Hope,hopelessness, and coping: A framework for class‐distinctive cognitive capital

Evidence that a variety of psychological dispositions vary systematically with social class has been reported in the marketing literature over the last 50 years. However, recent work has been extremely limited. Research progress has been stifled because of poor conceptual specification and lack of an integrative framework capable of grounding these dispositions in theory. This article draws upon the psychology of coping—specifically harnessing hope/hopelessness theories—to develop a much‐needed framework. This will facilitate clear conceptual specification of the psychological dispositions where social class distinctions have been proposed, and specify the relations between each of the dispositions. The term cognitive capital is introduced to capture the idea that one's mix of psychological dispositions operates as a system that can be thought of as an important type of resource that is gradationally distributed with social class level. This cognitive‐capital system impacts life chances and quality‐of‐life outcomes via the predominant pattern of coping responses that are employed in dealing with the many adversities, threats, and challenges that life typically presents. The framework provides academics with a vehicle to progress understanding of these psychological phenomena, marketing communicators with an enriched picture of class‐based distinctions, and public policy makers with an understanding of levers that contribute to social inequality. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.