Socio-Economic status as a form of culture

Socio-Economic status as a form of culture

- Socio-economic status can be a combination of your personal resouces (do you have a house, do you have a car for transport? do you have insurance benefits?) but also social recources (do you have relationships with your family? do you have relationships with your friends), your level of education (the more education you have, the higher you have on that SES latter), occupational prestige (what kind of job you have? doctor, waiter and reflects income), and sense of subjective status (how much power do we think we have? what do we actually think our SES is? Might be poorest person in world with low SES but think you are the queen of the world). 

- The experiences people have across the world really relate to how much resources they have - their level of education, their job etc. play a role in who they. Sometimes, there can be a big gap between this - we know some people don't always have the same access to resources as others. Richard Wilkinson speaks about this across the globe = inequality and unequal societies 

SES: Identity & Worldview

- Socialisation experiences contribute to identity formation (relates very much to our own identities, influences who we are, where we come from and experiences we had as children really shape and mould our understanding of our world today)

- Identity is internalised and perception shape reality (We internalise these expereinces and our attitudes and world views are shaped by it)

- Identity relates to beliefs, attitudes, and behaviours (Career development, mental health) - all of these can contribute to our future selves (our SES can influence the career choice we make in the future, show us whether or not we have the opporuntunity to take on any kind of future identities)

- There are social and psychological consequences of occupying particular positions 

Socio-economic status in the US

Middle class

Advantages of middle-class standing:

- Greater material resources

- Predictable environments (not very concerned about who's in the neighbourhood etc.)

- Few environmental risks 

- Better physical health

But ALSO:

- A sense of ownership (feel like they have influence, they are entitled and they have control over themselves and the world around them)

- Influence

- Entitlement

- Control over oneself and the world

The middle-class experiences

- Independent actors (Fosters particular norms related to independence)

- Free to choose their possible selves and create their future paths (Economic resources that are available to these middle class individuals, they provide different pathways to their adulthood)

- Higher residential mobility -  encouraged to find their own way in life, leave home

- More extended social networks

- More time spent in freely chosen relationships that are based on personal interests or preferences

Middle class individuals learn

- That their opinions and ideas are respected

- Promoting oneself, being confident, and standing out are valued and rewarded

Middle-class parents

- Promote and foster these values in their children

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