Ch 8. Social Stratification Flashcards
Social Stratification
A system by which a society ranks categories of people in hierarchy
Social Stratification is…. (4)
- A trait of society
- Persists over generation
- Universal but variable
- Involves not just inequality but beliefs
Social Mobility
A change in position within the social hierarchy
Caste System
Social Stratification based on ascription or birth
Class System
Social Stratification based on both birth and individual achievement
Open Stratification System
when merit rather than inheritance (ascribed characteristics) determines social rank
Closed Stratification system
System based on inheritance rather than merit determines social rank. Little social change is possible
Meritocracy
Social Stratification based on personal merit
Status Consistency
the degree of uniformity in a person’s social standing across various dimensions of social inequality
Structural Social Mobility
A shift in social position of large numbers of people due more to changes in society itself than to individual’s efforts.
Classless Societies
The former Soviet Union claimed to be one, but the party members had great advantages
Major reason that social hierarchies endure?
Ideology. Which means: “Cultural beliefs that justify particular social arrangements, including patterns of inequality”
Marx’s View of hierarchies
Marx says culture and institutions combine to support the society’s elite. This is why established hierarchies last a long time
Davis-Moore Thesis
(Structural-Functional Theory)
Social Stratification has beneficial consequences for the operation of society. (Why else is it found in every society?)
Davis and Moore’s claims about stratification (3)
- Social Stratification has beneficial consequences for the operation of a society
- The greater the importance/talent required in a position, the more rewards society attaches to it
- Egalitarian societies offer little incentive for people to try their best
Social Conflict Theory regarding Social Stratification
Social Stratification doesn’t benefit society as a whole but rather benefits some people and disadvantages others.
Marx’s view on Capitalism
Capitalism makes workers poorer and gives them little control over what they make and how they make it. To replace capitalism, Marx proposed a socialist system that would meet the needs of all rather than just the needs of the elite few. He also predicted that proletarians would eventually revolt
Capitalist
People who own and operate factories and other businesses in pursuit of profits
Proletarians
People who sell their labour for wages
Alienation
The experience of isolation and misery resulting from powerlessness
Why no Marxist Revolution?
- Fragmentation of capitalist class (33% (4.9 million) of Canadian households have a direct stake in the capitalist system)
- There’s a higher standard of living for Canadians. Income has risen while average hours in a work-week decreased
- More worker organizations. Workers have the right to form labour unions.
- Greater legal protections. New laws have made the workplace safer.
Socio-Economic Status (SES)
A composite ranking based on various dimensions of social inequality
Conspicuous Consumption
Buying and using products because of the “statement” they make about social position
Cultural Capital
The symbolic elements such as skills, tastes, clothing, material belongings that represent a person’s social standing
