Chapter 8 Social Differentiation and Stratification

Question 1

Social differentiation

Answer 1

How people vary according to their social characteristics. Could be physical, geographical, behavioral differences.

Question 2

Social Stratification

Answer 2

The ranking of people according to their wealth, power and prestige. (A Hierarchal structure of society)

Question 3

Lanski (1966) 5 types of societies

Answer 3

1) Hunting-gathering societies
2) Simple Horticultural societies
3) Advanced Horticultural societies
4) Agrarian Societies
5) Industrial Societies

Question 4

1) Hunting-gathering Societies

Answer 4

Groups size 50 or less, No-one is excused from work, very little to no stratification, Nomads, no surplus of any commodity is accumulated.

Question 5

2) Simple Horticultural Societies

Answer 5

Have agricultural food, can have surplus of food, can settle in one place. Have leisure time. Have a Division of Labor which creates a small form of Stratification. (Workers, Warriors,….)

Question 6

3) Advanced Horticultural Societies.

Answer 6

Have more advanced agriculture and therefore have a larger population. Have a larger variety of Division of Labor and therefore larger scale of social stratification. Some become very wealthy.

Question 7

4) Agrarian Societies

Answer 7

Like middle age Europe, Very large societies have plenty of agriculture, and now military and a more centralized leadership. Stratification is much more diverse and a very small percentage have wealth, power and prestige.

Question 8

5) Industrial Societies

Answer 8

Larger society, more division of labor as well as specialization of labor. Everyone becomes more dependent on others to do their portion of work.

Question 9

Mechanical Solidarity

Answer 9

Durkheim - Idea that many people do the same work but not dependent on each other to survive. (Exp. farmers are self sufficient)

Question 10

Organic Solidarity

Answer 10

Durkheims term for the integration of society that results from Division of Labor where everyone becomes dependent on each other.

Question 11

4 Types of Stratification Systems

Answer 11

Caste, estate, slavery, and class

Question 12

Open Stratification Systems

Answer 12

Systems of Stratifications that allow movement in rank, wealth, and prestige, based on someone’s achievements.

Question 13

Closed Stratification Systems

Answer 13

Stratification systems that do not allow change in social class, wealth, and prestige based on accomplishments. All is inherited or given based on race, family, age.

Question 14

Caste System of Stratification

Answer 14

A closed system of stratification where a persons rank is acquired at birth. Worth is judged on religious beliefs of self or family.

Question 15

Estate System of Stratification

Answer 15

A closed system of stratification where all was born into. Like the Middle Ages in Europe - There were Kings & Clergy, lords, and surfs.

Question 16

Slavery system of Stratification

Answer 16

Closed system of Stratification. Where people owned other people and had no way out of it.

Question 17

Class system of Stratification

Answer 17

An open system of stratification where there is an unlimited amount of classes based on a persons wealth and income. Movement between them is fluid where people can move up or down, makes it very competitive.

Question 18

Social Class

Answer 18

Social stratification based on ones wealth, income and life chances to improve.

Question 19

Life Chances

Answer 19

The opportunities a person has based on Where they come from, how much wealth their family has, race.

Question 20

SES Social economic status

Answer 20

Sociological concept that defines a persons status based on income, education, and occupation.

Question 21

4 classifieds middle class groups pg 242

Answer 21

Top, satisfied, anxious and struggling.

Question 22

Poverty pg243

Answer 22

Having less than the necessary quantity of food, shelter and medical care to live comfortably.

Question 23

Inequality

Answer 23

The difference between groups wealth, status and power.

Question 24

Intragenerational Mobility in Social Stratification

Answer 24

When someone’s children move from one Social class to another either up or down within their own lifetime (like if I were to become rich, started out as pretty poor and end up being really cool rich).

Question 25

Intergenerational mobility

Answer 25

Is when there is upward or downward mobility not in your generation. (Exp. if Gabriel got rich while I was poor.)

Question 26

Split Labor Market

Answer 26

A labor market where some labor jobs can afford upward mobility and others do not. (Jobs like Teachers who can become principles, and others like McDonalds where you can get 1$ more for being a supervisor).

Question 27

Legitimate

Answer 27

To make the power of the dominant group acceptable to the masses so they let the dominant rule without question.

Question 28

Ideology

Answer 28

A set of ideas about how society is like, how it functions, whether it be good or bad, and how it can be changed.

Question 29

False consciousness

Answer 29

Lack of awareness of differences and acceptance to class rule.

Question 30

Social Darwinism

Answer 30

According to their critics, at least, social Darwinists argue that the strong should see their wealth and power increase while the weak should see their wealth and power decrease.

Question 31

Creationism

Answer 31

The belief that all was created from one central power.

Question 32

Modernization Theory

Answer 32

A structural functional theory of aging where society because of modernizing in technology, science, urbanization, literacy and mass education, the elderly lose power, authority and status. Elderly are often encouraged to retire which gives them less income, power, prestige.

Question 33

Disengagement theory

Answer 33

A structural functional theory that states that as people grow old they begin to disengage from social life by retiring, resting, changing social habits. This theory is more imposed than wanted by the elderly because most are encouraged to retire and some get put in elderly homes.

Question 34

Activity Theory

Answer 34

A Symbolic Interaction theory that states that in order to transition through retirement and changes involved, activities like hobby’s, lots of social involvement and support is essential to be happy,