This research investigated the basis upon which undergraduates construct notions of social honor and the role higher educational institutions play in the consolidation of status group cultures in Mexico. The topics I analyzed included the criteria college students use to evaluate the worthiness of their peers and friends and the meaning they attach to studying at certain higher educational institutions. This study drew primarily on 65 in-depth interviews and four focus group sessions with 15 students enrolled at socioeconomically stratified private and public higher educational institutions in a large city. I also relied on an institutional analysis of the higher educational institutions where I did my research to complement the analysis. The findings of this research show that there are institutional similarities in relation to the moral criteria undergraduates use to evaluate the worthiness of their friends and peers. However, there are important institutional differences showing that Mexico’s system of higher education attracts and trains at least four status groups. The status groups cultures associated with educational credentials show that there are significant cultural and socioeconomic distinctions within the high cost private sector. In particular, there is a clash between an old pedigree status group for which social connections are of outmost importance and a new emerging upper-middle class that competes through the rigorous academic training its undergraduates receive. The other two status groups are composed of lay and large public universities that attract middle-class students and demand-absorption institutions that train students who did not gain admission to public universities or who want to avoid the negative stereotypes associated with public universities. Undergraduates from these two last groups occupy the bottom of the occupational and prestige hierarchy. This research also shows that most of the internal hierarchies undergraduates use to rank their peers do not transcend the walls of a specific college. However, the testimonies of high class students revealed that members from this social stratum determine the worthiness of others based on residential location. This dissertation also shows that socioeconomic and cultural boundaries provide some of the most important sources of symbolic divisions among college students in Mexico. / text

Over the last few decades, the production and consumption of craft beer in the United States has witnessed a spectacular increase. According to the Brewer's Association (2020), there were approximately 89 breweries operating in the United States in 1978 compared to 8,386 in 2019. Along with this rapid market expansion, the cultural status of beer also underwent significant changes. Despite the exponential rise in the number of craft breweries as well as the emergence of a craft beer culture, little empirical scholarship on the field of craft beer exists. In this study, I analyze the rapid status shift of craft beer by exploring its social history of changes that occurred both exogenously to the cultural field of craft beer as well as endogenous developments within the field. Further, I examine in detail the emergence and role of a critical discourse surrounding craft beer culture in relation to its involvement in the elevation of status as well as the construction of symbolic and social boundaries. The theoretical foundation for this study draws on insights from work on cultural fields (Bourdieu 1993), art worlds (Becker 1982), cultural and artistic legitimation (Baumann 2001; 2007a; 2007b; 2011), social and symbolic boundaries (Lamont and Molnar 2002), and the production of culture perspective (Peterson and Anand 2004). Data for this project come both from secondary and original sources including All About Beer magazine and semi-structured face-to-face interviews with craft beer industry professionals. My findings suggest that while the status elevation of the field of craft beer has closely followed those of other legitimized fields (e.g., film), unique discursive and institutional dynamics are also salient. Specifically, I find that through critical discourse, the status elevation of craft beer in the United States context was directly related to a.) the establishment of beer travel as a cultural good, b.) the linkage of craft beer to predominantly white, middle-class leisure activities, c.) the association of beer to other high status gastronomic fields, and d.) the historicization of the field craft beer particularly via the mythologization of early pioneers. / Doctor of Philosophy / Over the last few decades, the production and consumption of craft beer in the United States has witnessed a spectacular increase. According to the Brewer's Association (2020), there were approximately 89 breweries operating in the United States in 1978 compared to 8,386 in 2019. Along with this rapid market expansion, the public perception of craft beer also underwent significant changes. Despite the exponential rise in the number of craft breweries, craft beer's changing status, and the blossoming of American craft beer culture, little empirical scholarship on craft beer exists that explores the sociological aspects of the field. Drawing on multiple sociological theoretical frameworks I employ a multi-method research design to analyze both secondary and original data to explore questions surrounding the upward status elevation of craft beer from 2002 to 2017 in the United States context. My main findings suggest that through critical discourse, the status elevation of craft beer in the United States context was directly related to a.) the establishment of beer travel as a cultural good, b.) the linkage of craft beer to predominantly white, middle-class leisure activities, c.) the association of beer to other high status gastronomic fields such as wine, and d.) the historicization of the field craft beer particularly via the mythologization of early pioneers.

The aim of this study is to understand the class character of the new middle class,that is defined as white-collar workers through the bulk of the class literature. To achieve this aim, two sets of research questions, operating both on the objective and subjective levels, have been developed. The first set of questions are / &ldquo / What are the objective conditions (such as economic capital, cultural capital,gender/age composition and class background) of the people who belong to the new middle class defined as white-collars according to structural definitions in Ankara? How are those conditions differentiated within this new middle class category?&rdquo / Those questions are tried to be answered by conducting a secondary analysis to an already existing three-generational representative database for Ankara By taking the quantitative analysis as a base, second set of questions that aim to scrutinize how this heterogeneity in terms of economic/cultural capital and class background are reflected on the subjective level, has been developed. Therefore interviews are held with 31 people in Ayranci neighborhood so as to answer to the following questions: &ldquo / How people who belong to the new middle class, defined as white-collars according to structural definitions, experience their class position? and what elements, in what ways affect their class experience/class practices?&rdquo / In the light of the interviews that question the &ldquo / social space of lifestyle&rdquo / &ndash / composed of daily life practices- and &ldquo / social relations&rdquo / &ndash / analyzed by the content and nature of the drawn symbolic boundaries- four new middle class milieus &ndash / which are highly dispersed among the habitus map of Bourdieu- are identified. The overall study highlights how it is problematic to attribute certain values, lifestyles and attitudes, which are the molders of the class experience, to the whole new middle class category that is defined within the occupational structure.

The central aim of this study is to examine processes of identity formation among white, working-class youths in a marginalized area located on the outskirts of South London. It is primarily based on long-term ethnographic fieldwork but also on analyses of web sites, newspapers and popular culture. The study contributes to research on ‘chavs’, and on youth (sub)cultures and social class. Identity is conceived as constructed through the dialectical interplay between ‘external’ processes of social categorization and ‘internal’ processes of identification and boundary work. The context of the study is the recent moral panic in Britain over ‘chavs’. In public discourse, the term chav emerged as a way of pathologizing white working-class youths adopting specific visual markers of taste. The study shows that most respondents, and the area in general, were positioned in the stigmatizing discourse on chavs, and the spaces and places that they are associated with. When interpreting the meaning of chav, the respondents drew strong boundaries against the term, and used it to categorize others. In contrast to earlier research, the notion of chav is not related to a subcultural style adopted by socially excluded groups of youths, but primarily a form of categorization serving to pathologize important aspects of the working-class culture in the area. The findings support the contention that spatiality plays an essential role in the formation of classed identities. In light of the stigmatizing perceptions of the area, the study explores the often ambiguous ways in which the respondents negotiated their sense of belonging, community and safety. Moreover, in relation to taste and masculinity, the study demonstrates how the construction and performance of classed identifications and distinctions, and thus symbolic class hierarchies, are related to the spatial context.

In this study I explore boundary work processes that older adults do which influences friendships among residents of a progressive care retirement community. Accounts of boundary work as mechanisms for including some and excluding other residents as potential friends were collected by using a combination of quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews from residents (age 65+) of a progressive care retirement community in the United States. First, a survey explored symbolic boundaries related to cultural capital, defined as music and leisure interest and participation, as well as structural and social aspects of friendships among residents (N=66). Second, in-depth interviews of a sub-sample of residents of an assisted living facility within the community (N=15), were conducted to examine older adults' narratives of how they use cultural capital as a mechanism of symbolic boundary work that influences their friendships with others in the retirement community. The administrator of the assisted living facility (N=1) was also interviewed. Findings from this study suggested that cultural capital was associated with sociability which offers some support for the relational "tool kit" model of the theory. However, findings from in-depth interviews suggested that while music and leisure interests and participation may be important, valuations of bodies were more likely to influence "othering" of residents, although the two are related. This study enriches our understanding of how symbolic boundary use varies by group and context, as well as makes theoretical contributions to the literature on symbolic boundaries by exploring the ways in which aging may alter the use of boundaries. / Ph. D.

This thesis seeks to analyze how social position is negotiated by particular consumption practices. Thesis is theoretically based upon social-constructivist claims that reality is a social construct that comprises of continuously negotiated meanings. That implies that observed phenomena, such as among others consumption and social position, are seen as constituted by the cultural and symbolic dimensions of society. Methodological basis of the thesis is qualitative research. In the context of consumer behavior research I follow the research stream of consumer culture theory. Key findings of the study are that discourses on consumption are partially determined by social position while higher classes are comparatively more reflexive in their interpretations of consumption. However, social boundaries are not strictly given which creates a space for negotiating one`s social position. That might be accomplished by reinterpretation of social position. Prominent strategies of such reinterpretations were defined by discourses of neoliberalism and egalitarism. Another option consists of transgressing the economic boundaries by utilizing cultural capital. However, in the Czech society there has not yet been developed a clear consensus on what cultural capital consists of - that creates even more potential for negotiating one`s own social position.

This thesis is written from the perspective of cultural sociology and focuses on middle-class parents and justification of their child-rearing decisions. It describes how parents choose and evaluate the institutions their children spend time at, how they "other" parents with different values and how they relate to concerted cultivation - a type of parenting style which currently dominates the middle-class context. This parenting style (or ideal) puts a great deal of pressure on middle-class parents and it causes a symbolic war among them: a war for acknowledgment and a certain position in the cultural space. This thesis describes who the participants "other", which child-rearing strategies participants approve of, what values are crucial for them and what problems they deal with. Furthermore, four main differences between the participants' approach and the concerted cultivation approach were identified: emphasis on friendship, emphasis on balance between activities and rest, emphasis on fitting in with the majority and emphasis on approval of certain authoritarian methods such as imposing punishments, applying restrictions and issuing directives.

The thesis deals with choices made by women on maternity leave living in Prague, predominantly in the area of work and family life. Women's choices do not always represent their preferences and are strongly influenced by the institutional conditions and family interests. Women's preferences are also determined by the idea of maternity preferred by them- Another focus of the thesis is the construction of symbolic boundaries between mothers and childless women. Mothers differentiate themselves from childless women based on moral criteria and from each other based on the understanding of motherhood. Mothers tend to describe maternity leave as a happy period and do not think of it as of a loss of freedom or a sacrifice. However, they admit that long-term maternity leave is stereotypical and can induce feelings of isolation. For that reason, a part of women try to break free, at least partially, from the childcare and return into the realm of adults.

Submitted by admin tede (tede@pucgoias.edu.br) on 2018-11-06T17:07:16Z No. of bitstreams: 1 LEONARDO RODRIGUES DE VELASCO.pdf: 1209057 bytes, checksum: a019cd3d1cb75a5fa84744bc22ded5ac (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-11-06T17:07:16Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 LEONARDO RODRIGUES DE VELASCO.pdf: 1209057 bytes, checksum: a019cd3d1cb75a5fa84744bc22ded5ac (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-08-22 / VELASCO, Leonardo Rodrigues de. Borders of the religious field: Adaptations to the market of symbolic goods.Master's Dissertation (Post-graduation Program in Religion Sciences) - Pontificia Universidade Católica de Goiás, 2018. This research intends to analyze the displacement of the religious field in the Brazilian symbolic goods market. Starting from an investigation of the concept of religious field as proposed by Pierre Bourdieu, we demonstrate how the boundaries of this field deteriorate nowadays with the entry of new agents and techniques. For such, we analyze five distinguished religious agents – Priest Marcelo Rossi, Priest Fábio de Melo, Augusto Cury, Cristiano Cardoso e Renato Cardoso –, proving how they – by using digital media or self-help literature – can offer their symbolic goods to the demand of individuals in search of beliefs. That said, we have traditional institutions and new agents that, dealing with the liquidity of post-modernity, create and reconfigure models to reach the individuals search for affirmation in the world. Through those considerations, we aim to show how the individual’s subjectivity dictates the course of the symbolic goods offer in the religious field. Finally, we intend to contribute, by means of examples in the Brazilian context, with the view that the actual Western society goes through considerable reconfigurations, which question the notion itself of religious field. / VELASCO, Leonardo Rodrigues de. Fronteiras do campo religioso: daptações ao mercado de bens simbólicos. Dissertação de Mestrado (Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências da Religião) – Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Goiás, 2018. Esta pesquisa tem como propósito analisar o deslocamento do campo religioso no mercado de bens simbólicos brasileiro. Partindo de uma investigação do conceito de campo religioso proposto por Pierre Bourdieu, demonstramos como as fronteiras desse campo se deterioram na atualidade com a entrada de novos agentes e novas técnicas. Para tal, analisamos cinco agentes do religioso diferentes – Pe. Marcelo Rossi, Pe. Fábio de Melo, Augusto Cury, Cristiane Cardoso e Renato Cardoso – comprovando como estes – por meio do uso de mídias digitais ou de literatura de autoajuda – conseguem ofertar seus bens simbólicos à demanda de indivíduos em busca de crenças. Isto posto, temos instituições tradicionais e novos agentes que, lidando com a liquidez da pós-modernidade, criam e reconfiguram modelos para atingir à busca por afirmação dos indivíduos no mundo. Mediante tais considerações, buscamos apresentar como a subjetividade do indivíduo dita os rumos das ofertas de bens simbólicos no campo religioso. Finalmente pretendemos contribuir, por meio de exemplos do contexto brasileiro, com a visão de que a sociedade ocidental atual passa por reconfigurações consideráveis, que questionam a própria noção de campo religioso.

Diese Dissertation handelt von Grenz- und Fremdheitskonstruktionen in iranischen Reiseberichten (sowohl Europa- als auch Russlandreiseberichte) des 19. Jahrhunderts. Durch die Untersuchung der zentralen sozialen und kulturellen Strukturen und Prozesse der Grenz- und Fremdheitserzeugung ist in dieser Studie, die iranische Gesellschaft, in den Besonderheiten ihrer eigenen Geschichte, durch ihre äußeren Begegnungen und Interdependenzen geforscht worden. Anhand der theoretischen Fokussierung auf zwei Konzepte, nämlich Fremdheit und kulturelle und soziale Grenze, wurde die Entwicklung der iranischen Gesellschaft in Anbetracht ihrer Beziehung zu den europäischen Ländern im Laufe des 19. Jahrhunderts rekonstruiert. Zwar ist die Arbeit primär eine soziologische Studie, konnte aber den historischen Kontext der Ereignisse und die literarische Beschaffenheit der Reisetexte nicht unbeachtet lassen. / This work is a comprehensive sociological study on travelogues, specifically with focus on the Iran’s 19th century history (Qajar Dynasty). It presents an analysis that sociologically and systematically registers the staging of cultural boundaries and the socio-historical construction of foreignness in the Iranian society, on the basis of selected Persian travel literature. This study has tried to show that cultural and social boundaries are relational and historical constructs which, in case of Iran, are dramatically affected by the encounters of Iranians (statesmen, students, tourists, etc.) with western countries (Western Europe and Russia).