Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

Sociology > Chapter 8 > Flashcards

Chapter 8 Flashcards

You may prefer our related Brainscape-certified flashcards:
Sociology 101 flashcards
0
Q

Social stratification

A

Division of society into categories, ranks or classes

-can be divided according to ascribed or achieved status

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
1
Q

Types of stratification

A

Social stratification, social inequality

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Social inequality

A

Unequal sharing of scarce resources and social rewards

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Things to know about social inequality

A
  • social inequality in a closed system
    • movement between the strata is impossible
  • social inequality in an open system
    • movement between the strata is allowed
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Two types of stratification systems

A
  • caste system

- class system

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Caste system

A
  • resources and social rewards are distributed on the basis of ascribed statuses
    • child’s caste is determined by the parents
    • effort and talent may effect position in caste but not move you to a higher caste
  • has norms for interaction among castes
    • exogamy
    • endogamy
  • example: ancient India (each caste is divided into thousands of subcastes based on occupations)
    • Brahmans
    • Kshatriyas
    • Vaisyas
    • Sudras
    • Harijans
  • India today
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Exogamy

A

Marriage outside one’s caste (is forbidden)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Endogamy

A

Marriage within one’s social category (is practiced)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Brahmans

A

Priests and scholars

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Kshatriyas

A

Rulers, nobles and soldiers

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Vaisyas

A

Merchants, bankers and business people

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Sudras

A

Laborers and artisans

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

Harijans

A

Group of outcasts considered unclean and given undesirable tasks

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

India today

A
  • adopted 1950
  • movement among castes is legal
  • government assistance is given to lower caste members
  • Harijans not discriminated against
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Class system

A
  • distribution of scarce resources and rewards is determined on the basis of achieved status
  • Karl Marx
  • max weber
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Karl Marx

A
  • conflict theorists
  • bourgeoisie
  • proletariat
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

Bourgeoisie

A

People that own the means of production

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

Proletariat

A

People who sell their labor in exchange for wages

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

Max weber

A
  • class consists of three factors
    • property
    • prestige
    • power
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

Social class

A

Grouping of similar people with similar levels of wealth, power and prestige

- wealth 
- power 
- prestige
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

Wealth

A

The assets (value of everything a person owns) and income (money earned)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

Things about wealth

A
  • held by small majority in US

- distributed unequally: top 1% earned over 21% of the national income

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

Power

A

Ability to control the behavior of others, with or without consent

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

Things to know about power

A

-force, possession of a skill or knowledge, social status, personal characteristics or custom/tradition

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

Prestige

A

Respect, honor, recognition or courtesy an individual receives from others

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

Things about prestige

A
  • occupation, education, family background, area of residence, etc.
  • occupation most important in US
  • socioeconomic status (SES)
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

Socioeconomic status (SES)

A

Calculated rating that combines social factors with income

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

Functionalist perspective

A
  • stratification is necessary in the social structure
  • certain roles need performed to maintain society
    * higher rewards for these roles
    * the more important the role and the more skill needed the higher the reward
  • weaknesses of the theory
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
28
Q

Weaknesses of functionalist theory

A
  • fails to consider that not everyone has equal access to resources
  • assumes that positions that offer higher rewards are more important
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
29
Q

Conflict theory

A
  • competition over scarce resources leads to inequality
  • Marxist theorists
  • American theorists
  • weaknesses in theory
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
30
Q

Marxist theorists

A 
Social stratification is a result of class exploitation 
    -upper class exploits the lower class
31
Q

American theorists

A
  • mills, Horowitz and domhoff
  • groups compete for scarce resources
  • if a group gains power, it can shape public policy and opinion
32
Q

Weaknesses in conflict theory

A
  • fails to recognize that unequal rewards are based somewhat on talent, skill and desire
  • “find the right person for the job”
33
Q

Determining social class

A
  • social advancement

- most agreed upon systems

34
Q

Social advancement

A

Moving up through the ranks of the class system

35
Q

Most agreed upon classes

A
  • upper
  • upper middle
  • lower middle
  • working class
  • working poor
  • underclass
36
Q

Technique 1

A

Reputational method

  • individuals in a community are asked to rank other members of the community based on knowledge of them
  • suitable only for small communities where everyone knows everybody else
  • findings can’t be used to make conclusions about other communities
37
Q

Technique 2

A

Subjective method

  • individuals are asked to determine their own social rank
  • most people don’t like to put themselves in upper or lower class
  • if choices to pick from are expanded, it offers a better representation
38
Q

Technique 3

A

Objective method

  • define social class by income, occupation and education
  • statistical basis makes it least biased
  • problem: selection and measurement of social factors (what factors do you use?)
39
Q

Social classes in the United States (percentages)

A 
Upper class-1%
Upper middle-14%
Lower middle-30%
Working class-30%
Working poor-22%
Underclass-3%
40
Q

Upper class

A
  • old money
  • new money
  • typically comes with great power and influence
41
Q

Old money

A

Families that have been wealthy across generations

  • most of wealth was inherited
  • accustomed to privileged life
42
Q

New money

A

Acquired wealth through their own efforts rather than inheritance

  • less prestigious
  • looked down upon by old money
43
Q

Upper middle class

A
  • high-income business people and professionals
  • have college education and most have an advanced degree
  • membership based on income rather than assets
  • career oriented
  • politically and socially active
    * limited to community level
44
Q

Lower middle class

A
  • hold white-collar jobs; don’t involve manual labor
  • requires less education than upper middle
  • have a comfortable life but work hard to keep what they have achieved
45
Q

Working class

A
  • some jobs involve manual labor; blue-collar jobs
  • jobs carry less prestige even though they make as much, if not more, than lower middle
  • blue collar examples
  • pink collar examples
  • have few financial reserves
46
Q

Blue collar examples

A

Factory, tradespeople, service workers

47
Q

Pink collar examples

A

Clerical, lower-level sales

*traditionally women hold these positions

48
Q

Working poor

A
  • lowest paying jobs
  • often temporary and seasonal
    • housecleaning, migrant farm work, day laboring
  • rarely make a living wage
  • many depends on government-support programs
  • most are high school drop outs; lack education
  • typically not involved politically
49
Q

Underclass

A
  • have experienced unemployment and poverty over several generations
  • usually have undesirable, low-paying jobs
  • income is usually public assistance
  • only 50% of children make it to a higher class
50
Q

Social mobility

A

Movement between or within social class

51
Q

Things to know about social mobility

A
  • horizontal mobility
  • vertical mobility
    • intragenerational mobility
    • intergenerational mobility
  • rarely move up more than one class
52
Q

Horizontal mobility

A

Movement within a social class

53
Q

Vertical mobility

A

Movement between social classes (can be upward or downward)

 * intragenerational mobility 
 * intergenerational mobility
54
Q

Intragenerational mobility

A

Changes in social position during one’s life

55
Q

Intergenerational mobility

A

Status differences between generations in the same family

56
Q

Structural causes of upward mobility

A
  • advances in technology
  • merchandising patterns
  • increase in level of education
57
Q

Advances in technology

A

-jobs available change

58
Q

Merchandising patterns

A
  • large increase in credit industry
  • greater emphasis on insurance
  • increased real-estate transactions
  • exponential growth in personal services
59
Q

Increase in level of education

A
  • smaller number with no high school diploma

- larger number going to college

60
Q

Structural causes of downward mobility

A
  • personal factors

- changes in economy

61
Q

Personal factors

A

-illness, divorce and retirement

62
Q

Changes in economy

A
  • technology changes demand for labor; workers become unemployed
  • economic recession
63
Q

Defining poverty in U.S.

A
  • 13% of the population lives below the poverty line (2010); 14.5% (2013)
  • poverty
  • poverty level
  • modern definition of poverty
64
Q

Poverty

A

Standard of living that is below the minimum level considered adequate by society

65
Q

Poverty level

A

Minimum annual income needed for a family to survive

 - based on cost of providing an adequate diet 
 - adjusted every year 
 - modified for number of people in the family: (2015)
66
Q

Poverty level 2015

A
  • $11,770 for individuals
  • $15,930 for a family of two
  • $20,090 for a family of three
  • $24,250 for a family of four
  • $28,410 for a family of five
  • $32,570 for a family of six
  • $36,730 for a family of seven
  • $40,890 for a family of eight
67
Q

Modern definition of poverty

A

Based on providing the necessities of food, clothing, housing and “a little bit more”

68
Q

Variations in American poverty

A
  • children have largest percentage in poverty
    • 33%
    • level is twice as high for African American and Hispanic
  • women-57% of poor are women
    • head about 1/2 of all poor families
    • african American and Hispanic are more likely than Caucasian
69
Q

Life changes

A
  • likelihood that individuals have of sharing opportunities and benefits of society
  • includes health, length of life, housing and education
  • vary by social class; effects poor most
70
Q

Vary by social class; effects poor most

A
  • higher health concerns for the poor (diabetes, heart disease, pneumonia, etc.)
  • have shorter life expectancies (average number of years a person can expect to live)
    • inadequate nutrition
    • less access to medical care
    • environment they work and live in
    • educational opportunities limited
71
Q

Patterns of behavior

A
  • divorce rates are higher among low-income families
  • more likely to be arrested, convicted and sent to prison
  • more likely to commit crimes that police pursue aggressively
    * violent crime and crimes against property
72
Q

Government responses to poverty

A
  • 37 million still live in poverty (2010); 46.5 million (2012)
  • increased social security benefits and introduction of Medicare
    • helped decrease number of elderly in poverty
73
Q

Social welfare programs

A
  • transfer payments
  • government subsidies
  • personal responsibility and work opportunity reconciliation act (1996)
74
Q

Transfer payments

A

Redistribute money within society by funneling a percentage of tax revenues to groups that need public assistance
-examples: SSI and TANF

75
Q

Government subsidies

A

Transfer of goods and services

-examples: food stamps, housing, school lunches and Medicaid

76
Q

Personal responsibility and work opportunity reconciliation act (1996)

A
  • turned some welfare programs over to states

- limited time they can receive payments

Sociology (8 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2024 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions