L3, Consumption, lifestyles and taste. 38 questions, nicely answered!

Q: Mass need/demand vs. Mass production (Sombart)

Sombart : distinguished between mass need/demand and mass production: demand by the masses implies the idea of uniformity when a large part of society is attracted to one and the same sort of products while mass production goes along with diversified forms of demand for different consumer goods, all, of course, in great number.

Q: What does according to Beck lead to detraditionalization of class positions?

Beck : a diversification and individualization of life circumstances. The more pronounced autonomy becomes with regard to the utilization of time and money, the more open the question that asks in which specific practice this utilization will materialize. While levels of income and education have risen significantly in recent decades, inequality relations have, nevertheless, remained largely unchanged. Such shifting of levels leads to the melting away of subcultural class identities, to a detraditionalization of class positions and to processes of diversification as well as to an individualization of life circumstances and life paths.

Q: What did Sombart mean with fashion speeding?

“ fashion speeding ”; trends in fashion are exclusive only for a short period of time and after this, cheaper garments are provided on the market in order to justify a new fashion style. People use fashion in order to express their individual personality and to create a specific self-image. In this way trends and styles in clothing support consumption and generate purchasing decisions. → mensen gaan steeds meer hetzelfde willen, niet omdat ze daarvoor kiezen maar omdat ze door sociale druk daartoe gezet worden.

Q: What is social stratification? Name and explain the 2 forms.

Social stratification is the categorization of people into social rankings based on wealth, income, ethnicity, education, power. Closed stratification system ; no influence on social position. Open stratification system ; class = set of people who share similar status (in wealth, income, education, occupation) and is based on achievements and social factors.

How, according to George Simmel, does the modern 'style of life' contribute to complicating human forms of communication?

He sees this manifested primarily in the increasing dissociation of social circles, the substitution of traditional rhythms of social life with forms of greater complexity, and in the shape of an increase in the rate of social change.

Much of the discussion on the pluralization ('vermeerdering') of lifestyles and milieus has revolved around the dispute about the question of the variability of circumstances and the relative autonomy of practical life as opposed to the material basis of mankind. - What became clear from this dispute between different views?

Eventually, it became clear that categories such as age, education, gender or ethnicity can be regarded as sources of increasing differentiation which prevent individuals from being characterized based on what they “are”, i.e. what they do professionally, and which can be directly equated to how they behave in practice.

Much of the discussion on the pluralization ('vermeerdering') of lifestyles and milieus has revolved around the dispute about the question of the variability of circumstances and the relative autonomy of practical life as opposed to the material basis of mankind. - What became clear from this dispute between different views?

Eventually, it became clear that categories such as age, education, gender or ethnicity can be regarded as sources of increasing differentiation which prevent individuals from being characterized based on what they “are”, i.e. what they do professionally, and which can be directly equated to how they behave in practice.

Mass need/demand vs. Mass production (Sombart)

Sombart: distinguished between mass need/demand and mass production: demand by the masses implies the idea of uniformity when a large part of society is attracted to one and the same sort of products while mass production goes along with diversified forms of demand for different consumer goods, all, of course, in great number.

What does according to Beck lead to detraditionalization of class positions?

Beck: a diversification and individualization of life circumstances. The more pronounced autonomy becomes with regard to the utilization of time and money, the more open the question that asks in which specific practice this utilization will materialize. While levels of income and education have risen significantly in recent decades, inequality relations have, nevertheless, remained largely unchanged. Such shifting of levels leads to the melting away of subcultural class identities, to a detraditionalization of class positions and to processes of diversification as well as to an individualization of life circumstances and life paths.

What did Sombart mean with fashion speeding?

“fashion speeding”; trends in fashion are exclusive only for a short period of time and after this, cheaper garments are provided on the market in order to justify a new fashion style. People use fashion in order to express their individual personality and to create a specific self-image. In this way trends and styles in clothing support consumption and generate purchasing decisions.

→ mensen gaan steeds meer hetzelfde willen, niet omdat ze daarvoor kiezen maar omdat ze door sociale druk daartoe gezet worden.

What did Beck observe? And what is the effect of what he observed on subcultural class identities, according to his own theory (diversification of life circumstances)?

Beck (2002) observed that while levels of income and education have risen significantly in recent decades, inequality relations have, nevertheless, remained largely unchanged.

However, according to his theory, such shifting of levels leads to the melting away of subcultural class identities, to a
de-traditionalization of class positions and to processes of diversification as well as to an individualization of life circumstances and life paths.

(The factors encouraging individualization lie in heightened social and geographic mobility, in the development of social-state security and control systems, in growing internal differentiations and operational status hierarchies.)

What distinguishes good from bad taste?

Social norms, experience, cultural/social/economic capital, what you think is normal, class, what is preferred by the majority

What is dualistic about taste?

It needs imitation and distinction. Imitation is the adoption by a social set (think of taste of a class) and distinction is the expression of individual personality and self-image (or between the classes you thought of earlier).

What is social stratification? Name and explain the 2 forms.

Social stratification is the categorization of people into social rankings based on wealth, income, ethnicity, education, power.

Closed stratification system; no influence on social position.

Open stratification system; class = set of people who share similar status (in wealth, income, education, occupation) and is based on achievements and social factors.

What is social stratification? Name and explain the 2 forms.

Social stratification is the categorization of people into social rankings based on wealth, income, ethnicity, education, power.

Closed stratification system; no influence on social position.

Open stratification system; class = set of people who share similar status (in wealth, income, education, occupation) and is based on achievements and social factors.

What is the result of unfair orderings by social stratification?

Social inequality; unjust differences in distribution of goods/burdens. When people frequently receive more of a society’s valuable goods than others and owing this to their position in the social network of relationships.

How could the socio-economic position (SEP) be described?

Placement of persons, families, households and census tracts or other aggregates with respect to the capacity to create or consume goods that are valued in our society. (Miech & Hauser, 2001)

What 2 measures is the SEP measured through? Explain.

1 compositional measures: position of an individual based on education, income and occupation.

2 contextual measures: description of areas (neighborhood, municipality, regions) based on for example house values, unemployment, families

Why is taste a principle of classification?

Consumption reflects social order.
Goods and services have a significance that goes beyond their utilitarian character – status, culture and communication.

Why do diets/lifestyles vary across socio-economic groups?

1. physical an economical accessibility
2. class and eating practices: priorities, functions
3. cultural capital

One reason why diets/lifestyles vary across socio-economic groups is physical and economical accessibility, what is meant with this reason?

There could be differences in access to certain types of food. In the lecture we discussed that in certain areas fastfood was right around the corner, which led to exposure to fastfood and that led to buying it more often. This is an example of physical accessibility.

An example of economical accessibility were the charts showing that per calorie unhealthy calories were relatively cheaper than healthy calories. Also it turned out that 80-90% of discounts were on unhealthy food products (in supermarkets).

One reason why diets/lifestyles vary across socio-economic groups is class and eating practices, what is meant with this reason?

Class and eating practices cause SEP differences because they differ across classes. In the article of Wills et al we saw two families that differed quite a lot when it came to eating practices.
For example the types of food and dishes, preparation: fresh vs. Prepared, also functionality played a role (substance vs form, filling vs. Self presentation), and also the parental-child relationship plays a role (rite of passage and taste development (middle class) or autonomy and own concern (Working class))

One reason why diets/lifestyles vary across socio-economic groups is cultural capital, what is meant with this reason?

Cultural capital refers to tastes and dispositions instilled in privileged positions (savage et al., 2015)

High status cultural signals (attitudes, preferences, formal knowledge, behaviors, goods and credentials) used for social and cultural exclusion. (Lamont & Lateau, 1988)

See picture for how one uses his/her cultural capital according to research.

What is described by the bi-directional relation between poverty and nutrition?

SEP could also be the result of lifestyle choices instead of the other way around. For example, food security influences academic performance; it may influence absence at work e.g.

How is the life course perspective supportive of this bi-directional relation?

The life course perspective acknowledges that one's health status reflects both prior and contemporary conditions, including utero and childhood effects! >
One’s health status reflects prior and present conditions. Past life course may influence the present as well as the present may do.

What are 2 ways individuals could be ranked on social status and SEP? Explain.

1 objective status: using tangible indicators that measure e.g. the socio-economic position

2 relative status: how one would identify themselves in a social ranking

>> (manipulation of) feeling different than others might trigger different eating patterns

What is personal relative deprivation (PRD)?

The sense that one is unfairly deprived of a deserved outcome relative to others. This could lead to more impulsive, less healthy choices.

According to Weber, what are the basic categories of class positions?

Property and the lack of property. Within these categories one can distinguish further differentiation in class positions depending on the type of property available for purchase and offered on the market.

What is the relation between consumption practices and class? (Goffman and Simmel)

Consumption practices serve as a symbol of class status. / Think of the higher class starting a trend, lower class copy, and as soon as this happens the higher class move away and start a new trend.

How can food be used to increase cultural capital?

When eating a lot of global dishes and having cultural distinctions in consumption, one could argue it buys into a culturally richer food heritage. This could so to say increase cultural capital and distinguish one in position from those who cannot access these foods.

Building cultural capital as a kid could be seen as beneficial for future social capital.

What did Simmel have to say about the modern style of life?

Modern style of life contributes to complicating human forms of communication.

What did Simmel consider as one of the driving forces of development?

Dualism. Which corresponds to the idea of interdependence.

What has been a recent change in thoughts around lifestyle and behaviour in life?

Lifestyle can provide a link between social rank and social practice. How people organize leisure time and spending of income, is not a mirror of income level but must be regarded as being embedded in social behaviour.

What has Simmel said about dispositions and personality?

Dispositions of individuals differ according to their positions in a network. Personality is a result of the crossing of social circles.

How could interdependence be described, according to Simmel?

Everything in society is related to every other thing. Society is the result of interdependencies and keeps working because of them. (onderlinge afhankelijkheid)

What is the difference between the function of eating practices for working class and middle class?

The working class tend to see eating practices purely functional. Eating is seen as quick, not interrupting busy working days.

The middle class tend to see eating practices as self-presentation, creation of self-identity and to promote health. They enjoy entertaining and cooking for other as well as eating nutritional discourses.

How can fashion speeding be described? (Sombart)

Trends in fashion are exclusive for a short period of time and after this cheaper products are provided on the market, so companies get incentive to start a new fashion style/trend sooner/quicker.

What do chosen foods and eating practices help to create in a family?

Social order and boundaries, strengthened bonds, group identities / conflict, tension

How are social classes formed? Which 3 elements play a role?

Structural, economic and cultural components lead to divisions and dispositions in society.

What is the relation between habitus and class?

Class is put into practice and is expressed through habitus.

What factors may influence family eating patterns?

Forms of capital, self-identity, use-value of specific consumption practices.

Moving in the linguistic footsteps of “horizontal stratification” (Geiger), many decades later, what did Beck argue?

He spoke of a diversification and individualization of life circumstances, thus extending the line drawn previously. Beck argues that the diversification of life circumstances is closely tied to the question of configuration options: the more pronounced autonomy becomes with regard to the utilization of time and money, the more open the question that asks in which specific practice this utilization will materialize.