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60 Cards in this Set

  • Front
  • Back

WHAT IS SOCIAL STRATIFICATION



Social stratification is the

hierarchical arrangement of large social groups based on their control over basic resources.



-involves patterns of structural inequality that are associated with membership in each of these groups, the ideologies that support inequality.

WHAT IS SOCIAL STRATIFICATION



Life chances



(Weber)

refers to the extent to which individuals have access to important societal resources such as food, clothing, shelter, education, and health care.



WHAT IS SOCIAL STRATIFICATION



Resources

are anything valued in a society, ranging from money and property to medical care and education.



Considered to be scarce because of their unequal distribution among social categories.

SYSTEM OF STRATIFICATION



open system

the boundaries between levels in the hierarchies are more flexible and may be influenced(positively or negatively) by people's achieved status.



Open systems are assumed to have some degree of social mobility.

SYSTEM OF STRATIFICATION


open system



Social mobility

movement of individuals or groups from one level in stratification system to another.



-can either be upward or downward.



SYSTEM OF STRATIFICATION




Intergenerational mobility

the social movement experienced by family members from one generation to the next.



ex: Sarah's godfather is a carpenter who makes good wages in good economic times but is often unemployed when the construction industry slows to a standstill. Sarah becomes a neurologist, eating $350,000 a year, and moves from the working class to the upper-middle class. Between the father's generation and her own, Sarah has experiences upward social mobility

SYSTEM OF STRATIFICATION



Intragenerational mobility





the social movement of individuals within their own lifetime.



Example: Callie, who began her career as a high-tech factory worker and through increased experience and taking specialized courses in her field became an entrepreneur, starting her own highly successful Internet-based business. Callie's advancement is an example of how upward intragenerational social mobility.



both can be downward too

SYSTEM OF STRATIFICATION



Closed system

the boundaries between levels in the hierarchies of social stratification are rigid, and people's positions are set by ascribed status.

SYSTEM OF STRATIFICATION

open and closed systems are ideal-type constructs

no actual stratification system os completely open or closed.



systems of stratification
slavery, caste, class--- characterized by different hierarchical structures and varying degrees of mobility

SYSTEM OF STRATIFICATION

Slavery

is an extreme form of stratification in which some people are owned or controlled by others for the purpose of economic or sexual exploitation.

closed system in which people designated as "slaves" ate treated as property and have little or no control over their loves.

SYSTEM OF STRATIFICATION



slavery had 4 primary characteristics

1.) it was lifelong and was inherited (children of slaves were considered to be slaves.)



2.) slaves were considered property, not human beings



3.) slaves were denied rights



4.) coercion was used to keep slaves in their place.




powerless but tried to challenge slavery by:


sabotage, intentional carelessness, work slowdowns, running away from owners and working for the abolition of slavery.




Collins believes that it;s legacy is embedded in current patterns of prejudice and discrimination against African Americans.

SYSTEM OF STRATIFICATION



The Caste System


system of social inequality in which people's status is permanently determined at birth based on their parents' ascribed characteristics.



Closed.



-marriage is endogamous (only allowed to marry within group)


-cultural beliefs and values sustain caste system.


-exists in India and South Africa.



In india, baed on occupation, families typically perform the same type of work from generation to generation.



In South Africa, based on racial classifications and the belief of white South Africans(Afrikaners) that they were morally superior to the blacks.



apartheid-seperation of races.


SYSTEM OF STRATIFICATION



the class system

type of stratification based on:


-the ownership and control of resources


-on the type of work that people do.



more open than caste because the boundaries between classes are less distinct than the boundaries between castes.



In class system, status comes at least partly through achievement rather than entirely by ascription.



-May become members of a class other than that of their parents through both intergenerations and intragenerational mobility, either upward or downward.



SYSTEM FO STRATIFICATION



the class system



upward downward


Horizontal mobility occurs when people experience a gain or loss in position and/or income that does not produce a change in their place in the class structure.



Example: a person may get a pay raise and a more prestigious title but still not move from one class to another.



Vertical mobility- movement up or down the class structure.

CLASS PERSPECTIVES ON SOCIAL CLASS

Karl MarxL Relationship to the Means of Production

according to Marx, class position and the extent of our income and wealth are determined by:


our work situation


or our relationship to the means of production.

2 classes: capitalist and the workers

Capitalists (bourgeoisie): those who own the means of production-----the land and capital necessary for factories and mines

Working class (proletariat): those who must sell their labor to the owners in order to earn enough money to survive

class relationships involve inequality and exploitation.

The workers are exploited as capitalists maximize their profits by paying workers less than resale value of what they produce by do not own.
This exploitation results in workers alienation

alienation: a feeling of powerlessness and estrangement from other people and from oneself. develops as workers manufacture goods that embody their creative talents but the goods do not belong to them.

Capitalist class maintains its position at the top of the the class structure by control of the society;s superstructure, which is composed of the government schools, churches, and other social institutions that produce and disseminate ideas perpetuating the existing system of exploitation.

CLASS PERSPECTIVES ON SOCIAL CLASS


Karl Marx:relationship to the means of production



class conflict

struggle between the capitalist class and the working class.

CLASS PERSPECTIVES ON SOCIAL CLASS


Karl Marx: relationship to the means of production



Marx had a number of important insights into capitalist societies:

1.) he recognized the economic basis of class systems


2.) he noted the relationship between people's social location in the class structure and their values, beliefs and behavior


3.) acknowledges that class may have opposing(rather than complementary interests)

CLASS PERSPECTIVES ON SOCIAL CLASS



Max Weber: Wealth, Prestige and Power



Weber: no single factor such as:


economic divisions between capitalist + workers


was sufficient for defining the location of categories of people within the class structure.



According to Weber, the access that people have to important societal resources (such as economic, social, and political power) is crucial in determine people's life chances.



developed a multidimensional approach to social stratification that reflects the interplay among wealth, prestige, and power. viewed "class" as ideal type.


CLASS PERSPECTIVES ON SOCIAL CLASS



Max Weber: Wealth, Prestige and Power



Wealth is

the value of all a person's of family's economic assets, including income, personal property, and income-producing property

CLASS PERSPECTIVES ON SOCIAL CLASS



Max Weber: Wealth, Prestige and Power



Weber placed categories of people who have a similar level of wealth and income in the same class:

he identified a privilege commercial class of entrepreneurs--wealthy bankers, ship owners, professionals, and merchants who possess similar financial resources.



rentiers- wealthy individuals who live off their investments and do not have to work.



Weber said entrepreneurs and rentiers have much in common: both are able to purchase expensive consumer goods, control other people's opportunities to acquire wealth and property, and monopolize costly status privileges (such as education) that provide contacts and skills for their children



CLASS PERSPECTIVES ON SOCIAL CLASS



Max Weber: Wealth, Prestige and Power



Weber divided those who work for wages into 2 classed:

the middle class:


white-collar workers, public officials, managers, and professionals



the working class-:


skills, semiskilled, and unskilled workers.

CLASS PERSPECTIVES ON SOCIAL CLASS



Max Weber: Wealth, Prestige and Power



Prestige

respect of regard with with a person or status position is given by others.



Most common factors of prestige:


fame


respect


honor


esteem



a person who has a high level is assumed to receive deferential and respectful treatment from others.



same status, marry the same group

CLASS PERSPECTIVES ON SOCIAL CLASS



Max Weber: Wealth, Prestige and Power



Power

ability of people or groups to achieve their goals despite opposition from others.



bureaucracies hold social power in modern societies; individual power depends on a person's position within the bureaucracy

CLASS PERSPECTIVES ON SOCIAL CLASS



Max Weber: Wealth, Prestige and Power



in Weber's multidiminsional approach

people are ranked on all 3 dimensions.



CLASS PERSPECTIVES ON SOCIAL CLASS



Mac Weber: Wealth, Prestige and Power



socioeconomic status

refers to combined measure that attempts to classify individuals, families, or households in terms of factor such as income, occupation, and education to determine class location

CLASS PERSPECTIVES ON SOCIAL CLASS



Max Weber: Wealth, Prestige and Power



Webers analysis of social stratification

contributes to our understanding by emphasizing that people behave according to both their economic interests and their values.

Webers multidimensional approach to social stratification

Page 191

CONTEMPORARY SOCIOLOGICAL MODELS OF THE U.S. CLASS STRUCTURE

Sociologists have developed 2 models of the lass structure



one is based on a Weberian approach, the other on a Marxian approach

CONTEMPORARY SOCIOLOGICAL MODELS OF THE U.S CLASS STRUCTURE



The Weberian Model of the U.S. Class Structure

Gilbert uses a model of social classes based on 3 elements



1) education


2) occupation of family head


3) family income



pg 191

CONTEMPORARY SOCIOLOGICAL MODELS OF THE U.S CLASS STRUCTURE



weberian model

The upper class (capitalist) Class

wealthiest and most powerful class in the U.S
1%


Gilbert- people in this class have an influence on the economy and society far beyond their numbers.

CONTEMPORARY SOCIOLOGICAL MODELS OF THE U.S CLASS STRUCTURE



weberian



The upper-Middle Class

Persons in the upper-middle class are often highly educated professionals who have built careers as physicians, attorneys, stockbrokers, or corporate managers.



Others derive their income from family-owned business.



14%



A combination of 3 factors qualifies people for the upper-middle class:


1.) university degrees


2.) authority and independence on the job


3.)high income



The upper-class is the one that is more shaped by formal education.

CONTEMPORARY SOCIOLOGICAL MODELS OF TEH U.S CLASS STRUCTURE



weberian model



The Middle Class

two-four year degree.



medical assistance, technicians, nurses, legal and medical assistants, lower-leven manager, semi-professional and non-retail store workers.



30%



secure, room for improvement and advancement.



several factors have eroded the American Dream for this class:


1) to housing crisis, beginning with an overprices housing market and too easy credit, followed by high rates of foreclosure and banking meltdown


2)a high rate of job loss and instability with long-term unemployment and blocked mobility on the job


3.)national economic sluggishness, starting with the 2007 U.S recession and then a promised economic recovery that still had not occurred by the second decade of the 2000s

CONTEMPORARY SOCIOLOGICAL MODELS OF THE U.S CLASS STRUCTURE



weberian model



The Working Class

30%



semiskilled machine operators who work in factories and elsewhere.


Workers in server sector, clerks, salespeople whose job responsibilities involve routine, mechanized tasks requiring little skill beyond basic literacy and a brief period of on-the-job training.



Some people are employed in pink-collar occupations-- relatively low-payng, non manual, semiskilled positions primarily held by women, such as daycare workers, checkout clerks, cashiers, and restaurant servers.

CONTEMPORARY SOCIOLOGICAL MODELS OF THE U.S CLASS STRUCTURE



The working poor

20%



just above to just below the poverty line; they typically hold unskilled jobs, seasonal migrant jobs in agriculture, lower-paid factory jobs, and service jobs (counter help at restaurants)



Employed single mothers

CONTEMPORARY SOCIOLOGICAL MODELS OF THE U.S STRUCTURE



weberian model



The underclass



Gilbert

poor, seldom employed, and caught in long-term deprivation that results from low levels of education and income and high raters of unemployment.



unable to work because of age or disability


discrimination



3-5%

CONTEMPORARY SOCIOLOGICAL MODELS OF THE U.S STRUCTURE



The Marxian Model of the U.S Class structure



classes are social groups organized around property ownership, and social stratification is created and maintained by one group in order ro protect and enhance its own economic interest.



examine class in terms of people's relationship to otters in the production process.


Example: conflict theorists attempted to determine the degree of control that workers have over the decision-making process and the extent to which they are able to plan and implement their own work.



They also analyze the type of supervisory authority, if any, that a worker has over other workers.



According t this approach most employees are a part of the working class because they do not control either their own labor or that of others.



Erik Olin Wright- leading stratification theorists to exam social class from a Merxian perspective- concluded that Marx's def. of workers does not fit the occupations found in advanced capitalist societies.


he outlines 4 criteria for placement in the class structure. USED TO DETERMINE THE CLASS PLACEMENT OF ALL WORKERS.


1)ownership of the means of production


2)purchase of the labor of others (employing others)


3) control on the labor of others (supervising others on the job)


4)sale of one's own labor (being employed by someone else)

CONTEMPORARY SOCIOLOGICAL MODELS


the marxian model of the us class structure




the capitalist Class according to wright

holds most wealth and power in society through ownership of capital-banks, corporation, factories, mines, news and entertainment industries, and agribusiness firms,



"ruling elites" "ruling class" holds political power and are often elected



Composed of individuals who have inherited a fortune, own major corporations, top corporate executives with extensive stock holdings or control of company investment .



profits,interest, very high salary.



make important decisions about the workplace, including which products and services to make available to consumers and how many works to hire or file

CONTEMPORARY SOCIOLOGICAL MODELS



The marxian Model of the U.s Class structure



the Managerial Class according to wright

have substantial control over the means of production and over workers.



these upper-level managers, supervisors, professionals do NOT PARTICIPATE in key corporate decisions such as how to invest profits.


CONTEMPORARY SOCIOLOGICAL MODELS


The marxian Model of the U.S Class structure



The Small-Business Class

consists of people who are self-employed--small business owners and craftspeople--who may hire a small # of employees but largely do their own work.



Doctors, lawyers, receive high income from selling their own service.



share attributes with members of the capitalist class because they formed corporations that hire and control the employees who produce profits for the professionals.



find people's hopes of achieving the American Dream.

CONTEMPORARY SOCIOLOGICAL MODELS


the marxian model of the u.s class structure



The working class

made up of a number of subgroups, one is blue-collar workers, which are highly skilled and well paid and others of whom are unskilled and poorly paid.



1 subgroup is blue collar-


skilled blue collar


electricians, plumbers, carpenters



unskilled blue collar


janitors and gardeners



2 subgroup White collar workers


"new middle class" actually workers members of working class , do not own means of production, do not control the work of others, are relatively powerless in the working place.



ex: secretaries, clerks, sales workers

INEQUALITY IN THE UNITED STATES



Distribution of Income and Wealth



Income Inequality



Income is the

economic gain derived from wages, salaries, income transfers (government aid), and ownership or property.



Date from the U.S Censes Bureau typically provide income estimates that are based solely on money income before taxes and do not include the value of non cash benefits such as health are coverage or retirement benefits.

INEQUALITY IN THE UNITED STATES


Distribution of income and Wealth



Wealth Inequality

Wealth includes property such s buildings, land, farms, houses, factories, and cars, bank accounts corporate stocks, bonds, insurance




computed by subtracting all debt obligations and converting the remaining assets into cash

INEQUALITY IN THE UNITED STATES



Consequences of Inequality



Physical Health, Mental Health, and Nutrition

The Census Bureau classifies health insurance coverage as private coverage or government coverage



Private Coverage:plan provided by an individual from a private company


Government coverage:includes such programs such as Medicare, Medicade, military health care, the children's Health Insurance Program, and individual state health plans.




50 million, 16.3 have no insurance



between ages 18-34 no insurance

INEQUALITY IN THE UNITED STATES
Consequences of Inequality

Housung
Housing is considered affordable when a household spends no more than 30% of their income on rent and mortgage.

12 million pay more

Lack of affordable housing is one central problem brought about by economic inequality.

Another concerns is substandard housing, which is facilities that have inadequate heating, air, plumbing, electricity, structural durability.

Structural problems--due to faulty construction or lack of adequate maintenance--exacerbate the potential for other problems such as damage from fire, falling objects, or floors and stairways collapsing

INEQUALITY IN THE UNITED STATES
Consequences in Inequality

Education

Educational opportunities and life chances are directly linked.

Functionalist- views education as the "elevator" to social mobility.
Improvements un the educational achievement levels(measured in # of years of schooling completed) of the poor, colored, white women have been cited as evidence that students' abilities are now more important than their class, race and gender.
From this perspective, inequality in education is declining, and students have an opportunity to achieve upward mobility through achievements at school.

Functionalists see the education system as flexible, allowing most students the opportunity to attend college

________________________________________________

Conflict- stress that schools are agencies from reproducing the capitalist class system and perpetuating inequality in society.
From this perspective education perpetuates poverty

Poverty in the United States

U.S has highest rate of poverty among wealthy countries belong to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.



The U.S Social Security Administration has established an official poverty line

POVERTY IN THE UNITED STATES



official poverty line

based on what the federal government considers to be the minimum amount of money required for living at a subsistence level.



Computed by determine the cost of minimally nutritious diet(a low cost food budget on which a family could survive nutritionally on a short-term, emergency bases) and multiplying this figure by 3 to allow for nonfood costs.

POVERTY IN THE UNITED STATES



when sociologists define poverty, they distinguish between ABSOLUTE and RELATIVE poverty



Absolute poverty

exists when people do not have the means to secure the most basic necessities of life.



comes closest to that used by the federal government.



Absolute poverty often has life-threatening consequences, such as when a homeless person freezes to death on a park bench.

POVERTY IN THE UNITED STATES



When sociologists define poverty, they distinguish between ABSOLUTE AND RELATIVE poverty



Relative poverty

exists when people may be able to afford basic necessities but are still unable to maintain an average standard of living.



A family must have income substantially above the official poverty line in order to afford the basic needs, even at lowest price.

POVERTY IN THE UNITED STATES



Who are the poor?

poverty is not randomly distributed, but rather highly concentrated according to age and race/ethnicity

POVERTY IN THE UNITED STATES?

Who are the poor?

Age

over 65-lowest poverty rate due to Social Securty.
"Old Age, Survivors, Disability and Health Insurance," in a federal insurance program est. to protect against loss of income due to retirement, disability, to death.

children under age 18 have highest rate of poverty, followed by young adults ages 18-24.
The child poverty rate in the Unites States is higher than anywheres else.

POVERTY IN THE UNITED STATES



Gender

2/3 women



single-parent families headed by women had a 31.6% poverty rate


males 15.8%


6.2 married couples



Pearce coined a term to describe this problem:


The feminization of poverty refers to the trend in which women are disproportionately represented among individuals living in poverty.



according to Pearce women have a higher risk of being poor because they bear the major economic and emotional burdens of raining children when they are single and earn between 70-80 cents for every dollar that a male earns

POVERTY IN THE UNITED STATES



Race/Ethnicity

blacks highest 27.4


hispanics 26.6


asians 12.1


Native Americans 25.9

POVERTY IN THE UNITED STATES



Economic and Structural Sources of Poverty

Social inequality and poverty bot have economic and structural sources.



Unemployment is a major cause of contemporary poverty.



Low wages paid for many jobs is another major cause: About 1 in 10 working families in the United States lives below the very line.



displacement=deindustrialization of America

POVERTY IN THE UNITED STATES



Economic and Structural Sources of Poverty



Job deskilling

a reduction in the proficiency needed to perform a specific job that leads to a corresponding reduction in the wages for that job



has resulted from the introduction of computers and other tech.



POVERTY IN THE UNITED STATES



solving the Poverty Problem

social welfare- SNAP, assistance

SOCIOLOGICAL EXPLANATIONS OF SOCIAL INEQUALITY



Functionalist Perspectives

DAVIS AND MOORE- inequality is not only inevitable but also necessary for the smooth functioning of society.




1.) all societies have important tasks that must be accomplished and certain positions that must be filled



2.) Some positions are more important for the survival of society than others,



3.) The most important positions must be filled by the most qualified people



4.) The positions that are the most important than society and that require scarce talent, extensive training, or both must be the most highly rewarded.



5.) The most highly rewarded positions should be those that are functionally unique(no other position can perform the same function) and on with other positions rely for expertise, directions, or financing




Example of functional unique position:



Docors are very important to society and require extensive training, but individuals would not be motivated to go through the years of costly and stressful medical training without incentives to do so. The Davis-Moore thesis assumes that octal stratification results in meritocracy




critics say that is ignores inequalities based on inherited wealth and intergenerational family status.



assumes that economic rewards and prestige are the only effective motivators for people and fails to take into account other intrinsic aspects of work, such as self-fulfillment

SOCIOLOGICAL EXPLANATIONS OF SOCIAL INEQUALITY



Functionalist Perspectives



Meritocracy

hierarchy in which all positions are rewarded based on people's ability and credentials.

SOCIOLOGICAL EXPLANATIONS OF SOCIAL INEQUALITY



Conflict Perspectives

from a conflict perspective, people with economic and political power are able to shape and distribute the rewards, resources, privileges, an opportunities in society for their own benefits.



do not believe that inequality serves as a motivating force for people



powerful individuals and groups use ideology to maintain their favored positions at the expense of others.

SOCIOLOGICAL EXPLANTATIONS OF SOCIAL INEQUALITY



Symbolic Interactionist Perspectives

focus on microlevel concerns and usually do not analyze larger structural factors that contribute to inequality and poverty.



Using qualitative research methods and influenced by a symbolic interactionist approach, researchers have collected the perusal narratives of people across all social classes, ranging from the wealthiest to the poorest people in the United States