Marx blamed the economy and means of production as a main cause of this stratification. Marx talks about how the two class system has divided individual, “the bourgeoisie cannot exist without constantly revolutionizing the instruments of production, and thereby the relations of production, and with them the whole relations of society,” while the proletarians sell themselves as labor (Levine 22). Marx and his successor Weber are very important to the study of stratification (Gilbert, 1998). While anthropology 103 teaches that “language, along with occupation, education and socio economic status, is often used as an indicator of social class” (Guest 130). Even sociologist like Warner have conducted that wealth, power and prestige all affect an individual’s class (Gilbert, …show more content…
It is something that most people forget. At the end it is one of the easiest ways to tell what class someone belongs to. Pierre Bourdieu, a French sociologist, anthropologist and philosopher studied “a resource or asset available to language users that can be converted into financial capital,” (Guest 130). Anthropologist have coined the term of prestige language, or a particular way of speaking that is associated with a class and its relevant education, success and power. One of the easiest and close to home examples that they give is black vernacular, or Ebonics. This language shares many rules similar to English, but also English-based creole language separate from English. This is quite interesting at a whole group of people speak their own language. This language has becomes a part of their culture as it would be awkward to speak English in an area that speaks Black Vernacular because the individual would not fit in as well. This language says a lot about this group of peoples class, because this is not the language used in elite schools that take years of preparation to attend. In no way is that saying that a student form this class could not go to an elite school, but it puts the future student behind because they do not speak English (Guest). So can black vernacular lessen these individuals’ life chances? It shows the increasing racial segregation of African Americans. Race still plays a big factor in