Scribner Seminar Program
Course Description

Classless Society

Instructor(s): Janet Casey, English

Many people think of the United States as a classless society, where upward mobility is available to all who dream big and work hard. While other nations might have fixed social structures, ours has long been celebrated as a land of opportunity, where each person rises, or sinks, based on individual merit. (Think Abraham Lincoln.) This course will investigate these concepts to explore how popular symbols and narratives about class in the U. S. correspond—or fail to correspond—with lived realities. We will investigate class from both historic and contemporary perspectives, considering its potential manifestations in such arenas as language, dress, popular culture, family life, education, and consumption. We will also focus closely on the notion of the American Dream. Guiding questions: Are there any class distinctions in our allegedly classless society? If so, how do those distinctions play out in our everyday lives and in our national culture? What might class look and feel like in a nation that disavows class stratification?

 

Course Offered:

• Fall 2018
• Fall2019
• Spring 2021