76-424 Theories of Social Class

9 units, Carnegie Mellon University

How do we define social class? And how do we define popular culture? And what is the relationship between the two? In this class we'll try to answer these questions by looking at the history of class identity in the US, the rise of staggering inequality in the 21st century, and what Newman calls the "labor theory of culture," juxtaposed against the "commodity theory of culture." Texts for the course will include: White Trash: The 400 Year Untold History of Class in America, Robert Reich's documentary Inequality for All, the Oscar winning film Parasite, Netflix's TV series The Maid as well as readings from Marx/Marxist influenced cultural theory.

Prerequisites: 76-101 or 76-102 or (76-106 and 76-107) or (76-107 and 76-108) or (76-106 and 76-108)

Offered: Fall 2026

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