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Sociology > Chapter 8 Social Stratification > Flashcards

Chapter 8 Social Stratification Flashcards

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Sociology 101 flashcards
0
Q

Unequal sharing of scarce resources and social rewards

A

Social Inequality

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1
Q

Division of society into categories, ranks or classes

- Can be divided according to ascribed or achieved status

A

Social Stratification

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2
Q
  • Movement between the strata is impossible
A

Social Inequality in a closed system

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3
Q
  • Movement between the strata is allowed
A

Social inequality in an open system

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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:

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5
Q

Marriage outside ones caste (is forbidden)

A

Exogamy

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6
Q

Marriage within ones social category (is practiced)

A

Endogamy

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7
Q

Priests and scholars

A

Brahmans

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8
Q

Rulers, nobles and scholars

A

Kshatriyas

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9
Q

Merchants, bankers and business people

A

Vaisya

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10
Q

Laborers and artisans

A

Sudra

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11
Q

Group of out acts considered unclean and given undesirable tasks

A

Harijans

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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:

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13
Q

People that own the means of production

A

Bourgeoisie

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14
Q

People who sell their labor in exchange for wages

A

Proletariat

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15
Q

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

A

Social Class

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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

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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

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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

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19
Q

Calculated rating that combines social factors with income

A

Socioeconomic Status

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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

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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

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22
Q

Social stratification is result of class exploitation

A

Marxists theorists

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23
Q

Moving up through the ranks of the class system

A

Social Advancement

24
Q

Most agreed upon classes:

A
  • Upper
  • Upper middle
  • Lower middle
  • Working class
  • Working Poor
  • Underclass
25
Q

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
A

Reputational Method

26
Q

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.
A

Subjective Method

27
Q

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?)
A

Objective Method

28
Q

Upper class statistics in U.S.

A

1%

29
Q

Upper middle statistics in U.S.

A

14%

30
Q

Lower middle statistics in U.S.

A

30%

31
Q

Working class statistics in U.S.

A

30%

32
Q

Working Poor statistics in U.S.

A

22%

33
Q

Underclass statistics in U.S.

A

3%

34
Q

Families that have been wealthy across generations

A

Old Money

35
Q

Acquired wealth through their own efforts rather than inheritance

A

New Money

36
Q
  • 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
A

Upper Class

37
Q
  • 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
A

Upper Middle Class

38
Q
  • 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
A

Lower Middle Class

39
Q
  • 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
A

Working Class

40
Q
  • 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
A

Working Poor

41
Q
  • 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
A

Underclass

42
Q

Movement between or within social classes

- Rarely move up more than one class

A

Social Mobility

43
Q

Movement within a social class

A

Horizontal mobility

44
Q

Movement between social classes (can be upward or downward)

A

Vertical mobility

45
Q

Changes in social position during ones life

A

Intragenerational

46
Q

Status differences between generations in the same family

A

Intergenerational

47
Q

Structural Causes of Upward Mobility:

A
  • 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
Q

Structural Causes of Downward Mobility:

A
  • Personal factors
    • Illness, divorce, and retirement.
  • Changes in economy
    • Technology changes demand for labor; workers become unemployed
    • Economic recession
49
Q

Defining poverty in the U.S.:

A
  • 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
Q

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

A

Poverty

51
Q

Minimum annual income needed for a family to survive

A

Poverty Level

52
Q

Variations in American Poverty:

A
  • 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
Q

Life Chances

A
  • 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
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 crimes and crimes against property
55
Q

Government Responses to Poverty:

A
  • 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
Q

Redistribute money within the society by funneling a percentage of tax revenues to groups that need public assistance

A

Transfer Payments

57
Q

Transfer of goods and services

A

Government subsidies

Sociology (5 decks)

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