Chapter 8: Social Stratification

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1. Social Stratification

Back 1

Hierarchical differences and inequalities in economic positions, as well as in other important areas, especially political power and status or social honor.

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2. Social Class

Back 2

One’s economic position in the stratification system, especially one’s occupation, which strongly determines and reflects one’s income and wealth.

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3. Power

Back 3

The ability to get others to do what you want them to do, even if it is against their will.

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4. Status Consistency

Back 4

The occupation of similar positions in the stratification system across the dimensions of class, status, and power; people with status consistency rank high, medium, or low on all three dimensions.

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5. Status Inconsistency

Back 5

The occupation of different positions on different dimensions of the stratification system.

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6. Inequality

Back 6

The fact that some positions in society yield a great deal of money, status, and power while others yield little, if any, of these.

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7. Symbolic Exchange

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A process whereby people swap all sorts of things in a setting where the process of exchange is valued in itself and for the human relationships involved and not because of the economic gains- the money- that may be derived from it.

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8. Income

Back 8

The amount of money a person earns in a given year from a job, a business, or various types of assets and investments.

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9. Wealth

Back 9

The total amount of a person’s assets less the total of various kinds of debts.

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10. Absolute Poverty

Back 10

An absolute measure- such as the U.S. poverty line- that makes it clear what level of income people need in order to survive.

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11. Relative Poverty

Back 11

The state of being or feeling to be, irrespective of income, poor relative to others.

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12. Poverty Line

Back 12

The threshold, in terms of income, below which a household is considered poor.

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13. Social Mobility

Back 13

The ability or inability to change one’s position in the social hierarchy.

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14. Vertical Mobility

Back 14

Both upward and downward mobility.

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15. Horizontal Mobility

Back 15

Movement within one’s social class.

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16. Intergenerational Mobility

Back 16

The difference between the parents’ social class position and the position achieved by their child(ren).

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17. Intragenerational Mobility

Back 17

Movement up or down the stratification system in one’s lifetime.

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18. Occupational Mobility

Back 18

Changes in people’s work, either across or within generations.

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19. Structural Mobility

Back 19

The effect of changes in the larger society on the position of individuals in the stratification system, especially the occupational structure.

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20. Achievement

Back 20

The accomplishments, or the merit, of the individual.

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21. Ascription

Back 21

Being born with or inheriting certain characteristics (wealth, high status, etc.)

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22. Caste

Back 22

The most rigid and most closed system of stratification, usually associated with India.

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23. Slavery

Back 23

A system in which people are defined as property, involuntarily place in perpetual servitude, and not given the same rights as the rest of society.

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24. Theories of Colonialism

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Systems of thought that address the causes and consequences of a powerful nation-state’s control of a less powerful geographic area.

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25. Colonialism

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A method of gaining control over another country or geographical area; generally involves settlers, as well as formal mechanisms of control.

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26. Imperialism

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Control over geographic areas without the creation of colonies.

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27. Postcolonialism

Back 27

The era in once-colonized areas after the colonizing power has departed, although postcolonial thinking and work could already be well under way before the colonizing power departs.

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28. World System Theory

Back 28

A system of thought that focuses on the stratification of nation-states on a global scale.

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29. Distinction

Back 29

The need to distinguish oneself from others.