Chapter eight: Social stratification in the United States

Question 1

Hierarchical differences based on status, power, economic positions

Answer 1

Social stratification

Question 2

One’s economic position in the stratification system, especially one’s occupation

Answer 2

Social class

Question 3

Large scale entrepreneurs, hedge funds, & major investors are examples of

Answer 3

Upper class

Question 4

Teachers, nurses, & firefighters are examples of

Answer 4

Middle class

Question 5

Manual, clerical, full-time service workers, & fast-food chains are examples of

Answer 5

Working class

Question 6

Part-time service workers, & unemployed are examples of

Answer 6

Lower class

Question 7

The prestige that is connected to a person’s position within a society

Answer 7

Status

Question 8

Ability to make/control what others do or what you want others to do, even if such actions are forced

Answer 8

Power

Question 9

Example of an exception to income=power. People that make greater income but not greater power in relationships; share power

Answer 9

Breadwinner moms and wives

Question 10

Similar rank across all dimensions

Answer 10

Status consistency

Question 11

Different positions within dimensions

Answer 11

Status inconsistency

Question 12

A condition whereby some positions in society yield a great deal of money, status, and power, while others yield little, if any of these

Answer 12

Inequality

Question 13

Total amount of a person’s financial assets and other properties minus debts/liabilities (T$ - D/L)

Answer 13

Wealth

Question 14

Amount of money an individual earns from their work, business, return on investments (real estate, stocks); measured year to year ( 1 (J + I))

Answer 14

Income

Question 15

Underemployed, unemployed, part-time jobs, welfare

Answer 15

Poverty

Question 16

Measure of what people require for survival

Answer 16

Absolute poverty

Question 17

Live on $2 a day- 1.5 million families (3 million children)

Answer 17

Extreme poverty

Question 18

People, irrespective of income consider themselves impoverished in comparison to others around them; ex. material resources

Answer 18

Relative poverty

Question 19

Threshold in terms of a set income- household income compared to it (set by Social Security Administration)

Answer 19

Poverty line

Question 20

Those with income less than 25% above poverty line

Answer 20

Near poor

Question 21

Limits upward mobility among women with children; moms seeking jobs are less likely to be hired, are offered lower salaries, and are seen by others as less committed to the workplace

Answer 21

Motherhood penalty

Question 22

In 2020, women earned 84% of what men earned (take extra 42 days to earn what men did)

Answer 22

Wage gap

Question 23

Ability or inability to change one’s position in the hierarchy

Answer 23

Social mobility

Question 24

Ability to move higher up in hierarchy
(ex. poor= little upward mobility; middle class= more upward mobility)
[micro]

Answer 24

Upward mobility

Question 25

Descending to lower levels in social class hierarchy (within and between; ex. middle class to working-class, etc.; faced by immigrants, refugees) 
[micro]

Answer 25

Downward mobility

Question 26

Moving upward or downward

[micro]

Answer 26

Vertical mobility

Question 27

Moving within one’s social class
(ex. Taxi driver to Uber driver)
[micro]

Answer 27

Horizontal mobility

Question 28

Difference between parents’ position in stratification system and position achieved by children
(ex. children higher= upward intergenerational mobility; children lower= downward intergenerational mobility
[micro]

Answer 28

Intergenerational mobility

Question 29

Move up or down the stratification system in one's lifetime 
(ex. low class to high class, high class to low class) 
[micro]

Answer 29

Intragenerational mobility

Question 30

Changes in someone’s job across or within generations

[micro]

Answer 30

Occupational mobility

Question 31

Effect of changes in larger society on people’s positions [macro]

Answer 31

Structural mobility

Question 32

Elite try to distinguish selves from other classes, yet the creation of imitation or knock-off clothing, etc. enter the market at prices middle and lower classes can afford

Answer 32

Trickle-down consumption

Question 33

Wanting other people of different social classes to see what they are buying and using; differentiates elite from other classes

Answer 33

Conspicuous consumption