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Organizations often establish various symbols in order to identify their members. The images shown here include insignia from a collegiate secret society, motorcycle club, Scottish clan’s tartan plaid, university logo, military unit, street gang, and a Polish clan’s coat of arms. I would classify all these as formal symbols because the conventions that establish them [...]

  There is a motorcycle-rally currently taking place near my house and I couldn’t help from trying to measure things up. Most Harley Riders don’t belong to motorcycle gangs. In fact, most enthusiasts claim that “ninety-nine percent are law abiding citizens” (I think that statement comes from the American Motorcycle Association). Nevertheless, some clubs have [...]

At Earlham College, it is customary to address faculty and administrators by their first name rather than professor. This tradition evolved from the school’s Quaker origins. Quakers believe that simplicity and plainness is one of the pillars of religious virtue. Quakers often refuse to use pre-nominals such as mister, sir, or doctor. Does the apparent [...]

Bling bling is a style associated with hip-hop sub-culture. A grandiose display of jewelry, gold, and diamonds denotes its exuberance with no uncertainty. Wearing several large gold chains at once is common. Large gold dollar sign pendants are also a stereotype of the style. I believe the real hallmark of bling bling is that it [...]

I wanted to explore a comment on an earlier post, written by my friend Storme Jaynes. Storme posits that status is about money and the more you have the more status you have. First, I want to say that there appears to be a good deal of individual and cultural relativity in what constitutes status. [...]

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuehXl4lpRQ&feature=related A few years ago, Erik Wachmeister had the idea to start a social network website for a select group of global acquaintances. It is worth mentioning that Erik is the son of a Swedish ambassador and aristocrat, Count Wilhelm Wachmeister. Erik’s creation was aSmallWorld.net, branded as a social network for those who already know [...]

Barnet Newman paintings Image Licensed under Creative Commons with attribution rights by flickr user Joethelion There are those that wonder how a simple line painted on canvas came to be considered one of the modern world’s greatest artistic achievements. There is something pleasing about the shear simplicity of it. Nevertheless, this gentle quality is overshadowed [...]

Second Life is a virtual community where participants interact with their environment and others through avatars. I developed an awareness of Second Life from an ethnographic article in the most recent addition of Symbolic Interaction. That article focused on sexual language and behavior in Second Life. Interestingly, you can meet somebody in Second Life and [...]

When I think about “upper-class” in terms of western culture I think of certain sports. Indeed, forget money because class is a matter of activity, right? I do not believe there is anything innate about these sports that make them upper-class other than association and history. An important aspect of these sports is that many [...]

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QI58wj4b4g0 Dos Equis Beer’s advertising campaign portrays “the most interesting man in the world.” Is this man the quintessential gentleman? He is sporting, adventurous, casually well dressed, slight European accent… “People hang on his every word, even the propositions.” “He could disarm you with his looks or his hands, either way.” “He can speak French [...]

I’m getting ready to travel two hundred and fifty miles north for cold pike and trout waters. I am hoping to catch a big fish and I am going out of my way to put myself in front of choice species in their ideal environment, under ideal conditions.  A good catch is always an exhilarating [...]

Beautifulpeople.com is a social networking/dating site for beautiful people where members vote in applicants according to perceived beauty. The site is known for occasionally terminating membership when members fail to live up to standards. Does social status have an aesthetic or derive from aesthetics? Here we have in-group dynamics and crowd aesthetics.

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