Social Stratification Flashcards
Social Class
Category of people who share similar socioeconomic positions in society
Social Stratification
Focuses on social inequalities and studies the basic questions of who gets what and why
Ascribed Status
*Involuntary
Derives from clearly identified characteristics like age, gender and skin color
Achieved Status
*Voluntary (hard work / merit)
Acquired via direct individual efforts
Power
Ability to affect others’ behavior through real or perceived rewards and punishments and is based on the unequal distribution of valued resources; defines relationships
Anomie
Lack of social norms or the breakdown of social bonds between an individual and society
Strain Theory
Focuses on how anomie / anomic conditions can lead to social deviance
Social Capital
Investments people make in society in return for economic or collective rewards
Strong Ties
Peer group / kinship contacts; strong social connections; few in number but powerful
Weak Ties
Superficial social connections; large in number
5 Ethnicities Model
Defined by the US Census Bureau and the National Institute of Health (NIH)
- White
- Black
- Asian
- Latino
- Native American
Social Mobility
Result of economic and occupational structures that allows one to acquire higher level of employment opportunities given proper credentials and experience requirements
Intra-generational Mobility
Changes in status happen in a person’s lifetime
Inter-generational Mobility
Changes are between generations from parents to children
Meritocracy
Intellectual talent and achievement; means for a person to advance up the social ladder
Plutocracy
Rule by the upper classes
Poverty
Low socioeconomic status and lack of possessions, money or resources
Social Reproduction
Social inequality can be reproduced or passed from one generation to the next
Absolute Poverty
Socioeconomic condition in which people do not have money or resources to maintain quality of life / living which include the basic necessities (shelter, water, food, clothing)
Relative Poverty
One is poor in comparison to the larger population in which they live
Poverty Line
Derived from the governments calculations of the minimum income requirements for families to acquire the minimum necessities of life
Social Exclusion
Can arise from a sense of powerlessness when poor individuals feel alienated from society.
Spatial Inequality
Focuses on social stratification across territories and their populations; how geography influences social processes
Residential Segregation
- Where one resides; urban, suburban or rural
- Has an effect on how people interact, cooperate and advance
Environmental Justice
Poor living conditions / dangerous environmental conditions result in increased illness and disease
Environmental risk tend to be in low income areas
Global Inequalities
- Globalization limits power / resources as the production of goods constantly moves
- Communities become subject to the ebb and flow of the market
- Large populations placing strain on the world’s resources
Epidemiology
The study and analysis of the patterns, causes and effects of health and disease conditions in defined populations
Incidence
The number of new cases of an illness per population at risk (does not include those already sick) in a given time
Prevalence
Number of cases of an illness overall per population in a given time
Morbidity
Degree of illness associated with a given disease
Mortality
Number of deaths caused by a given disease
Second Sickness
Exacerbation of health outcomes caused by social injustice and class differences
*Low income groups are more likely to have poor health and be uninsured
Affordable Care Act (ACA) - 2010
Increasing coverage rate and affordability of insurance for all Americans by reducing the overall cost
Medicare
Covers patients over 65, disabled, end stage renal disease & those with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
Medicaid
Covers patients with significant financial need; disabilities
