Cultural Expressions of Social Class and Their Implications for Group‐Related Beliefs and Behaviors

Abstract

In the wake of the Great Recession, rising inequality has increased social‐class disparities between people in society. In this research, we examine how differences in social class shape unique patterns of cultural expression, and how these cultural expressions affirm ingroup beliefs. In Study 1 ( N = 113), we provide evidence that cultural expressions of social class on an online social network can signal the social class of targets: by simply viewing the cultural practices of individuals captured in uploaded Facebook photographs, individuals express their social class in ways that allow it to be perceived by strangers at levels that are above chance accuracy. In Study 2 ( N = 78), we provide evidence that individuals express their own ingroup space differently based on social class: Class‐specific cultural practices (including interests in education, arts, newspapers, TV, and shopping) have implications for ingroup‐related beliefs and political organizing. Individuals who reported being lower in subjective social class, relative to those reporting higher subjective social class, show cultural practices that relate to recognizing the ingroup's relative lack of control (lower group efficacy) and, in turn, a tendency to remain politically inactive when faced with an ingroup‐related social disadvantage. In sum, our research provides evidence suggesting that expressions of culture derived from one's social class have the capacity to create and maintain social‐class boundaries between individuals. Practical and political implications are discussed.