Social Class 

Lareau 

Study addresses: transmission and reproduction of class (MC, poor, WC) 

1. Natural Growth: survival basics, worries

ex: Tammy's Story 

2. Concerted Cultivation: invisible inequality 

- language, interpersonal skills, dress 

Social Class 

Issues/Concerns 

1. How does family origin impact success? 

- access, experience, future

2. Contact Hypothesis 

- Stereotypes 

- Segregation (class/race) 

ex: school, neighborhood, work, clubs networks

Social Class 

Education is the great equalizer 

- class hampers success 

- college access, enrollment, and graduation linked to class/race 

- education often evaluated as an individual decision/experience without cultural influence

"It's free, anyone can apply for scholarships" 

Social Class 

Family Effects - Does family of origin impact success?

Social Class 

Lareau Findings

Cultural Capital plays a significant role in persisting inequality 

- informal knowledge of process 

- networks 

-poor and working class not only lacked economic capital, but also social and cultural even when ability was high 

Social Class 

Comparing Outcomes 

-Middle Class: all parents actively involved, "helicopter parents", larger networks, greater knowledge of college process 

- Poor/working class: less involved/not at all, involvement reaped little reward, voiceless, 

Disruptions to Family 

Divorce in the past 

Rare BUT more desertion and separation 

Issues effecting divorce prevalence 

Macro: 

Macro: 

- laws

- women's employment

- attitudes toward divorce

- norms 

- changing gender roles 

-religion

-urbanization 

Issues affecting divorce 

Micro: 

-parental divorce

- age

-children

-non-marital childbearing 

- education 

- income 

- similarity 

Economic: child support, alimony 

Emotional: friend or foe? 

Children: custody 

- 8/10 mothers receive physical custody 

-more economically advantaged with father, but still lower income and twice poverty rate than children with both parents 

Divorce 

Women and children 

- standard of living reduced by 27% BUT mens increase 10% 

- women adjusted better emotionally

- parental conflict 

- weakened bonds 

-coping with reduced standard of living

- adjusting to transitions 

- contact diminishes with time 

less attendance at school events, help with homework, vacation

- Father's remarry contact decreases 

Depends: Unhappily married or divorce 

HIGH conflict: suffered more than those with high conflict divorce parents 

LOW conflict families who divorce = worse off 

2/3 women, 3/4 men remarry 

- men (3 yrs) women (5 yrs) 

likelihood lower for women with children 

Norm-less norm: 

- vague expectations, obligations, and rules 

- negative impacts on families 

- Violence is a gendered problem 

- "new" problem: battered women's movement in 1970's 

name calling 

keeping partner from contacting family 

stopping from/keeping job 

actual/threatened physical harm 

sexual assault 

stalking 

intimidation 

- youth (majority under 30) 

- low levels of education 

- low income/employment problems 

- Drug/alcohol abuse 

- personal traits (jealousy, low self-esteem) 

- circle of violence (witnessed/experienced as children)