ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the link between culture and stratification, particularly how cultural processes shape access to social, material, and symbolic rewards. An underlying premise is that social institutions such as the educational system are not culture-neutral, but tend to privilege the culture of the upper-middle classes, making it comparatively easier for the upper class to successfully navigate them. After differentiating between status situations, class situations, and status culture, the chapter documents the linkage between status cultures and dominant institutions. It concludes by calling attention to the need for more research on culture and stratification in non-Western contexts.
