Media has taken a tremendous toll on the American class system and continues to influence the means of consumerism and status association. Diana Kendall’s essay, “Framing Class, Vicarious Living, and Conspicuous Consumption” explores the topic of class status and the effect culture and media have had. The issue pertaining to media’s influence on socioeconomic status lies beneath the negativity that is correlated with classes—particularly, lower class—and the rise of over-consumption that has resulted from an envy of those higher. Kendall thoroughly explains the situation of consumerism and celebrity influence by referring to television shows and materialistic items, in addition to the reality of false projection on those who live in low-income
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In her essay, Kendall proclaims the unnecessity in television programs portraying the lives of the working class in a heavily stereotypical manner. When blue-collar workers’ lives are casted for entertainment, there is often a stigma against those in the circumstances. These stigmas can have a significant impact on those with these lives, as their higher-ups can be deemed as “dominant” in comparison to them. In the McGill Sociological Review, Jennifer Lynn Heller explains the definition of stigma and its harsh effect for those affected: “Stigma is a phenomenon that occurs when power is exercised by a dominant group through means of labeling and stereotyping those that are perceived to be different.” Kendall provides an example of Paris …show more content…
The impact of media for America is drastically shaping many aspects of our humanity. From the allusion of those in lower classes, the poor, and the elites, the minds of impressionable people are shifting from reality to a mistakable assumption. Working class members are shunned for their lifestyle because of misinformation being shot in the media, and unnecessary means of consumerism is on the rise with celebrity flaunting. With these unfortunate circumstances, there is a plausible solution that can lead to a meaningful society—the media. If the media redirects the points of interest from fabricated details of life to honest, and shameless ones, the issue of framing class, vicarious living, and conspicuous consumption can
In her essay, Kendall proclaims the unnecessity in television programs portraying the lives of the working class in a heavily stereotypical manner. When blue-collar workers’ lives are casted for entertainment, there is often a stigma against those in the circumstances. These stigmas can have a significant impact on those with these lives, as their higher-ups can be deemed as “dominant” in comparison to them. In the McGill Sociological Review, Jennifer Lynn Heller explains the definition of stigma and its harsh effect for those affected: “Stigma is a phenomenon that occurs when power is exercised by a dominant group through means of labeling and stereotyping those that are perceived to be different.” Kendall provides an example of Paris …show more content…
The impact of media for America is drastically shaping many aspects of our humanity. From the allusion of those in lower classes, the poor, and the elites, the minds of impressionable people are shifting from reality to a mistakable assumption. Working class members are shunned for their lifestyle because of misinformation being shot in the media, and unnecessary means of consumerism is on the rise with celebrity flaunting. With these unfortunate circumstances, there is a plausible solution that can lead to a meaningful society—the media. If the media redirects the points of interest from fabricated details of life to honest, and shameless ones, the issue of framing class, vicarious living, and conspicuous consumption can