Chapter 8 Social Stratification Flashcards
0
Q
Unequal sharing of scarce resources and social rewards
A
Social Inequality
1
Q
Division of society into categories, ranks or classes
- Can be divided according to ascribed or achieved status
A
Social Stratification
2
Q
- Movement between the strata is impossible
A
Social Inequality in a closed system
3
Q
- Movement between the strata is allowed
A
Social inequality in an open system
4
Q
- 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
Ex. Ancient India - Brahmans
- Kshatriyas
- Vaisya
- Harijans
- India Today:
- Movement among castes is legal
- Government assistance is given to lower caste members
- Harijans are not discriminated against
A
Caste System:
5
Q
Marriage outside ones caste (is forbidden)
A
Exogamy
6
Q
Marriage within ones social category (is practiced)
A
Endogamy
7
Q
Priests and scholars
A
Brahmans
8
Q
Rulers, nobles and scholars
A
Kshatriyas
9
Q
Merchants, bankers and business people
A
Vaisya
10
Q
Laborers and artisans
A
Sudra
11
Q
Group of out acts considered unclean and given undesirable tasks
A
Harijans
12
Q
Distribution of scarce resources and rewards is determined on the basis of achieved statuses
- Karl Marx: Conflict Theorist
- bourgeoisie
- Proletariat
- Max Weber: Class consists of three factors
- Property
- Prestige
- Power
A
Class System:
13
Q
People that own the means of production
A
Bourgeoisie
14
Q
People who sell their labor in exchange for wages
A
Proletariat
15
Q
Grouping of similar people with similar levels of wealth, power and prestige.
A
Social Class
16
Q
The assets. (value of everything a person owns) and income (money earned)
- Held by small majority in U.S.
- Distributed unequally: 1% earned over 21% of national income
A
Wealth
17
Q
Ability to control the behavior of others, with or without consent
- ex. Force, possession of a skill or knowledge, social status, personal characteristics or custom/tradition.
A
Power
18
Q
Respect, honor, recognition or courtesy an individual receives from others.
- Occupation, education, family background, area of residence, etc.
- Occupation most important in U.S.
A
Prestige
19
Q
Calculated rating that combines social factors with income
A
Socioeconomic Status
20
Q
- 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:
- Fails to consider that not everyone has equal access to resources
- Assumes that positions that offer higher rewards are more important
A
Functionalist Theory
21
Q
- Competition over scarce resources leads to inequality
- Marxists theorists
- Upper class exploits the lower class
- American Theorists: Mills, Horowitz, and Domhoff
- Groups compete for scarce resources
- If a group gains power, it can shape public policy and opinion
- Weaknesses in theory:
- Fails to recognize the unequal rewards are based somewhat on talent, skill and desire.
- Fund the right person for the job
A
Conflict Theory
22
Q
Social stratification is result of class exploitation
A
Marxists theorists
23
Q
Moving up through the ranks of the class system
A
Social Advancement
24
Most agreed upon classes:
- Upper
- Upper middle
- Lower middle
- Working class
- Working Poor
- Underclass
25
Technique 1:
- Individuals in a community a asked to and 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
Reputational Method
26
Technique 2:
- 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.
Subjective Method
27
Technique 3:
- Defines social class by income, occupation, and education
- Statistical basis makes int least biased
- Problem: Selection and measurement of social factors (What factors do you use?)
Objective Method
28
Upper class statistics in U.S.
1%
29
Upper middle statistics in U.S.
14%
30
Lower middle statistics in U.S.
30%
31
Working class statistics in U.S.
30%
32
Working Poor statistics in U.S.
22%
33
Underclass statistics in U.S.
3%
34
Families that have been wealthy across generations
Old Money
35
Acquired wealth through their own efforts rather than inheritance
New Money
36
- Old money
- Most wealth was inherited
- Accustomed to privileged life
- New money
- Less prestigious
- Looked down upon by the old money
- Typically comes with great power and influence
Upper Class
37
- High-income business people and professionals
- Have college educations and most have an advanced degree
- Membership based on income rather than assets
- Career-oriented
- Politically and socially active
- Limited to community level
Upper Middle Class
38
- 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
Lower Middle Class
39
- 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: factory, tradespeople, service workers
- Pink-collar examples: clerical, lower-level sales
- Traditionally women hold these positions
- Have few financial reserves
Working Class
40
- Lowest paying jobs
- Often temporary and seasonal
- Housecleaning, migrant far work, day laboring
- Rarely make a living wage
- Many depend on government-support programs
- Most are high school dropouts; lack education
- Typically not involved politically
Working Poor
41
- Have experienced unemployment and poverty over several generations
- Usually have undesirable, low paying jobs
- Income usually public assistance
- only 50% of children make it to a higher class
Underclass
42
Movement between or within social classes
| - Rarely move up more than one class
Social Mobility
43
Movement within a social class
Horizontal mobility
44
Movement between social classes (can be upward or downward)
Vertical mobility
45
Changes in social position during ones life
Intragenerational
46
Status differences between generations in the same family
Intergenerational
47
Structural Causes of Upward Mobility:
- Advances in technology
- Jobs available change
- Merchandising patterns
- Large increase in credit industry
- Greater emphasis on insurance
- Increased real-estate transactions
- Exponential growth in personal services
- Increase in level of education
- Smaller number with no high school diploma
- Larger number going to college
48
Structural Causes of Downward Mobility:
- Personal factors
- Illness, divorce, and retirement.
- Changes in economy
- Technology changes demand for labor; workers become unemployed
- Economic recession
49
Defining poverty in the U.S.:
- 13% of the population lives below poverty line; 14.5% in 2013
- Poverty
- Poverty level
- Based on cost of providing an adequate diet
- Adjusted every year
- Modified for number of people in the family: (2015)
- 11,770 for individuals
- 15,939 for a family of 2
- 20,090 for a family of 3
- 24,250 for a family of 4
- 28,410 for a family of 5
- 32,570 for a family of 6
- 36,730 for a family of 7
- 40,890 for a family of 8
- Modern definition of poverty
- Based on providing the necessities of food, clothing, housing and "a little bit more"
50
Standard of living that is below the minimum level considered adequate by society
Poverty
51
Minimum annual income needed for a family to survive
Poverty Level
52
Variations in American Poverty:
- Children have largest percentage in poverty
- 33%
- Level is twice as high for African Americans and Hispanics
- Women - 57% of all poor families
- Head about 1/2 of all poor families
- African Americans and Hispanic are more likely than Caucasian
53
Life Chances
- Likelihood that individuals have of sharing opportunities and benefits of society
- Includes health, length of life, housing and education
-
Vary by social class, effect poor most
- 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 are limited
54
Patterns of Behavior:
- 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 crimes and crimes against property
55
Government Responses to Poverty:
- 36 million still live in poverty (2010); 46.5 million (2012)
- Increased Social Security benefits and introduction to Medicare
- Helped decrease number of elderly in poverty
- Social Welfare Programs
- Transfer payments
- SSI and TANF
- Government subsidies
- Food stamps, housing, school lunches, and Medicaid
- Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (1996)
- Turned some welfare programs over to states
- Limited time they can receive payments
56
Redistribute money within the society by funneling a percentage of tax revenues to groups that need public assistance
Transfer Payments
57
Transfer of goods and services
Government subsidies
