Question

1. According to Bryson, what is “boundary work” and who does it?

it is the drawing of congressional districts; legislators do it

it is the establishment of qualifications for jobs; employers do it

it is the establishment of boundaries against those we dislike; we all do it

it is the establishment of career ladders within firms; employers do it

2. For Americans in general, the most liked genres of music are ____ and the most disliked genres are ____.

jazz and classical; oldies and easy listening

oldies and country; show tunes and bluegrass

jazz and classical; gospel and country

oldies and country; heavy metal and rap

3. According to Bryson, which of the following best describes the musical tastes of highly educated, upper middle class Americans?

they dislike all genres of popular music and listen only to classical music

they dislike far fewer musical genres than people from lower classes

they like all musical genres, but especially like country and gospel

they like all musical genres, but especially like heavy metal and rap

4. According to Bryson, what characteristic is shared by those people who listen to the genres of music that are least tolerated by the "tolerant" people in her study?

they have below average levels of education

they are older

they are less exclusive in their musical tastes (i.e., tend to listen to all kinds of music)

they listen to the most popular types of music

5. Based on Bryson’s findings and what you have learned about social stratification, how might boundary work affect inequality?

boundary work reduces inequality, because everyone does boundary work

boundary work reproduces inequality, because "gatekeepers" tend to exclude those whose tastes or dispositions differ from their own

boundary work reduces inequality, since all who achieve the same level of education gain admission into the elite

boundary work reduces inequality, because the yardsticks that members of the elite apply to the rest of us vary widely from member of the elite to another

Answer 1

1. C. . it is the establishment of boundaries against those we dislike; we all do it

This is because in her study, Bryson found that musical dislike is related to taste and racism and people use differences in musical taste to reinforce their symbolic boundaries from other groups who may they dislike.

2. oldies and country; heavy metal and rap

The latter genres of music are associated with deviants grouos and the lower classes and they have therefore invite s the scorn of socially intolerant and higher classes who assert their exclusionism through choice in music.

3. B. they dislike far fewer musical genres than people from lower classes

Bryson found that broad familiarity with the different genres of music is positively correlated with education

4. A. they have below average levels of education

Political tolerance was found to be associated with musical tolerance and racism is a strong factor in making people dislike a particular genre whose major fans are from the non-White communities

5. B. boundary work reproduces inequality, because "gatekeepers" tend to exclude those whose tastes or dispositions differ from their own

In her study, Bryson found that even the most tolerant participants tended to reject genres such as heavy metal, gospel music, rap, country whose fans represent the least educated section of society. In rejecting their music, the educationally elite groups therefore tried to mark their degree of social distance or boundary from them.