Chapter 8: Social Stratification

Question 1

Social Stratification

Answer 1

A system by which society ranks categories of people in a hierarchy

Question 2

Social Mobility

Answer 2

A change in position within the social hierarchy

Question 3

Caste System

Answer 3

Social Stratification based on birth

Question 4

Class System

Answer 4

More open systems

Question 5

Meritocracy

Answer 5

Social stratification based on personal merit

Question 6

Status consistency

Answer 6

The degree of uniformity in a person’s social standing across various dimensions of social inequality

Question 7

Structural social mobility

Answer 7

A shift in the social position of large numbers of people due more to changes in society itself than to individual efforts

Question 8

Ideology

Answer 8

Cultural beliefs that justify particular social arrangements including patterns of inequality

Question 8

Blue-Collar Occupations

Answer 8

Lower prestige jobs that involve mostly manual labor

Question 9

White collar occupations

Answer 9

Higher prestige jobs that involve mostly mental activity

Question 10

Conspicuous consumption

Answer 10

Buying and using products because of the “statement” they make about social position

Question 11

Wealth

Answer 11

The total value of money and other assets minus outstanding debts

Question 12

Income

Answer 12

Earnings from work or investments

Question 13

Intragenerational Social Mobility

Answer 13

A change in social position occurring during a person’s life time

Question 14

Intergenerational Social Mobility

Answer 14

Upward or downward social mobility of children in relation to their parents

Question 15

Relative poverty

Answer 15

The lack of resources of some people in relation to those who have more

Question 16

Feminization of poverty

Answer 16

The trend of women making up an increasing proportion of the poor

Question 17

Identify and understand the four principles of social stratification. What are the characteristics of the caste system and class system? What do closed and open refer to? How is South Africa an example of the caste system? What social stratification system is the U.S.? Is the US a pure meritocracy?

Answer 17

4 Principles of Social Stratification:

1. Social Stratification is a trait of society, not simply a reflection of individual differences
2. Social Stratification carries over from generation to generation.
3. Social Stratification is universal but variable
4. Social stratification involves not just inequality but beliefs as well

The characteristics of the caste system is birth alone determines a person’s entire future with little or no social mobility based on individual effort; The class system people who gain schooling and skills may experience social mobility

Closed refers to caste systems; Open refers to class systems; Africa is dominated by caste although the racial system term of apartheid is no longer legal and is now in decline; The social stratification system the US is a class system.; No the US is not a pure meritocracy.

Question 18

How is England’s historical system of aristocracy an example of a caste system? England’s aristocracy contained about what percent of the entire country’s population? When did commoners begin to challenge the nobility?

Answer 18

England’s historical system of aristocracy an example of a caste system by the leading members of the church who were thought to speak with the authority of God; England’s aristocracy contained about 5% of the entire country’s population; Commoners began to challenge the nobility lived in cities made enough money

Question 19

When was the Revolution Revolution and how did it affect who controlled the productive property? How were the Soviet people stratified (who were at the top & in each level below)? When was the communist revolution of China & who controlled all productive property as a result? How has the existence of social classes in China changed over recent years?

Answer 19

The Russian Revolution was in 1917; Karl Marx controlled the productive property; The Soviet people were actually stratified into four unequal categories. At the top were high government officials, known as apparatchiks.; The Communist Revolution of China was in 1949; The state took control of all the productive property; Since the 1990s the booming cities along China’s coast have become home to many thousands of people made rich by the expanding economy

Question 20

Which types of social stratification systems (caste or class or both) have ideologies?

Answer 20

The class system have ideologies

Question 21

What is the Davis-Moore thesis of stratification? Be able to explain how social stratification is beneficial for society according to Davis & Moore. What are the critiques of this thesis according to your textbook?

Answer 21

The Davis- Moore thesis of social stratification is social stratification has beneficial consequences for the operation of a society; According to Davis and Moore ; Social Stratification is beneficial because of its functional consequences; The critiques of this thesis ignores how social inequality can harm society and even promote conflict.

Question 22

What is Karl Marx’s theory of stratification? Define capitalists (know the other names for capitalists), proletarians, alienation. What did Marx believe would happen to capitalism and how? What are the critiques of his theory? What are reasons why there are no Marxist revolution? How is Marx’s analysis still valid?

Answer 22

Karl Marx’s theory of stratification: Rooted in people’s relationship to the means of production;

Capitalists: People who own and operate factories and other businesses in pursuit of others

Proletarians: People who sell their labor for wages.

Alienation: The experience of isolation and misery resulting from powerlessness;

Marx believed that the working majority would overthrow the capitalists once and for all; The critiques is it ignores a central idea of the Davis- Moore thesis: a system of unequal rewards is needed to place people in the right jobs and to motivate people to work hard.
Reasons why there’s no Marxist revolution:
1. Fragmentation of the capitalist class
2. A higher standard of living
3. More worker organizations
4. Greater legal protection

Question 23

What is a common micro-level pattern involving social interaction and social standing?

Answer 23

People tend to socialize with others of about the same social position.

Question 24

Which type of society comes closest to being egalitarian? What happens when a surplus develops? How does industrialization affect inequality? According to Kuznets, which type of society tends to have the greatest extent of social stratification?

Answer 24

Hunting and Gathering; When a surplus develops service increases; According to Kuznets, Agrarian has the greatest extent of social stratification

Question 25

How is economic inequality changing as the US develops into a postindustrial economy? How does the US compare to other high income nations in terms of economic inequality? What are the 3 benefits of wealth that income does not provide? Roughly what percent of the US’s wealth is owned by the richest 20%? By the richest 1%? About what percent of the U.S.’s wealth is owned by the poorest 20%?

Answer 25

The U.S. compares to other high-income nations in terms of economic inequality is it never having had a titled nobility; The 3 benefits of wealth that income does not provide is (wealth is inherited, wealth accumulates value, & wealth provides a safety net during a safety crisis); The richest 20% of families owns 88.9% of all U.S wealth; The richest 1% owns 9% of all U.S wealth; The poorest 20% of families own -1.4% of all U.S. wealth;

Question 26

How do sociologists measure occupational prestige? What types of jobs in the post-industrial U.S. tend to require college or advanced degree? How do ancestry, race & gender affect social standing?

Answer 26

The jobs in the postindustrial economy that requires a college or advanced degree would be lawyer, actor, or a registered nurse; Sociologists measure occupational prestige of various occupations; Ancestry, race & gender affects social standing like Race (white people have a higher overall occupational standing than African Americans and also receive more schooling) Gender (women have less income, wealth and occupational prestige than men)

Question 27

Who are the upper-uppers and how is membership mostly determined? What is a typical drop of average middles? What is another term for the working class? About how much is their income and what are their jobs like? Who are the lower class and what are their lives and jobs like?

Answer 27

Upper-Uppers: Include less than 1% of the U.S. population; Membership is mostly determined by the result of birth as suggested, by the old remark that the easiest way to become an upper-upper is to be born one; The typical job for the average middles are high school teachers or carpentry; Their income is built up over the course of their working lives in the form of a house and retirement account; Another term for the working class is the lower-middle class; Their jobs provide little personal satisfaction; The lower class make their lives insecure and difficult; They own their own homes in the least desirable neighborhoods; They hold lower prestige jobs that provide little satisfaction and minimal income

Question 28

During the last 20-30 years, which category of the U.S. population has experienced the largest gains in average income? How has the income of the lowest 20% of the U.S. changed over the last 20-30 years? How has the income of African- American families changed?

Answer 28

During the last 20-30 years the richest 20% has experienced the largest gains in average income; The income of the lowest 20% of the U.S. live in debt; The income for African American families was $40,495 in 2011

Question 29

What percentage of the U.S population were poor in 2011? How is the poverty line calculated? What is the cause of poverty, according to William J. Wilson? Who are the working poor and why can’t they escape poverty even though they are working?

Answer 29

15% of the U.S. population were poor in 2011; The poverty line is about three times what the government estimates people will spend for food; According to William J. Wilson the loss of jobs is the cause of poverty; The working poor command the sympathy and support of people on both sides of the poverty debate; They can’t escape poverty because they worked at least fifty weeks of the year

Question 30

According to a study in 2011, about how many in the U.S. were homeless for some time during a year? What proportion all homeless people are families?

Answer 30

In 2011, 1.6 million people are homeless for at least some time during the course of the year; 37% of all homeless people are entire families.