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Including social class in diversity actions:
Equalizing campus class inequities
Will Barratt, Ph.D.ACPA 2011
To provide you with a language and more complex models about class to give you more agency with the topic
To provide you with more interesting conversations about class
To help us all move toward equalizing the class inequities that we all create
Today’s goals
Building a language about class
If you have no language for something you have no agency with it.
Part one: Seeing social class
Your experience of class is a good starting place
Your experience of class does not generalize well to other people
Your experience of class
If I am interested in economies and societies these are excellent models of class
Class is economic and social
If I am interested in people, then I need personal models of class
Class is personal
Seeing class, seeing inequality
Why do so many discussions about class on campus focus on the first generation student and not on the majority student?
Is it easier to see difference than sameness?
Question
What is the majority class student like on your campus?◦ What do her parents do for work?◦ What fashions and labels does she wear?◦ What is her attitude toward education and
college?◦ What is her major?◦ Is she entitled or does she ask permission?
Misty & Markey – Majority class
What is the underclass / lower class student like on your campus?◦ What do her parents do for work?◦ What fashions and labels does she wear?◦ What is her attitude toward education and
college?◦ What is her major?◦ Is she entitled or does she ask permission?◦ How is she different than Misty?
Louise & Luther – Lower class
What is the upper class student like on your campus?◦ What do her parents do for work?◦ What fashions and labels does she wear?◦ What is her attitude toward education and
college?◦ What is her major?◦ Is she entitled or does she ask permission?◦ How is she different than Misty?
Ursula & Ulric – Upper class
First GenerationLouise
Second or More GenerationMisty and Ursula
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
25%
75%
Percent of College Population, NCES 2011
Class on campus
WC / PCWhitney Page
Lower Louise
MajorityMisty
UpperUrsula
EliteEleanor
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
5%
20%
55%
20%
0%
Best Guess of Percent of College Population
A closer look at campus
Different frames/lenses for class
This is the little truth that distract you from larger and scarier truths
◦ What is simple is rarely true◦ What is true is rarely simple
Class is money
5% of households make more than $180,001
80% of households make less than $100,000
60% of households make less than $61,801 40% of households make less than $38,550 20% of households make less than $20,453 US Census, 2010
US household income
Social class of origin Current felt social class Attributed social class
We all learned who we were We all learned who we were not As people change class identity they
become who there were not
Class is identity
Social class of origin◦ Working class
Current felt social class as a senior◦ Is confused
Attributed social class◦ After graduation is middle class◦ From one perspective she is both working class
and middle/majority class Campus is a conversion experience
Louise – Class identity
When she was young she learned who she was and who she wasn’t◦ Female, not male ◦ European-American, not anything else◦ Working class, not a college educated professional
Because of college she became who she was not!
What does it mean to have two social class identities? Is that possible?
Louise – Class identity
Social class of origin ◦ Upper middle class in the US◦ Majority class, middle class, on campus
Current felt social class as a senior◦ Misty believes she is in the upper middle class,
and aspires to be like famous people she reads about
Attributed social class◦ ?
Campus is a confirmation experience
Misty - Class identity
Social class of origin Current felt social class, as a senior Attributed social class
◦ Never change on campus
Ursula – Class identity
Social class is a collection of subcultures arranged in a hierarchy of prestige◦ Foods◦ Fashion◦ Music◦ Social relationships◦ Attitude toward education◦ Attitude toward work
Class is culture
How are Louise, Misty, and Ursula different?◦ How they will do in a job interview?◦ How are their food preferences different?◦ How are there fashion preferences different?
Labels – big, small, none◦ What are some other differences?
Class is culture
Economic capital◦ Income and wealth that can provide experiences
that build knowledge and skill Social capital
◦ Social groups created for mutual benefit◦ It’s not who you know, it’s who knows you
Cultural capital◦ Knowledge and skills of the prestige class
(Bourdieu, 1986, Forms of Capital)
Class is capital
Academic capital?◦ The ability to read well, write well, take notes
well, speak in class well, take an exam well . . . Leadership capital?
◦ The ability to provide leadership Spiritual / religious capital?
◦ Personal spiritual richness and wealth
Other kinds of capital
Economic Capital Cultural Capital Social Capital0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
40% 40%
10%
Louise’s capital
Economic capital ◦ She came from the bottom 50% and may move to
the 60th percentile Cultural capital
◦ This is not valued at home, not accumulated on campus
Social capital◦ She has weak skills because she never had to
meet new people◦ No mentor reached out to her
Louise’s capital
Economic Capital Cultural Capital Social Capital0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
90%
60%
20%
Misty’s capital
Economic capital◦ Misty used positional goods, obviously labeled
fashion, as a sigil of her class◦ Misty is not as rich as she would like to be
Cultural capital◦ Misty developed little cultural capital while on
campus Social capital
◦ Misty developed few skills because she is the center of the world
Misty’s capital
Economic Capital Cultural Capital Social Capital0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%95% 95% 95%
Ursula’s capital
Economic◦ Had a cushion if needed◦ Never has obviously labeled fashion
Cultural ◦ Ursula has more cultural capital than many
faculty and builds more on campus Social
◦ Ursula is intimidated by no one◦ Ursula came to campus knowing the secret
handshake and practiced it regularly
Ursula – capital
Educational attainment Institutional prestige
Class is education
None
1st -
4th
gra
de
5th
- 6th
gra
de
7th
- 8th
gra
de
9th
grad
e
10th
gra
de
11th
gra
de /2
High
scho
ol g
radu
ate
Som
e co
llege
no
degr
ee
Assoc
iate
's de
gree
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upat
iona
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Assoc
iate
's de
gree
, aca
dem
ic
Bache
lor's
deg
ree
Maste
r's d
egre
e
Prof
essio
nal d
egre
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Docto
ral d
egre
e0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
0% 1% 2% 2% 2% 2%4%
31%
17%
4% 5%
19%
8%
2% 1%
US Adults over 25, 2009 (US
Census 2011)
Class is prestige education
Yale Harvard IU Purdue UIUC Ohio Univ Ohio State Indiana State0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
10%
13%14%
15% 15%
17%18%
30%
% of Students with Pell Grants – College Navigator, NCES, 2011
Occupations are prestige ranked◦ Can a truck driver / nurse couple be upper middle
class?
Class is occupation
Prestige is collective belief in prestige◦ Prestige college◦ Prestige fashion◦ Prestige beer◦ Prestige wine
Class is prestige
Will Barratt, Ph.D.
People talk as though class is money People act as though class is prestige
Class is prestige
Scripts Costumes Blocking Set dressing
Where do we learn these roles? Where do we teach these roles?
Class is social role
Louise learned about class roles from television, movies, and magazines
Her fashionable clothing becomes a costume for her
Money and fashion are central to her ideas about class
Louise – Class as role
Class is a formal and informal system that de-facto and de-jure reproduces and reinforces class membership◦ Schools◦ Banks◦ Courts◦ Neighborhoods
We all co-create this system
Class is a system
Normal is rewarded◦ The campus majority class, the in group, my
group Abnormal is sanctioned
◦ Too rich or too poor, the out group, your group◦ Sanctions for the poor have more serious
consequences than sanctions for the rich
Class is privilege and oppression
Who on your campus values Misty’s social class culture and identity of origin?
What do they do to value Misty’s social class culture and identity of origin?
Privilege and oppression
Who on your campus de-values Louise’s social class culture and identity of origin?
What do they do to de-value Louise’s social class culture and identity of origin?
Privilege and oppression
Engagement / involvement◦ Not engaged, not involved, and never seeing the
need to build cultural and social capital◦ Never used services
Changing identity toward the majority◦ Often felt like an imposter on campus◦ Often felt like she was class passing
Changing identity away from family
Louise’s campus story
How do we create the norms on campus to place economic, social, and cultural barriers in front of Louise?◦ Language◦ Dress / Fashion◦ Expectation of personal enterprise◦ Knowing how to use resources◦ Knowing what she doesn’t know
How do we accommodate Louise?
Us
Misty was born on 3rd base and thinks she hit a triple◦ Attributed to Barry Switzer
Misty deserves things without effort on her part
Misty’s story
Misty doesn’t need to meet people, they should meet Misty.
Never engaged / never involved / never used campus services◦ “If they were any good they would be in private
practice!”
Misty’s campus story
She encounters gender She encounters ethnicity She does not encounter class because she
is in the majority and everyone wants to be like Misty
Misty continues to live in a class bubble that is reinforced by campus norms
Misty’s campus story
She graduates without ever encountering class
She is a fish who never noticed the water supporting her
Misty’s campus story
Became involved◦ Hall government◦ Student government◦ Professional associations◦ Leadership workshops◦ Internships◦ Mentoring groups◦ Junior year abroad
Michelle still lives in a majority class bubble
Misty’s roommate Michelle
One caring, supportive, and honest conversation with someone about her economic cushion, her advantages growing up that build cultural capital, and her social skills learned at home helped Michelle begin to see social class contrast and recognize her privilege
Michelle is on her way to awareness
Misty’s roommate Michelle
How do we create the norms on campus to advantage, or privilege, Misty and Michelle?◦ Language◦ Dress / Fashion◦ Expectation of personal enterprise◦ Knowing how to use resources◦ Knowing what she doesn’t know
Us
Ursula is constantly aware of social class contrast and differences between her background and most other students
Ursula is aware that she often has more cultural capital than her professors◦ She class passes in an interesting way
Ursula is aware of her privileges
Ursula’s story
How do we create the norms on campus to advantage, or privilege, Ursula?◦ Language◦ Dress / Fashion◦ Expectation of personal enterprise◦ Knowing how to use resources◦ Knowing what she doesn’t know
Us
We all co-create class in every interaction
Part two: Acting on class
Most models of student development reflect Misty, Michelle and Ursula’s life
Most campus environments are normed around Misty’s and Michelle’s lifestyle, social life, fashion, food, hair, and nails
Misty and Michelle are experienced as normal
Louise and Ursula are experienced as abnormal
Social class on campus
You can see social class if you look
The best predictors of college success are parental income and education
Louise, and especially Whitney Page from the working class / poverty class, are unlikely to graduate
Do you think social class of origin is related to graduation rates?
Social class and risk
Learn your own class history◦ Write a classnography for yourself
Take an interest in talking with Whitney Page (working class / poverty class), Louise, Misty, and Ursula about class
Learn to see class privileges and injuries Learn to be class inclusive
Your job
What are the problems that you have when talking about class?◦ Embarrassment, guilt, shame, and fear◦ lead to◦ defense, denial, minimization, intellectualization,
and rationalization
◦ (See Sherry Watt’s Privileged Identity Exploration model)
Difficulties with class
How can you help Louise with a dialog about class?
What are your goals in talking with Louise about class?
The conversation
How can you help Misty with a dialog about class?
What are you goals in talking with Misty about class?
The conversation
More
I learned class roles at home, at school, at college, and at work
I am often given privilege◦ Deference, title, positional respect, preferred
service, slack from authority . . . In my class it is rude to ask for privilege
Will’s class role
