ISS Exam 1 Flashcards
Continuous Approach
Suggests that there is a linear progression from very poor to very rich, rather than several ordered groups
Categorical Approach
Suggests that inequality is structured by distinct groups that have somewhat clear, and possibly fluid, boundaries and that may be associated with the personal identities of people within the specific groups
Economic Dimensions of Class Structure
Social class is seen as a group of people with relatively common wealth, income, occupation, and education
Objective method of identifying class -> difficulty determining when one group ends and the other begins
Relationships among variables are not perfect
Cultural Dimensions of Class Structure
The behaviors, lifestyles, attitudes, beliefs, and preferences, common among members of the same social class
Cultural Capital
Used to imply knowledge of or comfort with ‘highbrow’ or upper-class behaviors.
Also used to acknowledge the cultural traits of the middle, working, and lower classes
Social Capital
The benefits and resources one can obtain through their social networks and interpersonal connections
Objective Method (for identifying class)
Uses measures such as income, wealth, education, and occupation to identify groups of people who constitute social class
Subjective Method (for identifying class)
Allows individuals to identify their own social class
Reputational Method (for identifying class)
Allows other people to identify people’s social class
Warner Class Groups
- Upper-upper
- Lower-upper
- Upper-middle
- Lower-middle
- Upper-lower
- Lower-lower
Davis and Gardner Class Groups
- Upper
- Upper-middle
- Lower-middle
- Working
- Working poor
- Underclass
Coleman and Rainwater
Upper-Americans: upper-upper, lower-upper, upper-middle
Middle-Americans: middle, working
Lower-Americans: upper-lower, lower-lower
Intergenerational Transmission of Class
The process by which parents and other adults affect the social class that children ultimately will join
Social Reproduction
The process by which social class is recreated from generation to generation through conscious and unintentional practices, behaviors, and social connections
Learning Generalization Hypothesis
Describes how lessons learned in part of life affect behaviors and outcomes in other realms
Class Awareness
An understanding of the class that an individual is a part of
“I belong to this class”
Class Identification
Knowing what kinds of resources are/are not available based on class
Class Solidarity
Individuals within a certain class tend to gather together and avoid other classes
Embodiment of one’s class
Class Action
Behaviors or actions that reinforce class solidarity
Income
Flow of money going to factors of production
Ex. wages and salaries, rental income, interest from savings
Wealth
Current value of a stock of assets owned by someone or society as a whole
Ex. savings in bank accounts, ownership of property, shares/stocks in business
Inequality of Condition
Disparities in the resources, power, and prestige that people or groups currently have
Inequality of Opportunity
Disparities in access to important resources such as education and occupational experience
Opportunities that people have early on in life that allow them certain beneficial experiences
Power
Influence, authority, or persuasion
The ability to make others do what you want them to do
Prestige
The status or esteem associated with certain traits or positions
An indicator of the importance or standing that reflects the value that others associate them with
Social Differentiation
A general term that refers to the fact that people are not the same within society based on differing traits
Ex. hair/eye color, age, race, ethnicity, etc.
Wealth Distribution
A list of all households according to their total wealth, reveling the total percentage of households at various wealth levels
Income Distribution
A list of all individuals according to their total income that reveals the percentage of people at various income levels
Highlights the degree to which income is received unequally
Social Stratification
The ranked ordering of people based on their social and economic traits
Achievement
When a person’s position in the social structure is primarily the result of individual merit
Ascription
When a person’s position in the social structure is the result of factors beyond their control –> race/ethnicity, gender, social class at birth
Functionalist Theory
Approach inequality as a normal and necessary part of society
Assumes deep, innate differences among people and that societal structure reflects a hierarchy of talent among individuals
All positions are necessary for the healthy functioning of society
Conflict Theory
Assume that force and oppression lead to inequality
Dominant classes/elites impose their will on lower classes to maintain order
Positive Statements
Objective statements about ‘what is’, statements of fact that can be demonstrates as true or false
Positive means factual
Normative Statements
Statements about ‘what should be’, intended to be evaluated as true or false
Descriptive Research
Explains who, what, where, when, why, and how with no effort to identify causes
Casual/Explanatory Research
Attempts to identify which variables lead to change in other variables
Prescriptive Research
Offers solutions for change
Goal to identify and evaluate strategies for altering relationships
Scientific Research
Designed to isolate and identify what we know about the world
Research Design
The systematic planning and execution of scientific research
Research Design Steps
- Identify a question
- Specify unit of analysis
- Specify key concepts
- Specify variables
- State hypothesis
- Select sample
- Choose an appropriate research method
- Carry out statistical analysis to answer question
- Write and disseminate the results
Statistics
A set of techniques for collecting, organizing, and interpreting information or data, as well as the numbers produced using these techniques
Variables
Clearly defined indicators of concepts
Independent does the explaining
Dependent what the research is trying to explain
Descriptive Statistics
Measures and techniques that illustrate or describe data but do not generalize the description to a larger group/groups
Inferential Statistics
Measures and techniques that allow researchers to make general claims about the population from information about a sample
Paradigm
Fundamental points of view that distinguish science
Davis and Moore’s Theory of Stratification
Every society has positions that must be filled in order for it to function correctly, but some positions are valued at a higher level –> causes inequality
Talcott Parson’s Theory of Social Action
Every society has a dominant value system that is a result of the historical and environmental circumstances unique to that society
Status rather than talent/skills determines who should have the vital positions
