Comments on: Cultural and Material Binaries http://www.vitia.org/wordpress/2003/07/04/cultural-and-material-binaries/ faults | sins | abuses Fri, 21 Nov 2008 10:27:05 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: Chris http://www.vitia.org/wordpress/2003/07/04/cultural-and-material-binaries/#comment-47 Chris Wed, 31 Dec 1969 17:00:00 +0000 http://www.vitia.org/wordpress/archives/2003/07/04/cultural-and-material-binaries/#comment-47 Mike <p>I notice, in the anecdote you offer above, an interesting dichotomy of sorts: The guy drinking Montrachet thinks his choice is a function of taste, and the guy drinking PBR thinks his is a matter of economics. Or maybe it's a little more precise to say that each thinks the other guy is making his choice based on those criteria. </p><p>Could Mr. Montrachet drink PBR? Sure. Could Mr. PBR buy the expensive stuff? Probably, if it were important to him. Maybe beer consumption as a class marker is anomalous, I'm not sure. But whether they can afford one v. the other is not the point here, obviously. Neither man can envision himself buying the other's beer. Perhaps it's a privilege of wealth to be able to make choices based on taste, since affordability isn't (supposed to be) an issue. Maybe it's a way of reifying class identity. Maybe it's just preference. (I think a good French Bordeaux tastes like nail polish remover, so I'll continue to buy stuff in the $8-15 range.)</p><p>So a college education--is it essentially a really expensive beer (a consumable good)? If so, Mr. Montrachet buys the Yale because, of course, how could he do otherwise. Mr. PBR can't even envision himself buying the Yale, because Eastern Molehill College is affordable, and (we can say, if he cannot) appropriate to his conception of class. To Mr. M, it's a matter of class identity (or perhaps taste, if he's choosing between Yale, Princeton, and Harvard). To Mr. PBR, it's not. It's what's affordable. No, I have no clue where I'm going with this. It just seemed an interesting parallel.</p> Mike

I notice, in the anecdote you offer above, an interesting dichotomy of sorts: The guy drinking Montrachet thinks his choice is a function of taste, and the guy drinking PBR thinks his is a matter of economics. Or maybe it’s a little more precise to say that each thinks the other guy is making his choice based on those criteria.

Could Mr. Montrachet drink PBR? Sure. Could Mr. PBR buy the expensive stuff? Probably, if it were important to him. Maybe beer consumption as a class marker is anomalous, I’m not sure. But whether they can afford one v. the other is not the point here, obviously. Neither man can envision himself buying the other’s beer. Perhaps it’s a privilege of wealth to be able to make choices based on taste, since affordability isn’t (supposed to be) an issue. Maybe it’s a way of reifying class identity. Maybe it’s just preference. (I think a good French Bordeaux tastes like nail polish remover, so I’ll continue to buy stuff in the $8-15 range.)

So a college education–is it essentially a really expensive beer (a consumable good)? If so, Mr. Montrachet buys the Yale because, of course, how could he do otherwise. Mr. PBR can’t even envision himself buying the Yale, because Eastern Molehill College is affordable, and (we can say, if he cannot) appropriate to his conception of class. To Mr. M, it’s a matter of class identity (or perhaps taste, if he’s choosing between Yale, Princeton, and Harvard). To Mr. PBR, it’s not. It’s what’s affordable. No, I have no clue where I’m going with this. It just seemed an interesting parallel.

]]> By: erik http://www.vitia.org/wordpress/2003/07/04/cultural-and-material-binaries/#comment-48 erik Wed, 31 Dec 1969 17:00:00 +0000 http://www.vitia.org/wordpress/archives/2003/07/04/cultural-and-material-binaries/#comment-48 It is interesting to see the distinctions of class in America as opposed to here in Britain. In America, it seems to me, class distinctions are far more economic than here. In America, you can move up in rank as you earn more money. In England, you are a Lord even if you are dirt poor, and no matter how rich you get, you are still considered working class if your parents were. I think Chris raises a seperate but connected point - the issue of access to education as a result of economic background. The fact that Harvard or Yale are expensive institutions to attend makes a huge difference to the aspirations of people with less money. The same is the case here in England. Oxford and Cambridge remain firmly the preserve of the upper class and rich middle class. No working class child would in their dreams think of going there. And so the pattern repeats itself. It is interesting to see the distinctions of class in America as opposed to here in Britain. In America, it seems to me, class distinctions are far more economic than here. In America, you can move up in rank as you earn more money. In England, you are a Lord even if you are dirt poor, and no matter how rich you get, you are still considered working class if your parents were.
I think Chris raises a seperate but connected point - the issue of access to education as a result of economic background. The fact that Harvard or Yale are expensive institutions to attend makes a huge difference to the aspirations of people with less money. The same is the case here in England. Oxford and Cambridge remain firmly the preserve of the upper class and rich middle class. No working class child would in their dreams think of going there. And so the pattern repeats itself.

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