

In this article we focus on the third chapter of George Pachymeres’ Paraphrasis of Dionysius the Areopagite’s De divinis nominibus, emphasizing the second and third paragraphs. The aim is to highlight the concept of “person” and “personality” in the context of the theological atmosphere of Eastern Christianity and, specifically, of the Dionysian tradition. Taking into account what the Byzantine thinker elaborates on Hierotheus, we shed light on the way whereby the question of values in human beings as “persons” who decide to follow a certain example is defined. This question derives from the degree of participation in the divine mystery and revelations. In any case, it is not a matter of class distinction but of different degrees of understanding divine reality, which is shaped by how divine gifts are assimilated by human “persons”.

Elites, bodies, and gender: Women’s appearance as class distinction

Despite the importance of both gender and elites in contemporary social life, few empirical works examine gender among the elite. With a focus on embodiment, we develop a gendered theory of elite display, grounded in ethnographic observations of two elite spaces in which women are prominent: VIP clubs and philanthropy galas in the U.S. and Europe. Using a Goffmanian perspective, we examine the micro-dynamics through which elite bodies express status, in particular for women. We argue that, in elite social spaces, women’s bodies signify wealth, and their bodily rituals and displays concretize status distinctions. To do so, we analyze the management of bodies backstage, frontstage, and off-stage, showing that a hallmark of elite display is the careful obfuscation of differences and gaps between backstage and frontstage spaces, which serves to naturalize the status superiority of elites.

SOCIOSPATIAL FORMATION OF MIDDLE‐CLASS DISTINCTION: The Educated Middle Classes in Neo‐urban India

AbstractIn this article I examine the simultaneous expansion of urban sprawl and influx of middle‐class migrants in the context of Gurugram, India, to highlight how physical and social space plays an integral role in shaping class distinction among the migrant middle classes. I make a case for social class, generally, and migrant middle classes in neo‐urban contexts, specifically, to be understood as a sociospatial category. My arguments build primarily on Bourdieu's argument that both physical and social space operates on similar principles of reciprocal externality of positions in the context of social class distinction. I highlight how the migrant middle classes formulate and consolidate their social class distinction against competing claims over sociospatial dominance of the local ancestral agrarian community in neo‐urban Gurugram, India. My findings highlight how existing local sociopolitical fractures interact with global capitalist circuits of capital to shape the sociospatial context in which social class distinction is formulated. The article allows for grounding theorizations of social class to accommodate local sociopolitical and sociospatial dynamics.

Fortune and Misfortune on the Stage: Ângela de Azevedo’s Marian Comedia in the Classroom and Beyond

Abstract: Ângela de Azevedo’s late seventeenth-century Dicha y desdicha del juego y devoción a la Virgen has received less performance-related attention than the writer’s other two extant works. This comedia, however, has great potential both for use in the classroom and for performance onstage. The work possesses appealing commonalities with El muerto disimulado from a plot perspective and can additionally serve as a didactic bridge to early-modern religious ideas. Asking students to consider Dicha y desdicha as a performed piece opens the door for an interdisciplinary approach and to examine historical themes as varied and rich as the changing role of nobility, sumptuary law, religious iconography, and the role of women as artists and creators. This article focuses on representations of class distinctions and religious iconography, adopting a speculative and forward-facing approach. It outlines what my own approach will be to teaching this play in an upcoming course.

The curation of artists’ film and video and distinction-making processes: Tate as a case study

This article examines the significant changes in the curation of artists’ film and video that occurred at Tate from the mid-1990s. The events taking place in this publicly funded museum, which holds the United Kingdom’s national collection of modern and contemporary art on behalf of the state, are weaved together with the development of the advocacy work in favour of artists’ film and video by US collectors Pamela and Richard Kramlich. The analysis aims to better define the role of private global economic capital in shaping curatorial approaches within state-funded national institutions and, in turn, within the distinction-making processes that lead to social reproduction. Attention is given to how artists’ film and videos, despite their often progressive content and ephemeral nature, in their passage from cinema/television to the gallery, have not escaped the distinction-making role fulfilled by other more traditional art forms, thus contributing to the persistence of class distinctions.

“Getting Moving” and Being “Active Fit”: Class Differences and Similarities in Health-promoting Parenting through Children's Organized Athletic Activities

Parents are held increasingly responsible for acting intensively to protect their children's health through everyday decisions and practices. We add to this scholarship by considering how organized athletic activities, an important part of the lives of many children, help parents fulfill their responsibility to protect their children's health. Through qualitative analysis of 92 in-depth interviews with parents, we attend to how parents' class shapes their articulation of the relationship between their children's health and their extracurricular involvement, considering literature on the ubiquity of intensive parenting expectations and the possibility that health behaviors and understandings constitute health-related cultural capital. Contrary to previous research, overall, we find similarities across class in parents' understandings of the health benefits of organized athletic activities. We find that parents believe organized athletic activities protect their children's health from inactivity, excess technology usage, and fatness. We do find some class distinctions. Middle-class parents, and not working-class parents, believe that their children's athletic activities will instill a passion for exercise and staying in shape and give children the experience and knowledge to control their body size and promote their well-being through their lives. This may signal a transformation in the relationship between health-related parenting and class that could maintain middle-class children's advantage if it contributes to differences in health beliefs, narratives, or practices that are differentially rewarded by important institutions such as schools, the workplace, or the medical system.

Speculative Evolution in Herbert George Well’s the Time Machine

Herbert George Wells The Time Machine indeed remains a significant work in science fiction literature, offering a reflection on social issues and class distinctions of his time projected into a distant future. The story’s exploration of humanity’s potential evolution and the portrayal of a divided society have left a lasting impact, influencing various adaptations across different media. Wells ability to use speculative fiction to comment on contemporary issues highlights his foresight and literary prowess. It seems like you’re referring to Wells classic science fiction novel, The Time Machine. In the story, the Time Traveller indeed creates a machine capable of traversing through time and ventures to the distant future, where he encounters the Eloi and the Morlocks, two distinct species evolved from humanity. The novel explores themes of evolution, class struggle, and the nature of time itself.

Class, capitalism, and the postcolonial question

Colonialism emerged as a tumultuous collision between Western and precolonial power structures, resulting in an unexpected convergence of colonial and indigenous patriarchal ideologies. This had paradoxical consequences, such as the mutual reinforcement of these ideologies. In colonized societies, gender, sexuality, race, class, and religious distinctions became intricately intertwined, giving rise to complex systems of domination. As a result, postcolonial feminists caution against overly simplistic analyses that solely concentrate on single dimensions like race or class, or gender in isolation, without recognizing their interconnected and mutually co-constituting nature. Postcolonial feminism emphasizes the need to avoid universalizing tendencies that overlook the unique particulars of different contexts.

Roman Catholic burial in 19th-century Liverpool: four vaults in the crypt of St Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church, Toxteth, Liverpool

SUMMARY The recording of vaults in the crypt of St Patrick’s Church, Toxteth, Liverpool, has enabled the first detailed examination of Roman Catholic vault burial in England, and the first vaults of any kind in north-west England. One vault contains the coffins of four priests and a Christian Brother, the other three were built for the members of successful commercial families in the Catholic community of Liverpool during the early decades of the 19th century. The evidence indicates differences with contemporary Anglican vault burial, though some of the variations with London and Birmingham assemblages may be more related to class distinctions and regional rather than denominational traditions.

Austen’s Double-Edged Sword: Unveiling Irony and Interiority in Her Narratives

Jane Austen, often regarded as a “literary rebel” within the landscape of English literature, challenges conventions while embracing them in her novels. This paper delves into Austen's role as both a conformist and a revolutionary figure in the realm of literature. Beginning with an exploration of Austen's place within the English novel tradition, the paper examines her unique approach to storytelling, characterized by a focus on domestic satire and heroine-oriented narratives. Austen's commitment to social criticism, achieved through a realistic portrayal of everyday life, distinguishes her from her contemporaries. The analysis extends to Austen's distinctive style, marked by a Johnsonian influence and an innovative use of irony and comedy to expose societal shortcomings. Austen's mastery of dialogue further accentuates her ability to capture social nuances and class distinctions. Despite her self-proclaimed "ignorance," Austen's works resonate with a profound understanding of human nature and societal dynamics. Through meticulous characterization and narrative technique, Austen achieves a timeless quality in her prose that continues to captivate readers.

Sanskritization in Nepal: The Impact of Social Stratification

Social stratification is the division of people into various groups or strata in a community according to their cultural beliefs, traditions, or occupation. Both in Nepal and all throughout the world, it is a widely accepted practice. M. N. Srinivas introduced the idea of "Sanskritization," which refers to the lower caste adopting the social customs, practices, and behaviors of the upper caste in order to advance in social position and hierarchy. Additionally, it involves changing their surname, getting married to girls from higher social classes, using Hindu scripts and Vedas, and changing their line of work. The social barriers relating to class discrimination and distinction in society are also being broken down by globalization, westernization, and urbanization.

조선의 국가 전례서(典禮書)에 규정된 상복(喪服) 제도와 변천

This study examines the evolution and form of the mourning clothes system for men and women, as articulated in the “Gugjoolyeui (國朝五禮儀)” etc, the book on the national rituals of Joseon. The Joseon royal family, in contrast to China, pursued a three-year mourning period and established a mourning attire system akin to that of ordinary households. While Chinese national ritual texts vaguely address mourning rites due to the perception of codifying such rites as disloyalty, the Joseon royal family established a mourning attire system grounded in “Galye” (家禮; Family Rituals). The design and diagrams of men's mourning clothes largely adhere to “Galye.” However, in instances where the primary and supplementary annotations of “Galye” diverge, the practice tends to follow the supplementary annotations. The diagrams also draw from “Galyedo” (家禮圖; Illustrations of Family Rituals), but distinctive characteristics of Joseon are discernible. Women's mourning attire was later enhanced with its forms and diagrams, again using “Galye” as the benchmark. Subsequent national ritual texts were augmented with contents from Chinese ritual books such as “Lyegijibseol” (禮記集說; Collected Explanations of the Book of Rites) and “Galyeuijeol” (家禮儀節; Ritual Sections of Family Rituals), as well as Kim Jangsaeng's “Galyejiblam” (家禮輯覽; Collected Views on Family Rituals), “Sanglyebiyo” (喪禮備要; Essentials of Mourning Rites), and “Uilyemunhae” (疑禮問解; Questions and Answers on Doubtful Rituals). Therefore, mourning attire, being identical in system and form for both the royal family and ordinary households, was used as the only ceremonial dress that transcended class distinctions in Joseon.

Proximity to Daily Life: Parallel Musical Functions in the Austrian Biedermeier and Early Thai Rattanakosin Eras

In every culture and time period, music has always been a medium of expression that gathers people together. In Thailand, the Sadhukarn, ceremonial music from the early Rattanakosin era (1782-1851), expressed a bodily and mental salutation to heavenly spirits, reinforcing a unified belief system before the start of an event. In a parallel era in Central Europe, the music of the Biedermeier period (1815-1848) also had a unifying function as it grew out of societal conditions in which the distinction of classes became less pronounced. In order to more fully engage with these concepts, a concert was devised featuring an ensemble of instruments that would commonly have been played in a Viennese salon during the Biedermeier era. The repertoire studied and performed for this research were serenades written for the relatively rare and under-performed combination of guitar, violin, and viola by Biedermeier-era composers Leonard von Call, Wenzeslaus Matiegka, and Anton Diabelli, as well as a newly created arrangement of the Thai Sadhukarn for the same combination of instruments. Upon investigation of the role that music written in the Austrian Biedermeier and Thai Rattanakosin cultural contexts had in the broader community, it was found that both cultures were strongly driven by the middle class, resulting in a conception of music that emphasised accessibility and functionality, highlighting its proximity to daily life. The performance of these works aimed to transfer knowledge about the social function of this music to contemporary audiences of today.