Ch. 12: Social Stratification

Question 1

defn and aka: social cohesion

Answer 1

aka: social integration

the solidarity and sense of connectedness among different social groups and social classes in society

Question 2

defn: social stratification

Answer 2

focuses on social inequalities and studies the basic question of who gets what and why

Question 3

defn: socioeconomic gradient

Answer 3

the proportional improvement in healthcare as one moves up in socioeconomic status

Question 4

defn: class consciousness

Answer 4

the organization of the working class around shared goals and recognition of a need for collective political action

Question 5

defn: false consciousness

Answer 5

a misperception of one’s actual position within society (acts as a barrier to class consciousness)

Question 6

defn: anomie

Answer 6

a lack of widely accepted social norms and the breakdown of social bonds between an individual and society

Question 7

defn: strain theory

Answer 7

focuses on how anomic conditions (excessive individualism, social inequality, isolation) can lead to deviance

anomic conditions erode social solidarity (sense of community and social cohesion)

Question 8

what are the two primary sources of social trust?

Answer 8

1. social norms of reciprocity (I’ll scratch your back if you scratch mine)
2. social networks

Question 9

defn: social capital

Answer 9

the investment people make in their society in return for economic or collective rewards

the greater the investment, the higher the level of social integration

Question 10

defn: social integration

Answer 10

the movement of new or underrepresented populations into a larger culture while maintaining their ethnic identities

Question 11

what are the two types of social inequality that social networks can create?

Answer 11

1. situational (socioeconomic advantage)
2. positional (based on how connected one is within a network and one’s centrality within that network)

Question 12

defn: privilege

Answer 12

inequality in opportunity

Question 13

defn: social capital vs. cultural capital

Answer 13

social capital = the benefits one receives from group association

cultural capital = the benefits one receives from knowledge, abilities, and skills

Question 14

defn: intersectionality

Answer 14

the compounding of disadvantage seen in individuals who belong to more than one underserved group

Question 15

defn: social/structural mobility

Answer 15

the result of an economic and occupational structure that allows one to acquire higher-level employment opportunities given proper credentials and experience

Question 16

defn: intragenerational vs. intergenerational mobility

Answer 16

INTRAGENERATIONAL = changes in social status that happen within a person’s lifetime

INTERGENERATIONAL = changes in social status from parents to children

Question 17

defn: plutocracy

Answer 17

rule by the upper classes

Question 18

defn: vertical mobility vs. horizontal mobility

Answer 18

VERTICAL = movement from one social class to another (upward or downward)

HORIZONTAL = a change in occupation or lifestyle by an individual that keeps them within the same social class

Question 19

defn: upward vs. downward mobility

Answer 19

UPWARD = positive change in a person’s social status (resulting in a higher position)

DOWNWARD = a negative change in a person’s social status, wherein they fall to a lower position

Question 20

defn: social reproduction

Answer 20

social inequality, especially poverty or inherited wealth, can be reproduced or passed on from one generation to the next

Question 21

defn: structural poverty

Answer 21

the “holes” in the structure of society are more responsible for poverty than the actions of any individual

Question 22

defn: absolute vs. relative poverty

Answer 22

ABSOLUTE = a socioeconomic condition in which people do not have enough money or resources to maintain a quality of living that includes basic life necessities (shelter, food, clothing, water)

RELATIVE = people have less income and wealth in comparison to the larger population in which they live

Question 23

defn: poverty line (US)

Answer 23

derived from the government’s calculation of the minimum income requirements for families to acquire the minimum necessities of life

Question 24

defn: social exclusion

Answer 24

can arise from a sense of powerlessness when poor or otherwise disadvantaged people feel segregated and isolated from society

Question 25

defn: spatial inequality

Answer 25

focuses on social stratification (different access to resources) across territories and their population

Question 26

defn: suburbanization

Answer 26

the migration of middle classes to suburbs

can lead to urban decay

Question 27

defn: urban decay

Answer 27

a previously functional portion of a city deteriorates and becomes decrepit over time

Question 28

defn: urban renewal

Answer 28

the spontaneous reversal of urban decay

the city land is reclaimed and renovated for public or private use

often fueld by gentrification

Question 29

defn: world system theory

Answer 29

categorizes countries and emphasizes the inequalities of the division of labor at the global level

Question 30

defn: core nations vs. peripheral nations vs. semi-peripheral nations (world system theory)

Answer 30

CORE = focus on higher skills, higher paying productions, exploit peripheral nations

PERIPHERAL = lower-skilled productions

SEMI-PERIPHERAL = midway between the two, work towards becoming core nations, while having many traits of peripheral nations

Question 31

defn: incidence vs. prevalence

Answer 31

INCIDENCE = the number of new cases of an illness per population at risk in a given amount of time = new cases/population at risk/time (if you already have the illness, you are no longer at risk)

PREVALENCE = a measure of the number of cases of an illness overall per population in a given amount of time = total cases/total population/time

Question 32

defn: morbidity vs. mortality

Answer 32

MORBIDITY = the burden or degree of illness associated with a given disease

MORTALITY = deaths caused by a given disease

Question 33

defn: welfare state

Answer 33

the system of government that protects the health and well-being of its citizens

Question 34

defn: second sickness

Answer 34

an exacerbation of health outcomes caused by social injustice

Question 35

func: affordable care act

Answer 35

an attempt in the US to increase coverage and affordability of insurance for all Americans and to reduce the overall costs of healthcare

Question 36

defn: Medicare vs. Medicaid

Answer 36

MEDICARE = covers patients over 65, those with end-stage renal disease, and those with ALS

MEDICAID = covers patients who are in significant financial need