Chapter 8 Vocab Flashcards
organized pattern of social class in society
class system
the argument that poverty is a way of life and, like other cultures, is passed on from generation to generation
culture of poverty
contemporary transformations in the basic structure of work that are permanently altering the workplace, including the changing composition of the workplace, deindustrialization, the use of enhanced technology, and the development of a global economy
economic restructuring
the total years of formal education
educational attainment
the process whereby a growing proportion of the poor are women and children
feminization of poverty
the amount of money brought into a household from various sources during a given year (wages, investment income, dividends, etc…)
income
the opportunities that people have in common by virtue of belonging to particular groups can expect to live
life chances
the midpoint in a series of values that are arranged in numerical order
median income
a system in which one’s status is based on merit or accomplishments
meritocracy
the subjective evaluation people give to jobs as better or worse than others
occupational prestige
the figure established by the government to indicate the amount of money needed to support the basic needs of a household
poverty line
the value with which different groups or people are judged
prestige
the social structural hierarchical position groups hold relative to the economic, social, political and cultural resources of society
social class
a persons movement over time from one class to another
social mobility
relatively fixed hierarchical arrangement in society by which groups have different access to resources, power, and perceived social worth; a system of structured social inequality
social stratification
a measure of class standing, typically indicated by income, occupational prestige and educational attainment
socioeconomic status
the process by which people end up in a given position in the stratification system
status attainment
the monetary value of everything one actually owns
wealth
