Do you have any questions or topics for discussion based on our reading for today? Feel free to post them here.
Week 2 Day 1 — post your own
February 16, 2018 | 1 Comment
Class, Culture, Representation
February 16, 2018 | 1 Comment
Do you have any questions or topics for discussion based on our reading for today? Feel free to post them here.
February 18, 2019 at 12:00 pm
Question (combo of questions 1 and 2): How do different perceptions of what constitutes the middle class affect framing of the middle class in the context of Kendall’s three frames that characterize media depictions of the middle class?
The many contrasting definitions of the middle class as well as an inherent hesitance to admit to privilege complicates Kendall’s discussion of media portrayals of the middle class. The CBS news story uses the seven tax brackets to assert their definition of the middle class as the group that constitutes the most populous tax bracket. Remarkably grounded, this definition contains clarity missing from most of the rhetoric surrounding the middle class. Generally, the term refers to an ambiguous mix of individuals that range from the working class to the upper middle class. Politicians and media sources alike draw on that ambiguity to frame the “middle class” in a way that helps them gain votes and increase ratings.
Despite disagreement on defining the middle class, Kendall asserts, “Popular misconceptions about what constitutes the middle class, however, do not keep most Americans from considering themselves members of that demographic… most Americans consider themselves middle class” (164-165). Contrarily, this disagreement gives rise to a catch all term that most Americans identify with. Politicians exploit this inclusive middle-class identity to run on a platform that appeals to the widest majority of people. This exploitation relies on all three framing techniques evidenced by Kendall’s example of Bruce Barton’s speech to the house that: “highlighted his frequent references to the middle class as the backbone of the nation and as long-suffering and slow to anger… it was caught in a squeeze produced by an increase in living costs” (173). Here, Barton first utilizes frame one to describe the middle class as the back bone of the economy and praise all those who identify in this group. Then, he employs frames two and three and empathizes with their suffering at the hands of the upper class and other political agendas. These frames construct a political narrative that revolves around rebuilding the middle class and resonates with the largest number of Americans, such as the “create American jobs” rhetoric that got Trump elected.