Powerpoint #8 - Social Stratification Flashcards
What is social stratification?
the structure of social inequality in a society
–> distribution of wealth, status, and power among people occupying different social statuses
What are the different social status systems?
- Caste
- Clan
- Estate
What is the Caste System?
- status is determined by birthright and is irrevocable
- social mobility from one caste to another is unlikely
(ex. Indians traditional system)
What is a Clan System?
- basis for stratification is birthright
- family ties are primary determinate of social status
- can marry outside clan (exogamy)–>often encouraged to form alliances
(ex. Somalia and Iraq)
What is the Estate System?
- 3 main estates: nobility, church, and peasants
- eldest sons inherit all wealth, other sons entered clergy or made another way of living
- permit more social mobility
What is the functional view of stratification?
-inequality is nearly universal in all societies and it exists because it has positive functions for society
What are the positive functions of stratification?
- most competent people = most important positions
- assures people perform important positions competently
- persuades people to undergo years of training required to perform important jobs
- talented people rise to the top by hard work (barriers to success are comparable)
Who was Gans?
Came up with the six functions of poverty:
- assures “dirty work” will be done
- subsidizes economic activity that benefit the rich by the poor serving rich so they have free time for other activities
- creates jobs for people in professions that serve poor (ex. lawyers, police)
- prolongs life of goods (ex. day old bread)
- provides people who can be punished as real/alleged deviants
- offers social mobility to those just above the poverty line
What are the criticisms of the functional view of stratification?
- -> Tumin
- rewards are often inconsistent with performance (ex. pop stars/professional athletes make more than president/doctors)
- view is inconsistent with inheritance
- often many unfair barriers to competition (ex. women, minorities, elderly)
What is the conflict view of stratification?
What was Karl Marx’s view on stratification?
Class Conflict
- proletariat exploited by capitalists
- false consciousness –> workers revolt –> communism
- classless society = communist
What was Eric Wright’s view on stratification?
- ->modified Marx’s view
- four classes of stratification
1. capitalist: owns means of production
2. petty bourgeoisie: small business owners
3. managers: sell own labor, exercise some authority (ex. VP of a company)
4. workers: sell their labor (ex. assembly line worker)
What was Max Weber’s view on stratification?
Class, Status, and Power
- social class determined by wealth and income
- social prestige/status: how people view you, can result from respected acts (ex. bravery, compassion)
- power: influence over others/control of their behavior, controversy over power distribution in US
What is socioeconomic status?
composite index based on occupational prestige, income, and educational attainment
What is status consistency?
the tendency for people having high status in one area of their lives to also have high status in other areas
What is the social construction of reality?
people truly underestimate the amount of inequality in a society (false consciousness)
–> 1% of America holds 40% of the wealth
How is inequality measured?
- Income
- Wealth
- Occupational Prestige
What is wealth?
- not income, measured by net worth (what you own - what you owe)
- inequality is more pronounced in wealth than in income
What are net financial assets?
household wealth after equity in homes/vehicles has been deducted
-provides a more realistic estimate of liquid assets of people