Social Class and

Identity
Diana (She|Her|Hers) Cristina
(She|Her|Hers)
 Learning Outcomes

● Colleagues will be able to define Social Class and identify the difference
between social class identities.

● Colleagues will be able to understand Bourdieu's Theory of Social

Reproduction and Yosso's Community Cultural Wealth Model.

● Colleagues will gain a better understanding of the four myths associated

with social class.

● Colleagues will be able to identify future directions for engaging with

students with different social class identities.
 Agenda

● Social Class Collage

● Social Class Definition & Myths
● Social Class Identities
● Theoretical Perspectives
● Group Discussion
● Research Findings
● Summary
 Social Class Collage

● Think about your own point of view, and perspective on Social Class.

What is Social Class and Social Class Identity to you?

What images come to mind when discussing Social Class?

 Defining Social Class and Myths
Social Class:

● “Consists of a large group of people who share a similar economic and/or social position in
society based on their income, wealth, property ownership, job status, education, skills, or power
in the economic and political sphere in relation to those who have more and those who have
less” Pg. 243
● Social class is socially constructed--It is fluid & subjective
○ Represents the role of power dynamics in determining the “haves and have nots” among
various populations Pg. 244
● Social class also has a profound effect on higher education, it influences who has access to
college, which colleges those individuals can attend, & whether or not college is even an option
 Social Class Myths
Four myths concerning social class

1. The U.S. is a classless society, therefore regardless of income, individuals tend to adopt the title of “middle-
class.” The Middle class title does not suggest wealth nor poverty
2. Education serves as the great “equalizer.” Education is the key to upward mobility and is the way to
achieving a successful life.
○ This holds that education will ensure equal access and opportunities to all regardless of
background
3. Everyone has the same opportunities and begins at the same starting point
○ This dismisses the fact that there are several factors that ensure only some individuals
benefit from certain opportunities
4. Issues of class are not systemic-they are individual
○ Based on meritocracy
○ Does not take into account issues of marginalization of particular groups
 Social Class Identity
First-Generation, Low-income/Poor Students, and Working-Class students

● Characterized as having “lack of power, limited cultural capital, economic vulnerability,

and a low level of education” (Borrego, p. 3).
● Predictor of social class
● Limited knowledge on college-going process and limited finance
● Difficulties adjusting to the exclusive culture of higher education, rarely attend selective
institutions, earn lower grades and are less involved
● Women are negatively racialized, treated as if their survival depends on male guidance,
and chided for consistently making poor decisions.
● Low-income women experience class anxiety, being demeaned and
humiliated by faculty, and feeling devalued and underprepared
 Social Class Identities

Middle-Class and Upper Class/Affluent Students

● The middle class suggests that these individuals have worked hard to get to where they are, and
most often this societal position was attained through education
● For middle and upper-class students, class salience is often minimized and they avoid or
unconsciously ignore the daily experiences of students who have less
● Low-income or working-class students may experience feelings of exclusion at the expense of
more affluent students
● “Lack of discourse prevents economically advantaged students from
critically reflecting on their privileges…” Pg. 249
● Video on social class from a sociological perspective:
 Theoretical Perspectives
Bourdieu's Theory of Social Reproduction

● He argued that education is primarily responsible for creating, maintaining, and

reproducing inequality.

● Habitus a system of lasting, transposable dispositions which, integrating past experiences,

functions at every moment as a matrix of perceptions, appreciations, and actions

● Fundamental types of capital:

Economic
Cultural
Social
 Yosso’s Community Cultural Wealth Model (CCWM)
● One of the main arguments against Bourdieu’s theory is that it places students who are
low-income/working-class who are entering college as “disadvantaged or lacking” pg. 254
○ Deficit perspective
● Yosso’s (2005) framework of community cultural wealth, which is grounded in CRT,
challenges the idea that students of color lack the social and cultural capital that is required
for social mobility
○ Six forms of capital that make up community cultural wealth of People of Color
Group Discussion

Let’s Share In small groups, discuss the question assigned to your

& Reflect!
group.
● Select a spokesperson
● Feel free to discuss the additional question
 Research Findings in Social Class & Identity

Engagement & Involvement

● 2012 study revealed differences in involvement at highly selective private universities
among students from different social classes
○ Upper-class students were highly involved
○ Middle & lower-class students were less involved and participate less in social
activities such as Greek life, intramural sports, and study abroad programs
● 2009 study found that upper-class students entered college with a belief in the value of
involvement as a way to expand their social networks
○ Working-class students entered college with fewer social networks/resources which
limited their involvement
 Research Findings in Social Class & Identity

Intersections of Class, Race, & Gender

● War (2006) described how popularized notions of social capital failed to account for how
capital is gendered
● Ostrove & Cole (2003) described how class is “racially coded”- Where “urban” equates to
people of color, and “rural” equates to White people
○ In both cases these groups are working-class or poor
● Yeskel (2008) Described how “Class has been racialized” -this racialization of class is
rooted in the large number of racially minoritized people who are often disadvantaged in
the social class system
 Summary

● Social Class Definition & Myths

● Social Class Identities
● Theoretical Perspectives
● Group Discussion
● Research Findings
 Thanks!
Do you have any questions?
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 References

Patton, L. D., Renn., K. A., Guido, F. M., Quaye, S. J. (2020). Student development in college: Theory, research, and practice.
Jossey-Bass.

Yosso, T.J. (2205). Whose culture has capital? A critical race theory discussion of community cultural wealth. Race, Ethnicity and
Education, 8(1), 69-91.
https://doi.org/10.1080/1361332052000341006