A Touchy Subject By Paul Fussell

while "geek" conveys specialized expertise and devotion. The former is negative, the latter positive. In a 2007 interview on The Colbert Report, author Richard Clarke said the difference between nerds and geeks is "geeks get it done." (Goldsborough, 2010)

Bourdieu argues that although “snob” (Peterson, Kern. Oct, 1996, Changing Highbrow Taste: From Snob to Omnivore, pg.900-907, published by American Sociological Association) tends to be assimilated into “omnivore” (Peterson, Kern. Oct, 1996, Changing Highbrow Taste: From Snob to Omnivore, pg.900-907, published by American Sociological Association), people can still see the boundary between two classes because it is easy to go downward, but going upward is always facing difficulty. It illustrates that upper class people can enter lower class culture easily, however, lower class people are having difficulty to engage with upper class culture because from upper class position, they have enough money to spend in lower class culture. In contrast, lower class people still do not have enough money to spend like upper class people although they can access into the upper class culture. For instance, beer is not considered as an expensive beverage as compared to the upper class usually drink, however people who only afford to buy beer are not affordable to buy such as champagnes as many as they consume

The socially and physically inept, the outcasts, often associated with computers and books- these characteristics constitute the stereotype of the average geek. Students are afraid to reveal their identities in an environment among their peers because of the fear of being an outcast among the idolized jocks. In an excerpt from "America Needs Its Nerds" Harvard student and writer Leonid Fridman expresses his disgust for the unjust treatment of individuals who are essential to our country- the geeks. He addresses the American public with a call to action to put geeks into their deserved positions, giving them hope and motivation to express their own identities. Fridman utilizes irony when discussing how even Harvard students are being picked

Patico cites Anthony Jones who describes the social position of teachers in the 1980s: “Although teachers have fairly low status within the intelligentsia, their membership still conveys high status in the general occupational structure” (Patico, 63). In the Soviet system, occupation determined both social class and access to resources; however, the sudden introduction of capitalism and market consumerism shifted this standard: “A previous logic of value – one that associated professional achievement with material privileges – was being challenged” (Patico, 52). Experiencing downward financial and social status, teachers constructed a new “logic of value” with an emphasis on morality and culture. Patico suggests that important characteristics of this emerging “logic of value” manifested themselves in consumer choices. She describes her informants: “They did not see themselves as naive victims of marketization…They wished to master all this knowledge and tended to find it important to be well-informed consumers and to maintain dignified, cultured lifestyles” (Patico, 61). Given rapid economic changes which threatened to dilute their social position, teachers grasped onto their status as knowledgeable and cultured intelligentsia. In her article “Tracing Landscapes of the Past in Class Subjectivity” Michele Rivkin-Fish describes this process: “Groups who aspired to distinction and recognition could still deploy symbolic markers of prestige.” (Rivkin-Fish, 89). Defining morals and culture as such symbolic markers of prestige, a new middle class

Demonstrate the ways in which class is represented and/or contested today, with a references to the film The Bling Rings (Sofia Coppola, 2013)

When we hear the words nerds and geeks, it is often those studious, witty, socially awkward, scrawny and wimpy or sometimes chubby guys that may come to mind. What purpose does your average geek serve to society? Beyond the fact of knowledge some may find useless, making great group partners (carrying the majority of group workload), and being the butt end of endless jokes and bullying, what importance do they hold? Society yells without speaking that we need more men compared to nerds and geeks. It’s something about being intelligent, awkward, and the complete opposite of your typical “ladies man” that challenges the perception of masculinity to society.

Savoir faire and good manners are qualities often associated with the upper class. Even the elitists which

In the play Trifles by Susan Glaspell she have a married couple and their last name is Mr. and Mrs. Wright. This last of Mr. and Mrs. Sounds like right but they are not right for each other. Their personalities are like water and oil, they do not go and should not be together because of their differences. Although they are fine with each other, things between them begin to get complicated, then one day Mr. Wright is dead.

Trifles, written by Susan Glaspell, presents numerous overarching themes thoughout the course of the play, including duty, justice, loneliness, revenge, empathy, identity, and personal transformation. Glaspell also penned this, her first play, with numerous symbols including the canary, the quilt, the rocking chair, the canned fruit, and the apron to fuel her themes. Among a plethora of themes and symbols, Glaspell focuses her writing on one prominent theme and one protuberant symbol that adds abundant depth to both her storyline and its characters. Glaspell masterfully develops the theme of patriarchal dominance and pairs it with the powerful symbol provided by the baffling empty birdcage. Patriarchal dominance plays a pivotal role when the audience is introduced to three male

The play Trifles, written by Susan Glaspell, incorporates symbols that accentuate the trials of women during that time period. Women were viewed as being inferior to men, rather than equal to men. The symbols presented throughout the play depicts the lives of women during this era as being trapped and underappreciated. There are also symbols that show parallels to the events in the play and showcase the mental state of Mrs. Wright. Important symbols present in this play are the canary, the bird cage, the apron, the title, and the quilt.

The concept of social class is wide ranging – people can move between classes or have character/ occupational traits that cross more than one class. (Giddens, 2001: p282) described Social Class as ‘A

Additionally, in his book “Distinction,” Bourdieu discusses cultural capital and the way people use classes of classifications while classifying one another. As habitus, fields and cultural capital develop distinct of different class factions within social spaces, of the “sacred” sphere of culture that legitimates social order. Therefore, people undoubtedly know their place within society as well quickly identify other individuals who are within their class are other factions of society that are not parts of the upper class via their pretentious actions. (p. 6-7). According to Bourdieu, Class “is not defined by real property” but is determined by the structure of relations between values art, social graces and other resources, that the

The interactive graphic happened to be intriguing in showing how different characteristics label one into a certain class due to society’s standards. For instance, I decided to put in certain components of my envisioned future. I stated that I was a social worker who possessed a Master’s degree and had an income of approximately $50,000 a year with a net worth that ranged from $50,000 to $100,000. According to this graphic, I happened to be placed in the 68th percentile, the upper middle class. Additionally, the nationwide polls were also appealing to read. It contained surveys of what Americans thought, such as being optimistic about their financial future, opportunities and rewards of hard work, and views about the rich

The upper class is defined in our text book as “[a] social class broadly composed of the more affluent members of society, especially those who have inherited wealth, own businesses, or hold large numbers of stocks (shares)” (Giddens, Duneier and Appelbaum 207). These are individuals like Bill Gates that are superrich, but it can also include individuals that have a lot of influence in our society like the president or even popular celebrities (Giddens, Duneier and Appelbaum 207).

Dork, dweeb, geek, techie, or trekkie? What is a nerd? Dr. Suess first used the word “nerd” in 1950 it described a “small, unkempt, humanoid creature with a large head and a comically disapproving expression”. Newsweek, just a year later, reported the word beginning to take on a derogatory meaning as someone who is dull, and rigidly conventional. Over the next two decades, the meaning of the word did not improve. In 1971, The Observer called nerds, “people who don't live meaningful lives,” and The Chicago Tribune put it simply in 2002, “silicon valley”. Considering nerd is a slang word, the volatility of its meaning and usage is not surprising. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that the meaning of the word is changing again. Behind the