Elizabeth Currid-Halkett Analysis

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The story of humanity has been one of elites and masses. This has been true from the time of cavemen to the pre-industrialized era to the world today. While this dichotomy has existed for millennia, who play these roles, and how the roles are defined are continuously changing. The largest of these shifts have taken place over the last century and a half. Society's elites have morphed from a leisure class who defined themselves by their wealth and made people aware of their status through large obvious purchases, to a group defined instead by knowledge. The new elite class shows their status not by making noticeably expensive purchases, but rather rely on cultural capital and being 'in the know' (Currid-Halkett 19). Many had hoped that this…show more content…
However, the shift from a barrier of wealth to one of knowledge has made becoming a member of the elite more difficult than ever. This change has not only made social mobility a near impossibility but also has increased economic inequity. Any of the possible benefits these new elites may cause with their new decision-making processes and knowledge-based consumption are far outweighed by the negative impact of the exclusionary nature of their actions and their culture. Elizabeth Currid-Halkett brands these new elites as the 'aspirational class' (18). As mentioned before, the defining characteristic of this class is not wealth, but cultural knowledge. This aspirational culture has many aspects that society as a whole value, and the consumption choices based on this culture are…show more content…
Saving for retirement, childcare, and health insurance are all consumption choices that are becoming monopolized by the aspirational class (69). These choices are often necessary in order to ensure financial stability not only for yourself, but for children as well. By making these choices less accessible, the aspirational class has not only managed to increase wealth inequity but make it nearly impossible for people to better their social status (70). When bettering your life is behind a barrier of cost and knowledge, it can be difficult to acknowledge it as an option. If the masses are not aware of the importance of saving for retirement, or if they don't have the means or the time to sign their kid up for an early childhood development program, or even if they just cannot afford health insurance this year, it makes it more difficult for them to ensure the wellbeing of their future selves and their children. This creates a vicious cycle where the elite aspirational class drifts farther and farther from the masses without giving them any sort roadmap of how to find them if they ever attain the means to do
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