Student Web Activites

Chapter 8: Social Stratification

"Social Class and Television"

Introduction
In this chapter you learned about social class and stratification and the influence of these factors on the lives of people in our society. In the following activity you will learn about the representation of social classes on television. You will read an article that discusses ways in which working and middle classes are represented, and how their audiences react to the portrayals.

Web sites
Social Class and Television
Discover how social classes are portrayed on television through this Web site.

Family on Television
In the early 1950s, domestic life was represented with some degree of diversity. There were families who lived in suburbs, cities, and rural areas. Read through this article on how family life has developed on television.

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Activity
Choose a current sitcom to watch on television. During viewing take notes on the representation of social classes and the characters' portrayals of their social position. Using your notes, rewrite the episode of the show to improve the way in which working-class people are represented. Read or perform the script with friends and classmates.