Chapter 8: Social Stratification Flashcards
Unequal sharing of scarce resources and social rewards.
Social inequality
Movement between strata is impossible.
Social inequality closed system
Movement between strata is allowed.
Social inequality open system
Resources and social rewards are distributed on the basis of
Ascribed statuses
Childs caste is determined by
The parents
Effort and talent may effect position in caste but not move you to a
Higher caste
Marriage outside ones caste (is forbidden)
Exogamy
Marriage within ones social category (is practiced)
Endogamy
Priests and scholars
Brahmans
Rulers, nobles, and soldiers
Kshatriyas
Merchants, bankers, business people
Vaisyas
Laborers, and artisans
Sudras
Group of outcasts considered unclean and given undesirable tasks.
Harijans
Is given to lower caste members.
Government assistance
Not discriminated against
Harijans
Distribution of scarce resources and rewards is determined on the basis of (class system)
Achieved statuses
Conflict theorist
Karl marx
People that own the means of production.
Bourgeoise
People who sell their labor in exchange for wages
Proletariat
Class consists of three factors
Max weber
Property
Prestige
Power
Grouping of similar people with similar levels of wealth, power, and prestige.
Social class
The assets and income.
Wealth
Wealth is distributed unequally:
Top 1% earned over 21% of the national income
Ability to control the behavior of others, with or without consent.
Power
Respect, honor, recognition or courtesy an individual receives from others
Prestige
Most important in U.S.
Occupation
Calculated rating that combines social factors with income
Socioeconomic status
Stratification is necessary in the social structure
Functionalists theory
Competition over scarce resources leads to inequality.
Conflict theory
Social stratification is result of class exploitation
Marxist theorists
Moving up through the ranks of the class system
Social advancement
Reputational method
Technique 1
Subjective method
Technique 2
Objective method
Technique 3
Families that have been wealthy across generations
Old money
Acquired wealth through their own efforts rather than inheritance
New money
High income business people and professionals
Politically and socially active
Upper middle class
Hold white collar jobs
Requires less education
Lower middle class
Some jobs involve manual labor blue collar jobs
Working class
Lowest paying jobs
Often temporary and seasonal
Working poor
Have experienced unemployment and poverty
Underclass
Movement between or within social class
Social mobility
Movement within a social class
Horizontal mobility
Movement between social class
Vertical mobility
Changes in social position during ones life.
Intragenerational mobility
Status differences between generations in the same family
Inter generational mobility
Standard of living that is below the minimum level considered adequate by society
Poverty
Minimum annual income needed for a family to survive
Poverty level
Division of society into categories, ranks, or classes.
Social stratification
