Social Stratification Flashcards
social stratification
the system by which society ranks categories of people into a hierarchy
functionalism
- social stratification is necessary and results from the need for those whith special intelligence, knowledge, and skills to be a part of the most important professions and occupations
- harmonious equilibrium
ascribed status
involuntary, derives from clearly identifiable characteristics such as age and gender
achieved status
acquired through direct, individual efforts
anomie
lack of social norms, or the breakdown of social bonds between individuals and society
strain theory
focuses on how anomic conditions can lead to deviance, and in turn reinforce social stratification
social capital
- benefits provided by social networks
- investment people make in their society in return for rewards
meritocracy
advancement up the social ladder is based on intellectual talent and achievement
social mobility
allows one to acquire higher-level employment opportunities by achieving required credentials and experience
absolute poverty
when one can’t acquire basic life necessities
relative poverty
when one is poor in comparision to larger population
relative deprivation theory
- people seek to acquire something that others posses and which they believe they should have too
- they are not necessarily poor, but they may percieve that they are lacking resources or money
- it is all relative
social reproduction
the passing on of social inequality, especially poverty, from one generation to the next
social exclusion
a sense of powerlessness when individuals feel alienated from society
spatial inequality
social stratification across territories
