MAR3503 Exam 2 Study Guide | Consumer
Behavior, Social Class & Cultural Capital
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Rationales Latest Updated 2026
Economic View of Consumption
a process by which people buy goods and services to satisfy needs and wants
Sociocultural View of Consumption
a process by which people categorize and differentiate themselves and others
Social Stratification
a society's ranking of people into categories that have differential access to valued resources
2 Main Components of Stratification
1. Social Categories
2. Cultural Rankings
Social Categories
labels used to classify people in a society; stable but socially constructed
• gender: men women
• generation: x, y, z
• social class: lower, upper, middle
Social Categories are the basis for ________________________ built on durable lifestyle
differences.
long-term segmentation
Cultural Ranking
socially constructed hierarchies between social categories that shape ones life and
consumption
Dominant/Aspirational Categories (Cultural Ranking)
, • usually seen as normal or ideal
• more choices and opportunities, access to more resources
• experience more privilege
Subordinate/Avoidance Categories (Cultural Ranking)
• characteristics often seen as deviant or undervalued
• fewer choices and opportunities
• experience more oppression
• sense that the larger culture is misaligned with one's upbringing, values, appearance, and
desires
• extreme kind: stigma
Stigma (Subordinate Categories)
a trait deeply discrediting to someone who is perceived to possess it
Upper Strata (U.S. Social Class Structure)
• Upper-Upper: the established elite; old money
• Lower Upper: newer social elite; nouveau riches
• Upper-Middle: high-pay graduates; professionals
Middle Strata (U.S. Social Class Structure)
• Middle-Class: white-collar workers and small entrepreneurs
• Working-Class: average pay blue collar workers
Lower Strata (U.S. Social Class Structure)
• Working Poor: just above poverty level; precarious jobs
• Welfare Poor: below poverty level; usually out of work
Social Class
The relative rank of people in a society
• best proxy: occupation
• a state of being and having; more than economic situation, an identity
• mix of economic, cultural, and social endowments that are converted into overall prestige
*(capital)*
Economic Capital (Social Class)
Behavior, Social Class & Cultural Capital
Verified Questions Provided with A+ Graded
Rationales Latest Updated 2026
Economic View of Consumption
a process by which people buy goods and services to satisfy needs and wants
Sociocultural View of Consumption
a process by which people categorize and differentiate themselves and others
Social Stratification
a society's ranking of people into categories that have differential access to valued resources
2 Main Components of Stratification
1. Social Categories
2. Cultural Rankings
Social Categories
labels used to classify people in a society; stable but socially constructed
• gender: men women
• generation: x, y, z
• social class: lower, upper, middle
Social Categories are the basis for ________________________ built on durable lifestyle
differences.
long-term segmentation
Cultural Ranking
socially constructed hierarchies between social categories that shape ones life and
consumption
Dominant/Aspirational Categories (Cultural Ranking)
, • usually seen as normal or ideal
• more choices and opportunities, access to more resources
• experience more privilege
Subordinate/Avoidance Categories (Cultural Ranking)
• characteristics often seen as deviant or undervalued
• fewer choices and opportunities
• experience more oppression
• sense that the larger culture is misaligned with one's upbringing, values, appearance, and
desires
• extreme kind: stigma
Stigma (Subordinate Categories)
a trait deeply discrediting to someone who is perceived to possess it
Upper Strata (U.S. Social Class Structure)
• Upper-Upper: the established elite; old money
• Lower Upper: newer social elite; nouveau riches
• Upper-Middle: high-pay graduates; professionals
Middle Strata (U.S. Social Class Structure)
• Middle-Class: white-collar workers and small entrepreneurs
• Working-Class: average pay blue collar workers
Lower Strata (U.S. Social Class Structure)
• Working Poor: just above poverty level; precarious jobs
• Welfare Poor: below poverty level; usually out of work
Social Class
The relative rank of people in a society
• best proxy: occupation
• a state of being and having; more than economic situation, an identity
• mix of economic, cultural, and social endowments that are converted into overall prestige
*(capital)*
Economic Capital (Social Class)
