8.1 Basic Concepts

Question 1

Social Stratification

Answer 1

The existence of structured inequalities between groups in society in terms of their access to material or symbolic rewards

The most distinctive form of stratification in modern societies is CLASS DIVISION

While all societies involve some forms of stratification, only with the development of state-based systems did wide differences in wealth and power arise

Question 2

Intersectionality

Answer 2

À sociological perspective that holds that our multiple group memberships affect our lives in ways that are distinct from a single group membership

EX.
The experience of a black woman may be distinct from that of a white woman or a black man

Question 3

Structured Inequalities

Answer 3

Social inequalities that result from patterns in the social structure

Question 4

Slavery

Answer 4

À form of social stratification in which some people are owned by others as their property

Question 5

Caste

Answer 5

À social system in which one’s social status is held for life

Question 6

Class Systems

Answer 6

À system of social hierarchy that allows individuals to move among classes

Question 7

4 Bases of Class

Answer 7

1. Ownership of wealth
2. Occupation
3. Income
4. Education

Question 8

Class

Answer 8

Although it is one of the most frequently used concepts in sociology, there is no clear agreement about how the notion should be defined

Most sociologists use the term to refer to socioeconomic variations among groups of individuals that create variations in their material prosperity and power

Question 9

4 Ways Class Systems Differ From Other Types of Stratification

Answer 9

1. Class systems are fluid, and movement is possible
2. Positions are partly achieved
3. Classes are economically based
4. Class systems are large scale and impersonal

Question 10

Life Chances

Answer 10

À term introduced by Max Weber to signify a person’s opportunities for achieving economic prosperity

For Weber, it was not the abstract freedom to achieve but the practical ability todo so that defines a person’s life chances

Question 11

Income

Answer 11

Money received from paid wages and salaries or earned from investments

The increase in real income in the past century has not been distributed evenly across groups

Income inequality in America is increasing

Question 12

Wealth

Answer 12

Money and material possession held by an individual or group

Some scholars argue that wealth, not income, is the real indication of social class because it is less sensitive to fluctuations

Racial disparities in wealth negatively impact people of colour

Question 13

Education

Answer 13

Éducation is one of the strongest predictors of occupation, income, and wealth later in life

How much education one receives is often influenced by the social class of one’s parents

Question 14

Racial Differences in Education

Answer 14

Racial differences in educational attainment persist, which partly explain racial differences in income and wealth

Question 15

Occupation

Answer 15

In the US, occupation is an important indicator of social standing

Top-ranked occupations require a fair amount of either education or public service.

Younger Americans are more inclined to value occupations that result in fame (ex. Influencers)

Question 16

Pierre Bourdieu + Social Class

Answer 16

Pierre Bourdieu saw social-class groups as identifiable according to their levels of cultural and social capital

Question 17

Social Capital

Answer 17

The access to resources one has by virtue of relationships and connections within a social network

Belonging to a group makes it possible for people to draw from the resource held by all of its members

Question 18

Examples of Resources Acquired Through A Social Network

Answer 18

Even ideas and knowledge can be considered resources acquired through a social network.

• Learning how to act in different situations
• Being taught skills in certain kinds of work

The resources of a group are not automatically shared equally with everyone

Getting access depends on being a group member in good standing, which requires constant effort and upkeep

Question 19

Class Identity

Answer 19

The Awareness of, and sense of belonging to, a specific social class (can be geographically fluid)

With class identity, classes become familiar social settings with distinctive ways of life and patterns of interaction

These patterns are the result of similar economic circumstances and experiences, as well as the everyday interactions between members of the same social class

Class identity is a more durable measure of social class than a fluctuating income, because people are raised and socialized according to their family’s class perspectives