SOCIAL ECONOMICAL & MIDDLE CLASS

CHILDREN

THE MIDDLE CLASS

• THE CLASSES OF A SOCIETY ARE TYPICALLY DIVIDED INTO

THREE – UPPER, MIDDLE, AND LOWER (CALLED THE

WORKING CLASS IN THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION)

• THE MIDDLE CLASS GROWS DURING THE INDUSTRIAL

REVOLUTION FROM A VERY SMALL GROUP OF PEOPLE TO A

MUCH LARGER PART OF THE POPULATION

THE EMERGENCE OF THE MIDDLE CLASS

• OTHERS FROM THE LOWER CLASS WERE ABLE TO WORK

THEIR WAY UP, AND THE MIDDLE CLASS INCREASED IN SIZE

• THE MIDDLE CLASS GREW BECAUSE IT WAS MADE UP OF

BANKERS, LAWYERS, DOCTORS, AND OTHER

PROFESSIONALS WHO BEGAN TO INVEST IN BUSINESS

MIDDLE-CLASS VALUES

• THE MIDDLE CLASS AT THE TIME VALUED EDUCATION VERY HIGHLY, AND SAW IT AS A PATH TO SUCCESS FOR THEM AND THEIR CHILDREN

• MEN BEGAN TO EMERGE AS THE SOLE MONETARY PROVIDERS FOR HOUSEHOLDS

• WOMEN WERE KEPT IN THE HOME, AND DEALT WITH DOMESTIC ISSUES – MAINTAINING THE HOME, WRITING LETTERS, TAKING CARE OF CHILDREN

• CHILDREN IN MIDDLE-CLASS HOMES TYPICALLY ATTENDED SCHOOL MUCH LONGER THAN WORKING CLASS

SOCIAL CLASS

• STRATIFICATION WITHIN A SOCIETY BASED ON A NUMBER

OF VARIABLES

• INCOME

• EDUCATION

• BREEDING (TASTES)

• BLOOD (OLD RICH V. NOUVEAU RICHE)

SOCIAL CLASS AFFECTS

• MEDIA ACCESS/CHOICE

• CONTENT PREFERENCES

• INTERPRETATION OF MEDIA CONTENT

• REPRESENTATION WITHIN MEDIA CONTENT

• POWER OVER MEDIA