Jasmine Barragan

Professor Koning
English 113B
23 February 2014
Project space reflection 3
http://search.proquest.com.libproxy.csun.edu/docview/209279359
The journal Social class and Spending behavior by Pierre Martineau analyzes the
meaning of social class in a psychological and sociological level. The writer describes the levels
of social class and how people are actually put into it. Martineau describes a sociology theory by
Lloyd Warner that there is six-class system of social class: a Upper-Upper class, a Lower-Upper
class, a Upper-Middle class, a Lower-Middle class, Upper-Lower class, and a Lower-Lower
class. The six-class system sets people in the classes by the way the income is earned or gained,
the educational level, and the career. The theory also explains the Upper-Upper class as old
families because it is money inherited from family. In the journal, Martineau explains that upper
class people shop at expensive stores including food markets because they believe if the item is
lower in price then the item will have poor quality. The journal also explains consumerism
because people choose to shop at certain stores especially food markets when they contain the
same items. Social class takes part in behavior because when a consumer is in the high-class
system, they expect to receive lots of help in a department store and think they could treat the
clerk in a lower manner. Martineau uses an example when a high-class consumer woman
confuses a shopper to a clerk because the shopper is not acting a certain way. Lower class people
and middle class people handle their money in different ways. The lower class people tend to
stretch every penny they own and the middle class people like to save their money. This
journal will help me analyze the Northridge mall and Panorama mall because it deeply analyzes
why social classes behave in a certain way and why they shop at certain stores. As I analyze the
Northridge mall, I will pay close attention to what the consumer is holding and their body
language will help define their social class. On the other hand, it will help me discover an answer
to why the top brand stores are near each other and are not at the opposite sides of the mall.