Ch 7: Stratification

Question 1

stratification definition

Answer 1

society’s categorization of its people into rankings based on factors like wealth, income, education, family background, and power

Question 2

stratification characteristics

Answer 2

• universal societal characteristic
• persists over generations
• maintained through societal beliefs
• affects every aspect of our lives (job, spouse, health, lifespan)

Question 3

Rousseau’s view of inequality

Answer 3

argued that private property creates social inequality and leads to social conflict

Question 4

Ferguson and Millar’s view of inequality

Answer 4

inequality is good because it creates an incentive to work hard and be productive, leading to more societal organization and efficiency

Question 5

Thomas Malthus’ view of inequality

Answer 5

inequality is good as a means to control massive overpopulation and starvation

Question 6

Davis-Moore thesis

Answer 6

stratification motivates the qualified people to exercise their talents to do the most difficult jobs, using high skills and dedication

Question 7

Karl Marx’s view on class

Answer 7

2 main social classes in capitalist societies:
- bourgeoisie (capitalists)
- proletariat (workers)
***Exploitive relationship

Question 8

Max Weber’s view on class

Answer 8

4 main classes:
- upper class
- white-collar workers
- petite bourgeoisie (small business owners)
- manual working class
***Stratification based on MORE than wealth - class, status, and power

Question 9

equality of opportunity

Answer 9

inequality is acceptable as long as everyone has equal possibilities and is judged by the same standards

Question 10

equality of condition

Answer 10

everyone should have an equal starting point from which to pursue their goals

Question 11

affirmative action

Answer 11

an extra opportunity for people with less privileged starting points
- associated with equality of condition

Question 12

estate system

Answer 12

politically based stratification system characterized by limited social mobility; closed system
- 2 estates: nobility & serfs

Question 13

caste system

Answer 13

stratification based on hereditary notions of religious purity with zero social mobility; closed system

Question 14

class system

Answer 14

social ranking based on economic resources (Marx) and power & prestige (Weber) with loose social mobility; open system

Question 15

status hierarchy system

Answer 15

social ranking based on social prestige, specifically occupational status - ex. some jobs don’t pay a lot but are very influential; open system

Question 16

socioeconomic status (SES)

Answer 16

an individual’s position in a stratified social order
- includes occupation, income, wealth, education
- boundaries not sharply defined but generally upper, middle, working, and poor

Question 17

wealth

Answer 17

a family’s net worth (total assets minus total debts)
- wealth inequality is more serious in regards to stratification

Question 18

income

Answer 18

the amount you make in a certain period, like your salary

Question 19

upper class

Answer 19

• economic elite
• source of income comes largely from returns on investments rather than wages

Question 20

middle class

Answer 20

• individuals with nonmanual jobs that pay significantly more than the poverty line
• expansive category
• much of population considers themselves middle class

Question 21

working class

Answer 21

• used to mean blue-collar workers with lower pay
• now: line between middle class and working class is not clear
• some careers are white-collar but with working class wages (teachers, clerks, etc.)

Question 22

poor class

Answer 22

• only one with an official, government definition (poverty)
• definition used to determine eligibility for federal aid programs
• 2 categories: working poor and nonworking poor

Question 23

social mobility

Answer 23

the movement between different positions within a system of stratification

Question 24

vertical mobility

Answer 24

rise or fall from one social stratum to another

Question 25

horizontal mobility

Answer 25

transitioning from one social status to another on the same rung of the ladder

Question 26

structural mobility

Answer 26

mobility that is inevitable from changes in the economy (ex. the expansion of high-tech jobs in the past 20 years)

Question 27

status-attainment model

Answer 27

seeks to specify the attributes of people who end up in more desirable occupations
- best predictors of child’s success: parental education & net worth