Chapter 7- Stratification

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stratification

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division of society into layers/strata of people who have unequal amts of scarce/desirable resources (life chances, social influence)

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life chances

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likely outcome of one's life based on social standing

-health, success, happiness

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category

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number of ppl who may never have met, but share similar sociologically interesting characteristics

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social structure and strat

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access to resources dependent on status

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status

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particular location in social structure

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role

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expectations, responsibilities associated with a status

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functional integration and strat

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system of strat holds society together- mutual dependency

-inequality is a good thing, gives ppl at bottom something to work for (profit motive)

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power and strat

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help us understand who's able to get what and why

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culture and strat

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statuses carry roles/expectations= function of culture

-diff cultures have diff prescriptions

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wealth

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people's valuable property

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income

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what you earn from working

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power

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influence over others

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prestige

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social esteem, respect, approval b/c a person possesses socially admirable traits

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closed system of stratification

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society in which it's difficult/impossible to move btwn strata

ex- us slavery

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open system of stratification

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no positions officially denied to citizens based on birth position

ex- us today

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social class

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ppl who occupy similar position w/i stratification system b/c they hold similar economic position

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social class in America

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"achieved" status, but class of one's parents= best predictor of own class

-actually very little movement

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social equality

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condition whereby no differences in wealth, power, prestige, status based on nonnatural conventions exist

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dialectic

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two-directional relationship, one that goes both ways

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ontological equality

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notion that everyone equal in eyes of god

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equality of opportunity

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idea that inequality of condition is acceptable so long as the rules of the game remain fair

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equality of condition

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idea that everyone should have an equal starting point

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equality of outcome

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position that argues each player must end up with the same amount regardless of the fairness of the “game”

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free rider problem

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notion that when more than one person is responsible for getting something done, the incentive is for each individual to shirk responsibility and hope others will pull the extra weight

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estate system

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politically based system of stratification characterized by limited social mobility

ex- medieval feudal europe

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caste system

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religion-based system of stratification characterized by no social mobility

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class system

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economically based system of stratification characterized by relative categorization, somewhat loose social mobility

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proletariat

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the working class

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bourgeoisie

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capitalist class that often exploits the working class

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contradictory class locations

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idea that people can occupy locations in the class structure which fall between the two pure classes

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status hierarchy system

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system of stratification based on social prestige

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elite-mass dichotomy system

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system of stratification that has a governing elite, a few leaders who broadly hold the power of society

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Meritocracy

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society where status, mobility based on individual attributes, ability

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socioeconomic status

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individual’s position in stratified social order

*classify groups, individuals, families or households in terms of occupation, income, wealth, education

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upper class

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the economic elite, associated with income, wealth, power, prestige

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middle class

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term commonly used to describe those individuals with nonmanual jobs that pay significantly more than the poverty line

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Social mobility

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movement between different positions within a system of social stratification in any given society

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structural mobility

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mobility that is inevitable from changes in the economy

ex- decline in farm work, children of farmers must find new jobs

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status attainment model

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approach that ranks individuals by SES and seeks to specify the attributes characteristic of people who end up in more desirable occupations

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conflict theory of stratification (marx)

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capitalism= new sources of wealth
-divide classes in new ways
-proletariat vs. bourgeoisie

**wealth amassed by few

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functionalist theory of stratification (Durkheim, Spencer)

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inequality= good for society
*profit motive- incentive to work hard
*some jobs more important than others, should be paid more

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power theory of stratification

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ownership of means of production= important source of power

-bureaucratic power too

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cultural theory of stratification (Weber)

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wealth/power alone can't explain stratification
*prestige defined by culture!

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maintenance of system of stratification

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1) most ppl believe in its legitimacy, no alternative

2) ideologies (individualism, equal opp, american dream)