discussed what stratification is. Stratification is about the inequalities that exist between individuals and groups. I also talked about social class. The concept of class is important for analyzing stratification for industrialized societies like the United States. A social class is a large group of people who occupy a similar socioeconomic position relative to wider society. I talked about five aspects of class: (1) Income (2) Wealth (3) Education (4) Occupation (5) Lifestyle. Some sociologists see class groups as identifiable not only according to economic or occupational factors but also on the basis of their consumption patterns, tastes, and leisure pursuits. All these possessions and attitudes end up leading to a particular kind of lifestyle. In the United States, the more money you have, the more you have freedom to pick and chose which consumer items to purchase which will fit in with the tastes of the social class you (believe you) belong to. Along these lines, there is nothing more basic than the food we purchase, or the restaurants where we eat.
That being said, this week’s writing assignment asks you to analyze the websites of two different restaurants in the Orange County/LA area. While thinking about social class distinctions, I want you to examine the restaurant website’s content. What is on their menus? What are the prices of the food and drinks they serve? What kind of vocabulary do they use to describe their dishes, cooking techniques, or concepts What is the restaurant’s overall style of presentation? Based on the website’s content, I want you to think about who are the restaurant’s ideal customers? Would you personally feel comfortable eating there, why or why not? In what ways does each restaurant’s website reflect a highbrow or lowbrow social class?
To aid your efforts, please read (and reference in your essays) the following two bits of reading:
1. Consumption and Social Stratification:
https://www.acrwebsite.org/search/view-conference-proceedings.aspx?Id=7565
2. Semiotic Analysis:
https://visual-memory.co.uk/daniel/Documents/S4B/sem01.html
Write 450-500 words for each of the restaurants you choose to examine. That means the total length of your essay should be between 900-1000 words. Please include visuals (screen shots of the restaurant’s homepage, menu, etc etc) in your write ups. Submit your essays to EEE before May 22nd, 9am.
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