Ch. 8- Inequality Flashcards
American individualistic success model
The cultural model shared by many American whereby success and failure are believed to be the result of individual qualities and efforts, and inequalities are assumed to be based on merit and personal shortcomings.
Social Stratification
the hierarchical ranking of people on the basis of social difference with regard to their access to desirable resources, their life chances and their social influence.
Life chances
the opportunities for sharing in material or cultural goods during one’s lifetime; it is affected not only by personal merit and accomplishment but also by race, gender, and socioeconomic status.
Social structure
the enduring, orderly, and patterned relationships among elements of society that shape and, at times, regulate social behavior.
Caste
the most rigid form of stratification; individuals are born into their social position and few, if any, opportunities for upward or downward mobility.
Prestige
the esteem, honor, or deference assigned to one’s social position.
Exploitation
the manipulation of one person or group by another for the latter’s own benefit and profit.
Social mobility
the ability of individuals or groups to change their social position or status, either for better or for worse, within a social hierarchy.
Elite
a social group that occupies a position of prestige and power in society and is dominant as a result.
Underclass
a segment of society that, unlike other classes that are defined by property ownership or occupation, is composed of people who are underemployed or unemployed and may be dependent upon welfare benefits from the state.
Consumer society
A society whose inhabitants think of themselves more as consumers than as producers. (i.e., America)
Middle America
the “one big middle class” that many Americans identify themselves as part of.
Privatization
the process by which people make the transition from identifying as part of a class or occupational group to thinking of themselves as individuals..
What is
The cultural model shared by many American whereby success and failure are believed to be the result of individual qualities and efforts, and inequalities are assumed to be based on merit and personal shortcomings.
American individualistic success model
What is
the hierarchical ranking of people on the basis of social difference with regard to their access to desirable resources, their life chances and their social influence.
Social Stratification
