1. It seems both articles recognize that class is defined not only by money, but also by self-perception, education, age, and race. Both readings recognize and discuss the similarities of how people perceive their classes, but the reality may be different. The biggest difference between the articles seems to be that while 4.2 discusses how different neighborhoods and boroughs are tied to different levels of income, 4.1 discusses a lot of the sociology behind how people perceive their class.

2. The closest station to me is Morgan Ave (L) in Bushwick, BK. I think this statistic is a half-truth. The median income for this station is listed at around 80K, and yes, while much of the neighborhood is populated by educated, mostly white transplants, a lot of the neighborhood is inhabited by working-class Puerto Rican and Dominican residents. If we look at Montrose Ave, which is almost equally far as Morgan from me, you’ll see how the number is much more modest (37K). I think when you put these side by side, it shows how the neighborhood is being gentrified.

3. 4.2 shows how there are many centers of wealth within this city. Income inequality can literally be demonstrated by walking down some main streets in this city. It shows that wealthy areas are more in the center of the city (with some exceptions), and most of the working-class population is concentrated in the outer boroughs.

1. The distinction the reading made was how the “owner class” gains wealth through buying labor from the working class, while the working class gains wages through the selling of their physical labor. An example of this can be how, in a car dealership, the sales associate is putting in the labor of selling the car and providing customer service, while the owner of the dealership earns his wealth from the sale of the car and doesn’t actually “work” for the sale to be completed.

2. The way I understand Adam Smith’s quote is that he is saying that this is not a chicken-and-egg situation. To have a product to sell to the consumer, you first need the labor to produce a product. Capital is not how buildings are built in a literal sense; the physical labor to help bring the plans together is what builds and makes things. Labor is the seed.

3. I think there is some nuance to this. Class can be an identity in some cases. While multiple different kinds of people can be within a given class, if we look at more homogeneous communities, class can be seen more as an identity. I also think class can be different depending on the demographic, and the way that demographic views class can be completely different from another.

4. Class structures are closely dependent because being “wealthy” means that it requires you, whether directly or indirectly, to be exploitive of someone’s labor. You can’t have unearned wealth without someone else working for it. An example of this can be someone who invested in a company that has been quite profitable, but also uses unfair labor practices overseas to extract the most profit for this investor.

1. Keeping in mind the material covered in this lesson, describe how you understand ideology in your own words.
   • A. Ideology, to me, can be defined as a set of values and beliefs that may describe some aspects of a group of people. Within an ideology, there may be smaller factions that are quite different, as well as moderates in the middle.
   • B. An example of this can be pre-Trump Republicans (think Bush Sr. or Jr.) to the more liberal side of the Republicans, then we have moderate Republicans in the middle, and lastly, we have MAGA Republicans to the more conservative side of the party.
   • C. To further explain my understanding of ideology, I’d say I see a lot of nuance within a given ideology. Not only is that ideology not restricted to one group of people within a given economic class, race, sex, or geographic location, but it’s also constantly evolving! It truly is a spectrum that’s constantly evolving due to historical events, culture, and the economy.
2. How do you understand the difference between conservative and liberal ideologies in US politics? What seems to be the big difference, the dividing line? Give an example to backup your arguements.
   • A. One of the main concepts of conservatism is liberty. This concept is seen throughout conservative ideology. An example of this can be how the homeschooling movement is more popular in conservative circles. Many conservatives may view homeschooling as a way to teach their children subjects that may not be included or even allowed within the public school curriculum. As for liberals, a main concept may be equality. An example of this can be seen in the movement for a universal healthcare system. Many liberals see the current healthcare system as unfair to many Americans, especially poorer Americans who may not be able to afford healthcare due to the high cost associated. Many liberals view a universal healthcare system as equal to everyone, even if that means many or some of the population may have to pay more in taxes, whether it be through income taxes or “sin” taxes on tobacco, alcohol, and junk food.
3. How do you understand Althusser’s definition of ideology? Paraphrase in your own words. Give an example.
   • The way I understand Althusser’s definition of ideology is that it may be a means of controlling people. It seems Althusser presented the ordinary school schedule as a way that ideology (mainly the idea that you should be obedient) is drilled into at a young age. An example that comes to mind is the expectation that we should still show respect for police, even if we know their department may be under investigation for wrongdoing.

1. What is a Repressive State Apparatus? Why does Althusser call it “repressive”? Can we explain his choice of words here? Give an example.
   • A. Repressive State Apparatus is when the state uses fear to control people. An example of this can be the state using law enforcement to patrol the streets, a lack of opportunity for someone who disagrees with the state, or isolating someone from their community.
2. Let’s do the same for the Ideological State Apparatuses. What are they, and how do they seem to work?
   • Ideological State Apparatuses are when the state uses education to create an obedient worker, someone who may not question authority and completes what they are assigned without question.
3. How are the Repressive and Ideological State Apparatuses different from each other? What is the difference between the two?
   • Repressive uses fear and physical violence to control people, while Ideological uses things like education and entertainment to control people.
4. Post an example of ideology. This could be a piece of writing, an image, video, pdf document, visual art, or music, clip from a movie. Next to your example, specify if this is an example of repressive or ideological apparatuses at work.
   • A.

This WWII ration poster is an example of ideological apparatues. It shows that through your rationing for the wartime effort, soldiers will have enough to live on overseas. The government is showing you it is necessary to ration for the war effort.