Reading Response for NYT, 6/1

Class Matters, Chapter 9: "When the Joneses Wear Jeans"

This chapter of the book focuses on the blurring of class divides in today's society - now, the class of one person cannot be determined by the material possessions s/he owns, his/her physical appearance or even the consumer tastes of that person. The chapter provides several reasons for this trend: the increasing affordability of consumer goods, the leniency of lending agencies inciting people to purchase on credit, and the myriad of individual preferences and priorities when it comes to selecting what to buy or spend on, among others. Throughout the chapter, there are many examples given, from the "luxurious" perception of Godiva chocolates and how often people consider chocolates something they wish to spend $100/lb on to cruises and massages, and this makes the argument very convincing indeed. I find it particularly salient that the chapter details how the hierarchy of luxury is perpetually increasing; rich consumers, unable to differentiate themselves based on material goods alone, engage in progressively expensive spa treatments and hire private chefs and nannies, many of which money alone cannot buy.

They wish to exclude themselves completely with (to use Marx's term) the "proletariat" or working classes, who do not own the factors or means of production necessary - skills and intelligence to make lots of money, for example - to employ these people. Weber would also argue here that in this case, it is not class but status that separates the two groups of people. The rich have the connections and exclusivity needed to access the membership to the American Private Chefs Association (for example) or perhaps gain access to the top country clubs, and this status honour (Weber) or even social capital (Bourdieu) is what the ruling class of today (Marx) depends on to elevate themselves into even higher positions, away from the rest of the population.

Class Matters, Chapter 10: "Old Nantucket Warily Meets the New"

What is most obvious about this chapter to me is the presence of a finer gradation in class than what we usually consider; within the upper class, there exists a division between the "blue bloods" [168] or those with "old money" that they inherited, and the new million- and billionaires who are self-made men and thrive on today's capitalism. From this point of view, class is the result of a competition and not just old assessment factors like the SES model. To understand how society is classified, we must take into account the intangibles - services, demeanour, worldview and so on, and not just the size of one's house or its location. Most importantly, the origins of the wealth of a person also determine the capability of a person, and such opinions can have an impact on not only how one perceives his/her own class, but what others determine that person's class to be.

However, it is also suggested that the relationship between class and money has become closer; in the past, "showing off money was a sin" [170] since it was accepted and known what class one belonged to, while today, the mantra is "if you've got it, flaunt it". Money is a sign of one's achievement, and thus a sign of class. This brings to mind the ideal of the "American Dream" as discussed in class; perhaps it is these symbols and categories that drive the pursuit of wealth and the "showing off" of it once it is attained. The difference here could be the values that each generation hold, be it the championing of wealth as power or family and inheritance as one's identity.