Milieu Things – Of Class and Taste

“From the price scissor to the career ladder or the so-called elevator effect — the way we talk about society is rife with object metaphors. And yet these objects are also full of social relations themselves. They reveal facts about the balance of power and social belonging. Their meanings can shift over time or elude clear categorizations. And not least, they tell us about how society is divided into groups. This exhibition focuses on precisely such “milieu things”. Various models of social structure analysis offer a theoretical framework for engaging with these things. Social differentiation processes are illustrated in the form of class pyramids, Dahrendorf houses, or potato models, and are thus related to milieu things. …”