Lecture 6

Question 1

symbolic boundaries

Answer 1

• refer to (largely intangible) distinctions drawn between individuals and groups
• often present discursively and may overlap with other forms of distinction

Question 2

culture’s changing currents

Answer 2

In recent years, cultural scholars have observed a shift in the ways that elite individuals and groups leverage elements of culture

Question 3

omnivouressess/ eclepticism

Answer 3

Increasingly, both elements of “high” and “mass” culture are leveraged in everyday interaction

Question 4

high culture

Answer 4

• refers to historically legitimated elements of culture associated with the tastes and preferences of elite consumers
• These include everything from classical music, fine art, couture fashion, and luxurious foodstuffs

Question 5

mass culture

Answer 5

• refers to elements of culture enjoyed by the public; these elements are widely accessible and present with few (if any barriers) to access
• Elements of mass culture include popular music, fast fashion, and even fast food

Question 6

Johnston and Baumann

Answer 6

provide a look into cultural omnivorousness as it unfolds in the culinary landscape

Question 7

cause of the shift to omnivourousness

Answer 7

In part, this shift is because of broader trends related to globalization, market change and to concerns related to the importance of meritocracy and the virtue of hard work

Question 8

authenticity and exoticism

Answer 8

to really pass as authentic and exotic cuisine, the consumer not only had to recognize the food but it also had to be expensive

Question 9

“From aristocratic to Ordinary”- Friedman and Reeves

Answer 9

• taken the case of Who’s Who, a biographic document recording the lives and leisure activities of “noteworthy and influential” people in Britain
• leverage this document to understand shifts in the presentation and display of elite lives and lifestyles over time

Question 10

reasons for skepticism of a shift to omnivourousness

Answer 10

omnivores are not necessarily less status seeking, but status is sought out in newly selective ways

Question 11

conspicuous seculsion

Answer 11

a form of “social retrenchment” whereby elites become increasingly invisible to others

Question 12

inconspicuous consumption

Answer 12

refers to the consumption of logo-less fashions, un-branded products, and highly exclusive (sometimes unrecognizable) consumer goods; only recognized by others who are elites

Question 13

Conspicuous consumption

Answer 13

very showy and in-your-face

Question 14

social spectacle

Answer 14

performance for the non-elites

Question 15

“Culture, Class and Connections” Erikson

Answer 15

Erickson argues that it is cultural variety or one’s ability to shift between genres and forms that allows for the most “adroit” positioning in a workplace organization

Question 16

pink-collar ghetto

Answer 16

• a term that refers to women’s disproportionate concentration in areas of the labor market that are (typically) service-oriented and poorly paid
• professions that have been historically dominated by women are often poorly paid and less prestigious (e.g., nursing, social work)

Question 17

disability and labor market segregation

Answer 17

People with disabilities tend to be segregated in the labor market, meaning that they are disproportionately concentrated in low skilled and poorly paying labor market segments

Question 18

hiring as cultural matching

Answer 18

hiring professionals often drew on matters of culture that were personally relevant when making hiring decision or assessing for fit

Question 19

three types of racial tasks

Answer 19

ideological; interactional; and physical

Question 20

ideological racial tasks

Answer 20

racial tasks establish a workplace culture that is white and middle class

Question 21

interactional racial tasks

Answer 21

racial tasks are the routine self-presentation and emotional work that is done to uphold whites’ position in the workplace

Question 22

physical racial tasks

Answer 22

when spaces are designed or decorated to reinforce the white and middle class ethos

Question 23

diversity capital

Answer 23

refers to a constellation of symbolic and economic resources that follow from investment in ethnic communities

Question 24

situational authenticity

Answer 24

Cultural resources like authenticity can be used to manage group boundaries and maintain one’s sense of membership