Chapter 9 - Social Stratification Flashcards
society’s categorization of its people into rankings based on factors like wealth, income, education, family background, and power.
social stratification
An individual’s level of wealth, power and prestige
socioeconomic status (SES)
the net value of money and assets a person has
wealth
a person’s wages or investment dividends
income
systems that accommodate little change in social position (estate, slavery, caste)
closed systems
systems based on achievement that allow for movement and interaction between layers and classes.
open systems
closed stratification systems where people can do little or nothing to change the social standing of their birth.
caste systems
a systems of ideals and beliefs reinforcing stratification
ideology
an open system based on both social factors and individual achievement
class system
consists of a set of people who share similar status based on factors like wealth, income, education, family background, and occupation.
a class
a union of spouses from different social classes that often focus on values such as love and compatibility
exogamous marriage
when social conformities encourage people to choose partners within their own class
endogamous marriage
a hypothetical system in which social stratification is determined by personal effort and merit.
meritocracy
term to describe the consistency, or lack thereof, of an individual’s rank across the factors that determine social stratification within a lifetime.
status consistency
when wealth is passed from generation to generation through a law stating that all property would be inherited by the firstborn son.
primogeniture
the typical behaviors, customs, and norms that define each class
class markers / traits
the ability of individuals to change positions within a social stratification system
social mobility
an increase or upward shift in socioeconomic status
upward mobility
moving from a higher to a lower socioeconomic class
downward mobility
different generations of the same family belonging to varying social classes
intergenerational mobility
changes in a person’s social mobility over the course of their lifetime
intragenerational mobility
when societal changes enable a whole group of people to move up or down the social class ladder
structural mobility
the level of wealth available to acquire the material necessities and comforts to maintain a specific lifestyle
standard of living
terms acknowledging that women make up the majority of individuals in poverty across the globe and have a lower standard of living
feminization of poverty
an economic condition in which a family or individual cannot afford basic necessities, such as food and shelter, so that day-to-day survival is in jeopardy.
absolute poverty
an economic condition in which a family or individuals have 50% less than the average median income (below poverty line)
relative poverty
what compares the wealth, status, power, and economic stability of countries across the world
global stratification
thesis arguing that some stratification is a social necessity and is functional
Davis-Moore Thesis
which perspective believes stratification is important to increase incentive to work
functionalism
which perspective believes stratification perpetuates inequality
conflict theory
which perspective examines how stratification can affect everyday interactions
symbolic interactionism
the purchase and use of certain products to make a social statement about status
conspicuous consumption
