COMMUNICATION, SOCIAL CLASS, AND CULTURE

In: Communication research, Volume 10, Issue 2, p. 219-246

Abstract

This article reports on a study that treats recent growth in ethnic awareness as an opportunity to study cultural concepts at a more manageable level. Scholars in this area have pitted social class against ethnicity, and people moving up the status ladder were expected to assimilate. Ethnic communication holds ethnic groups together but also may mediate changes in ethnic behaviors and attitudes. Changes in social status are viewed as competing influences, acting directly and indirectly through changes in ethnic communication networks. Some 392 people represented 11 ethnic groups in a panel study that tapped communication and ethnic behaviors in 1976 and 4 years later. Correlations show income is negatively related to ethnic behaviors at time one but not at time two. Cross-lagged correlations show income is negatively associated with observing ethnic customs but not perceived change in ethnic ID; education is unrelated to either ethnic measure. Regression analysis shows that neither status variable is related to ethnic ID when communication and other variables have been controlled. Several path analytic models map the relationships presented in the literature; in all models, the two social status variables have no direct relationship on ethnic ID or behavior; some mediation occurs in the 1976 model but not the 1980 model.