Ch 7: Stratification Flashcards
stratification definition
society’s categorization of its people into rankings based on factors like wealth, income, education, family background, and power
stratification characteristics
- universal societal characteristic
- persists over generations
- maintained through societal beliefs
- affects every aspect of our lives (job, spouse, health, lifespan)
Rousseau’s view of inequality
argued that private property creates social inequality and leads to social conflict
Ferguson and Millar’s view of inequality
inequality is good because it creates an incentive to work hard and be productive, leading to more societal organization and efficiency
Thomas Malthus’ view of inequality
inequality is good as a means to control massive overpopulation and starvation
Davis-Moore thesis
stratification motivates the qualified people to exercise their talents to do the most difficult jobs, using high skills and dedication
Karl Marx’s view on class
2 main social classes in capitalist societies:
- bourgeoisie (capitalists)
- proletariat (workers)
***Exploitive relationship
Max Weber’s view on class
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
equality of opportunity
inequality is acceptable as long as everyone has equal possibilities and is judged by the same standards
equality of condition
everyone should have an equal starting point from which to pursue their goals
affirmative action
an extra opportunity for people with less privileged starting points
- associated with equality of condition
estate system
politically based stratification system characterized by limited social mobility; closed system
- 2 estates: nobility & serfs
caste system
stratification based on hereditary notions of religious purity with zero social mobility; closed system
class system
social ranking based on economic resources (Marx) and power & prestige (Weber) with loose social mobility; open system
status hierarchy system
social ranking based on social prestige, specifically occupational status - ex. some jobs don’t pay a lot but are very influential; open system
socioeconomic status (SES)
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
wealth
a family’s net worth (total assets minus total debts)
- wealth inequality is more serious in regards to stratification
income
the amount you make in a certain period, like your salary
upper class
- economic elite
- source of income comes largely from returns on investments rather than wages
middle class
- individuals with nonmanual jobs that pay significantly more than the poverty line
- expansive category
- much of population considers themselves middle class
working class
- 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.)
poor class
- only one with an official, government definition (poverty)
- definition used to determine eligibility for federal aid programs
- 2 categories: working poor and nonworking poor
social mobility
the movement between different positions within a system of stratification
vertical mobility
rise or fall from one social stratum to another
horizontal mobility
transitioning from one social status to another on the same rung of the ladder
structural mobility
mobility that is inevitable from changes in the economy (ex. the expansion of high-tech jobs in the past 20 years)
status-attainment model
seeks to specify the attributes of people who end up in more desirable occupations
- best predictors of child’s success: parental education & net worth
