Lecture 9: A Touch of Class Flashcards
what does the word class come from
Latin classis in ancient Rome
when was the word class first used
English by C16th
what was the meaning of the word class originally
depending on hw much property they owned
what is the modern usage of the word class
modern socio-economic usage
main form of stratification in capitalist societies
when did the modern definition fo class come about
from late C18th/early C19th;
what are the 3 ways of distinction from castes and estates
economic rather than legal
ability for movement between classes (unlike castes)
does not just depend on birth, but also a little bit, on individuals own actions
what are the multiple usages for the term class
objective; subjective (“imagined community”); in “class-divided societies”
what is means by objective
professionals using a range of objective terms to put people into classes in an attempt to make sense of stratifications in past and present societies
these objective classifications may or may not be understood by the people in them
what is meany by subjective
(Imagined community)
ir the sense that class is a kind of imagines community individuals who describe themselves as Working class believe thy share the same livestyle as vast numbers of unknown peoples elsewhere a sort of “nation” thought
what is means by class-divided societies
class is often used to describe and analyze the use of power in a class-divided society even in the absence of actual class most common terms associated are upper, middle and lower; but also upper middle, working, etc
lower = working or labouring class sometimes used positively but always in contrast to the higher classes
all terms used in plural form particularly to emphasize the division within the classes
what are the Varieties of class terms
upper, middle, lower (or working or labouring); bourgeoisie and proletariat; peasants; aristocracy and nobility; “them” v. “us”, “rich” v. “poor”, “tax-eaters” v. “taxpayers”
what were the class divisions
upper
middle
lower
what is Aristocracy
apax was the monarch
then the aristocracy; vast land of estates and titles (as mentioned)
who was in the upper class
Aristocracy and gentry
who was in the Aristocracy
dukes, marquesses, earls, lords, viscounts
who was Duke of Westminster
around 1900 he was the wealthiest of them all
about 1000 pounds every day when the average was 50 every year
aristocracy made up the house of lords in parliament, and they still welded (in 1900s) lots of political power
leading figures in parliament (conservatives and liberals) in local governments and as officers in the british army
what is the gentry
large land owners
less rich
no titles
their power influence was more local and regional rather than national
Many of the upper class managed to retain/increase wealth during industrialization because of what
value of land (for agriculture, housing, mining); creation of a plutocracy (with financiers and industrialists); other sources of revenue (investments, boards of directors, American heiresses (e.g. of Lord Randolph Churchill)).
how did the value of land help maintain their wealth
people needed to be fed!
at least until railroads started and this shifted
the food items could be shipped across the atlantic more cheaply in steamships than could be produced home
this became the decline of the aristocracy
the who owned farmland during this time did quote well
owned land where mines were dug or where cities expanded
how did the duke of wesminister have his wealth
duke of Westminster got his wealth as he and his family happened to be sitting on land that the city wanted when it expanded
what is plutocracy
ruled by the wealthy
how did the plutocracy come to be
bought their way in
what did people invest in
railways
what were other sources of revenue
investments, boards of directors, American heiresses
what was American heiresses
marriage alliances with new money
most famously with that in America
how did the upper class Claim to power and status
ethos of public service; superior education (Eton, Harrow; Oxford, Cambridge); conspicuous consumption; paternalism; code of etiquette/manners
what is ethos of public service
in parliament, the armed forces, the empire etc
the notions that they themselves (the plutocracy) were useful and dedicated to societies
what is superior education
could be through governesses and private tutors at home or in the top public (which is actually private) schools such as listed next
Eton, Harrow; Oxford, Cambridge
after primary and secondary school education, they would go to universities
focus on ancient greek and latin to set themselves apart from other classes
what is conspicuous consumption
vast dinner parties washed down by the best wine, served by many servants,
hunting was also a sign of wealth
what is paternalism
paternalistic attitude in the estate and out of it
what is code of etiquette/manners
know what to wear when, the right patters of speech, posture, roles of men and women in house and public
what were the Struggles of the nouveaux riches
did not have same upbringing and training as the above so they trudged moving to that class
could place a person just based on how they spoke or speak
who was George Bernard Shaw
famous play wright
describe the middle class
this class increased a lot
few would get a university education but they would get decent education up until them
very diverse persons
who was in the middle class
bourgeoisie and petite bourgeoisie
who were bourgeoisie
entrepreneurs, baskets, lawyers, clergymen, doctors etc
who were petite bourgeoisie
lower middle class
shop keepers
school teachers
what was the middle class divided by
Divided by wealth, religion, politics
what was the middle class united by
shared values: individualism, education, independence, voluntary associations, rational recreation, religiosity, the family and “separate spheres” of gender
what is individualism
individual acheivement and hard work
the sense that people has god given talents and if they worked hard enough and applied themselves they could do great
this was more about talent that priviledeg
what is education
as a means to self improvements morally and financially
what is independence
self-sufficiency and independence
from the church and state and anyone else
what is voluntary associations
charitable organizations, literary and philosophical organizations as a mean to social improvements on own terms rather than forced by the government or whoever
what is rational recreation
chess, museums, cricket and tennis, etc instead of gambling boozing and whoring
what is religiosity
string commitment to religion and church going
loathing of sin and the flesh (sex) so people were chaste
what is family and “separate spheres” of gender
means of transmission of wealth and ideals
the clear separation of home from work place
with the husband emercing himself in business and politics during the day but returning to private at night
wife was exlusded from public and dedicated herself to running household and taking care of children
was the middle class good or bad?
middle class is responsible for both good and bad bourgeoise ended feudalism
what good did the middle class do
as developers of a “public sphere” or “civil society”, entrenching political and economic liberalism (Great Reform Act, 1832; Repeal of the Corn Laws, 1846)
what is public sphere
civil society aka “public sphere” independent of noble matronich and control, and inso doing this
it entrenched political and economic liberalism , law, constitutional government, representative institution, fair trade etc
they set the legal framework for the protection fo the riots of property and the demands of capital
point being that marxists and non marxists have credited the bourgeoisie with major reforms in government such as the things listed next
what was Great Reform Act, 1832
opened up the vote in elections to more of the middle classes
what was Repeal of the Corn Laws, 1846
intended to lower prices of bread and reduce competitiveness
what was the working class
vast majority of people
aka lower class
who was in the working class
From artisans and millworkers to agricultural labourers and domestic servants
what did the middle class do that was bad
they were not praised for; denying the right and liberties of others, ruthlessly exploring rights of women and children
what poor conditions did the working class go through
exploitation, poor wages, no sanitation, etc
higher class blamed the poor for their condition they didnt have the means to escape this class
how did the working class countered poor conditions
through self-help organizations, kinship networks and collective action
what are self-help organizations
building societies so they could hope to own a decent house
or barrel people so they could hope to have a decent burrial, etc
what are kinship networks
to help out those who were out of work or who fell ill
what are collective action
in the form of a developing labour movement
trades unions and political movements–e.g. Chartism and Labour Party
who Searched for class consciousness
Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels
what did Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels write
Communist Manifesto; Das Kapital, 1867-94
what was marx’s mindset
by far the most influential moved beyond class as a descriptive language and used it as a device to explain the unfolding of human history
what did the Communist Manifesto talk about
would in time bring about the overthrow of bdourgoisy class warfare was the motivator of history
what was said in Das Kapital
said that capitalism was reducing/simplifying the number of classes
reduced to 2 only, the bourgeoisie and proletariat
aristocracy was disappearing
class for marx was determined by relationship to the means of production
in capitalist society the bourgeoisie owned the means of production and controlled a wage earning workforce
this means that peasants and artist ants were gradually proletarianized, the capitalists exploited them
in a world of finite resources, the theory continued, the competition between capitalists would grow every more acute which would result in them reducing workers earnings in the pursuit in increasingly marginal profits
so the gap between the bosses and workers grew
but the progressively emmiserated working classes were not perminately destined to be history’s victims
as their condition deteriorated, they would begin to organize and fight back
aka marx was saying that the proletariat would develop a class consciousness , a move from the passive class in itself based on objective criteria to a class FOR itself based on newly recognized subjective factors and once this happened the greater numbers of proletarians would in time bring about the revolutionary overthrow of the bourgeoisie and force a socialist society
class warefare was the motivator of history
what is the move that marx proposed was going to happen
from “class in itself” to “class for itself
what is “class in itself” based on
based on objective criterial
what is class for itself based on
based on newly recognized subjective factors
what did marx say about class warfare as motor of history
would in time bring about the overthrow of bdourgoisy class warfare was the motivator of history
Problems with the model marx gave
what he predicted did not happen long-term improvement of wages and conditions; difficulties in achieving class consciousness; competing forms of identity (race, ethnicity, nation, gender, sexuality).
what was difficulties in achieving class consciousness
in any given group except fleetingly
the divisions within classes were so large that any unanimity of the classes misdealt would be hard/almost impossible
what was competing forms of identity
the next listed things question the notion that class is the dominating division
other divisions include; race, ethnicity, nation, gender, sexuality
what is the professor’s perspective on class
But, still, class analysis remains crucial to understanding capitalist societies
extended version; he argues that class still remains crucial to the understanding of capitalist societies
subjectively- when pressed, most people will assign themselves to a particular class and while be able to distinguish themselves and others objectively— less likely to view them as collective actors with single minds, but classifying them still is an extremely self thing to do “class as a tool to analyze inequality”— some people point to the fact that income inequalities and STUFF UNDER THE IMPACT OF NEOLIBERALISM AND GLIBALIZTION IS DESPERATELY UNEVEN the dental of class is a means to mask the operation fo power, to divide and rule more effectively and to have the greater domination of capital
