Symbols of Status in Urban Neighborhoods

Abstract

An experiment was performed to test the hypothesis that contemporary observers would differentiate accurately among nineteenth-century houses built by and for members of different socioeconomic groups. Photographs were selected from Streetcar Suburbs, Warner's (1978) book about the growth of Boston between 1870 and 1900 to exemplify the houses he identified from historical records as the homes of the upper-middle, middle-middle, and lowermiddle classes. One group of subjects judged the houses' appearance and comfort, a second group judged the residents' occupations, and a third judged the residents' traits. Analyses of their judgments revealed that in each case perceptions of the three categories of houses and their residents were distinctive and consistent with the socioeconomic status of the houses' original owners. These findings support the conclusion that housing forms include architectural features that serve as symbols of residents' status. The possible implications for urban history, environmental psychology, and the study of gentrification are discussed.