Money, Morals, and Manners

Money, Morals, and Manners examines how upper-middle-class professionals in France and the United States draw cultural boundaries and make moral distinctions. Through interviews with professionals in both countries, Michele Lamont reveals the criteria they use to evaluate and categorize others in their social worlds. The research compares French and American respondents across multiple dimensions - from their views on money and success to their attitudes about morality, education, and culture. Lamont documents how these professionals define themselves and others through their tastes, values, and lifestyle choices. The analysis maps out key differences between French and American cultural frameworks and status markers. The interviews reveal distinct national patterns in how people judge character, determine social worth, and establish hierarchies of value. The book offers insights into how class identity and cultural capital operate in modern societies, while highlighting the role of national context in shaping moral and cultural boundaries. Through this comparative lens, it explores fundamental questions about social distinction and stratification.

Readers appreciate Lamont's detailed interviews and research methods that reveal how upper-middle-class Americans and French people make moral distinctions. Many note the book's clear presentation of cultural differences in how people judge others based on money, education, and morality. Multiple reviewers found value in the comparative analysis between French and American views on social class, though some mention the research feels dated (conducted in late 1980s). Several readers note the academic writing style can be dense and repetitive. A common criticism is that the sample size (80 people total) seems small for drawing broad cultural conclusions. Some readers wanted more exploration of gender and racial dynamics in status judgments. Ratings across platforms: Goodreads: 3.9/5 (38 ratings) Amazon: 4.4/5 (8 ratings) Google Books: 4/5 (5 ratings) Notable review quote: "Fascinating methodology and rich interview data, but conclusions sometimes feel oversimplified" - Goodreads reviewer

Distinction: A Social Critique of the Judgement of Taste by Pierre Bourdieu This investigation into French social class examines how cultural tastes and preferences serve as markers of social status and power.

The Rules of Sociological Method by Émile Durkheim The text establishes fundamental principles for studying social and cultural boundaries through systematic observation of social facts.

The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life by Erving Goffman This analysis reveals how individuals perform their social identities and maintain cultural boundaries through daily interactions and social rituals.

Cultural Capital: The Problem of Literary Canon Formation by John Guillory The work explores how educational institutions and cultural hierarchies create and maintain social distinctions through literary value judgments.

Class, Codes and Control by Basil Bernstein The study demonstrates how language use and communication styles reflect and reinforce class boundaries in educational settings and social life.

🔷 Michele Lamont conducted 160 in-depth interviews with upper-middle-class men in both France and the United States to explore how they define social status and make moral judgments. 🔷 The book reveals that French professionals place higher value on cultural refinement and intellectualism, while American professionals tend to emphasize financial success and morality. 🔷 Lamont's work pioneered the study of "symbolic boundaries" - the invisible lines people draw between themselves and others based on moral, cultural, and socioeconomic factors. 🔷 The research showed that while American businessmen often viewed money as a measure of personal achievement, French businessmen were more likely to see it as vulgar to discuss wealth openly. 🔷 The book won the C. Wright Mills Award from the Society for the Study of Social Problems, one of sociology's most prestigious honors.