8.3 Research On Social Stratification Today

Question 1

Are There Sharply Defined Boundaries Between Classes

Answer 1

No. And no real argument among sociologists about where the boundaries should fall

Question 2

Upper Class

Answer 2

À social class broadly composed of the more affluent members of society, especially those who have inherited wealth, own businesses, or hold large numbers of stocks (shares)

Question 3

Middle Class

Answer 3

À social class composed broadly of those working in white-collar and lower managerial occupations

Historically, they had relatively stable jobs based on higher education or technical skills and credentials

They have more modest standard of living than the upper class

They can meet basic needs such as health care and education

They usually own homes

Question 4

Working Class

Answer 4

À social class broadly composed of people working in blue-collar, or manual, occupations

Question 5

Lower Class

Answer 5

À social class comprising those who work part-time or not at all and whose household income is typically lower than 31000$ a year

The lower class overlaps with the working class to account for about 29% of American households

Question 6

Social Mobility

Answer 6

Movement of individuals or groups between different social positions

Question 7

Intergenerational Mobility

Answer 7

Movement up or down a social stratification hierarchy from one generation to another

Question 8

Intragenerational Mobility

Answer 8

Movement up or down social stratification hierarchy within the course of a personal career

Question 9

Structural Mobility

Answer 9

Mobility resulting from changes in the number and kinds of jobs available in society

Question 10

Exchange Mobility

Answer 10

The exchange of positions on the socioeconomic scale such that talented people move up the economic hierarchy while the less talented move down

Question 11

Cultural capital

Answer 11

The economic or cultural ressources that parents pass down to their children, such as language or knowledge.

These ressources contribute to the process of social reproduction, according to Bourdieu

Question 12

Downward Mobility

Answer 12

Downward intergenerational mobility has increased in recent years

Question 13

Short Range Downward Mobility

Answer 13

Where a worker moves from one job to another similar in pay and prestige, is the most common type of downward mobility

Question 14

Absolute Poverty

Answer 14

Not meeting the minimal requirements necessary to sustain a healthy existence

Question 15

Relative Poverty

Answer 15

Poverty defined according to the living standards of the majority in any given society

Question 16

Poverty In the US

Answer 16

Poverty is concentrated by race/ethnicity

Poverty is closely related to family structure

Housing insecurity is common

Many people move in and out of poverty

Question 17

Poverty and Policy

Answer 17

While class categories are not official, social class is important for government policy

The federal government uses income categories to set tax rates for progressive taxation

The government also defines poverty and uses that definition to determine who may get government benefits

Question 18

Poverty Line

Answer 18

An official government measure to define those living in poverty in the US

This calculation results in a strict budget, which for a family of 4 in 2020 works out to an annual cash income of just over 26000$ or about 2000$ a month to cover all expenses

Critics argue that this formula greatly indexes times the amount of poverty

Question 19

Working Poor

Answer 19

People who work but whose earnings are not enough to lift them above the poverty line

Education can significantly impact the likelihood that someone will be among the working poor

Most poor people earn too much to qualify for welfare.

Only 5% of all low-income families with a full-time, full year worker receive welfare benefits

Question 20

Poverty Rates

Answer 20

Poverty rates in the US are much higher among most minority groups than among non-Hispanic Whites

Question 21

Racial Discrepancies

Answer 21

Racial discrepancies in median household income reflect members of minority groups who often work at the lowest-paying jobs; racial discrimination also plays a role in structural/systemic issue

Question 22

Feminization of Poverty

Answer 22

An increase in the proportion of the poor who are female.

The feminization of poverty is particularly acute among families headed by Hispanic women or Black women

Question 23

65+ Population in Poverty

Answer 23

Poverty rates estimated among older adults may underestimate how widespread older adult poverty because they fail to consider the high costs of medical care.

Question 24

Homeless/Unhoused

Answer 24

People who have no place to sleep and either stay in free shelters or sleep in public places not meant for habitation

The fastes-growing group of homeless people consisted of families with children (at time of text publication from class)

Question 25

Lead Causes of Homelessness

Answer 25

Insufficient income and lack of affordable housing are lead causes of homelessness, as well as substance use and mental health problems, which go unsupported as many mental hospitals have closed (lack of social safety nets)