Beat the Bourgeoisie

Abstract

Simulation games can help overcome student resistance to thinking structurally about social class inequality, meritocracy, and mobility. Most inequality simulations focus solely on economic inequality and omit social and cultural capital, both of which contribute to social class reproduction. Using a pretest/posttest design, the current study evaluates a simulation game that incorporates economic, social, and cultural capital and is meant for introductory sociology classes containing between 15 and 70 students. Data come from a state research university and a liberal arts college. Results show that the simulation increased students’ conceptual understanding of structural explanations for restricted mobility; cultural and social capital; and conceptual connections between stratification concepts. The simulation did not lead to changes in students’ feelings about poor people. Results support the idea of using simulation games to overcome student resistance to the sociological perspective on stratification and suggest that some simulation games may be effective across institutional contexts.