Class as Currency: Wife Swap (United States) 2004-2013

At first glance, Wife Swap appears to challenge societal norms by allowing various, and sometimes opposing, social groups to interact and gain new perspectives on their lives. However, the show’s editing, music, and participant commentary restrictively construct and define each family’s class status to create tension that will satisfy a reality television audience. This specific focus the narrative and formal elements give to participants based on class reveals that Wife Swap does not seek to ameliorate current socioeconomic disparities, but rather to reinforce them to its own benefit.