American Cultural Models

Question 1

What are the 3 indices of social class?

Answer 1

1. Educational Attainment. 2. Job characteristics. 3. Income.

Question 2

Describe the results of the ethnography done by Kusserow on preschools in different SESs and parenting goals.

Answer 2

1. Middle class goal was to cultivate and actualize child’s unique potentials and abilities. 2. Working class goal was to protect and toughen children so that they can keep going through challenging situations.

Question 3

Describe the results of the ethnography done by Kusserow on preschools in different SESs and parenting practices.

Answer 3

1. Middle class class disciplines through suggestion and explanation. Called soft individualism. 2. Working class uses loud and strict discipline called hard individualism.

Question 4

Describe the results of the ethnography done by Kusserow on preschools in different SESs and important values.

Answer 4

1. Middle class: Self-confidence; Autonomy; Uniqueness. 2. Self-reliance; toughness; self-defense.

Question 5

What are the middle class contexts? (4)

Answer 5

1. Soft individualism. 2. Independence. 3. Actualize and express uniqueness. 4. Exert control over the environment.

Question 6

What are the working class contexts? (4)

Answer 6

1. Hard individualism. 2. Interdependence. 3. Maintain personal integrity. 4. Exert control over the self.

Question 7

Describe the results of the first study done by Snibbe and Markus on class and evaluation of pen given a choice or not (2).

Answer 7

1. Middle class liked pen less during usurped condition. 2. Working class like it the same either way.

Question 8

Describe the results of the second study done by Snibbe and Markus on class and changes in rank of chosen CD and rejected CD (2).

Answer 8

1. Chosen CD increased in rank most for BA, not HS. 2. Equal decreased rank for rejected CD for both groups.

Question 9

According, to Lubrano, what are straddlers?

Answer 9

People who grew up in the working class and moved into the middle class as adults. They often do not feel at home in either.

Question 10

What is cultural capital? (2)

Answer 10

1. The repertoire of non-financial resources (e.g. skill; knowledge; attitudes) which provides advantage to individuals who possess it. 2. Defined by and offered in higher social class.

Question 11

What is Cultural Mismatch theory?

Answer 11

Since working class background is interdependent and college is independent, there is a mismatch that may contribute to achievement gap.

Question 12

Describe the results of study 1a conducted by Stephens and colleagues on university admins and their expectations for their students.

Answer 12

Majority of admins chose independent expectations. Some equal. Few interdependent.

Question 13

Describe the results of study 2 conducted by Stephens and colleagues on continuing and first-gen university students and their motives for attending college (2).

Answer 13

1. More continuing generation students chose independent motives. 2. More first generation students chose interdependent motives.

Question 14

Describe the results of study 3 conducted by Stephens and colleagues on university culture (welcome letter: independent or interdependent) and results of academic test of verbal reasoning (2).

Answer 14

Continuing generation students did better when reading independent message (First gen students did worse-achievement gap). 2. Both performed equal when read interdependent message.

Question 15

What are the trends of upward and downward mobility over the last 30 years? (2)

Answer 15

Downward mobility has increased 7% over the last 30 years. Not much increase in upward mobility. 2. 50% move up; 40% go down.

Question 16

What influences the upbringing of children, according to Annette Lareau?

Answer 16

Class influence was a greater factor than race.

Question 17

What were the three central claims of Cultural Mismatch Theory tested in the present study?

Answer 17

1. University culture reflects the pervasive middle-class norms of independence that are foundational to American society. 2. The effect of the university culture’s focus on independence depends on the implicit cultural frameworks or models of self that individual students bring with them to college. 3. A cultural match or mismatch affects students’ performance.