Social Stratification

Question 1

What is Social class and what is a notable characteristic of it?

Answer 1

People with shared socioeconomic status, who have similar life style , behaviors, etc.

Question 2

What is Social stratification?

Answer 2

Ways to classify social inequalities and studies why it happens

Question 3

What is socioeconomic status(SES) determined?(2) What are they?

Answer 3

Ascribed status and Achieved status.
Ascribed status: from identifiable characteristics
Achieved status: from acquired, direct, individual efforts

Question 4

How are prestige and power related in SES?

Answer 4

Prestige is respect by people, and power is how influential one can be onto other people both materialistically and nonmaterialistically. Normally higher prestige, higher power, higher SES.

Question 5

What is Power based on in Social stratification and what can this lead to according to Marxist theory?

Answer 5

Power is based on unequal distribution of resources, and power differentials create inequality in social stratification. According to Marx, Proletariat(have nots) can overthrow bourgeoisie(haves) by making class consciousness, establish a foundation for socialistic economy rather than capitalistic.

Question 6

What is Anomie and how is this related to modern society?

Answer 6

Anomie is lack of social norms or social bonds between individuals and society. In postindustrial modern life, this has accelerated and decline of social inclusion.

Question 7

What is Strain theory?

Answer 7

focuses how Anomic conditions can lead to social deviance, and eventually social exclusion.

Question 8

What is social capital and its good example?

Answer 8

Social capital is investments that people make in society in return for economic/collective rewards. Social network is a good example of social capital

Question 9

What are the two forms of social inequalities that can form from social network?

Answer 9

Social network may lead to situational or positional inequalities in the society.
Situational is referring to socioeconomic advantage and positional is how connected one is within the network.

Question 10

What is Cultural capital and how does it differ from social capital?

Answer 10

Cultural capital is benefits one receives from knowledge, abilities, and skills.
Social capital is investments one puts in for rewards

Question 11

How is social inequality related to race, gender, and age?

Answer 11

Social inequality is more pronounced in racial and ethnic minorities.

Question 12

What is social mobility and how has the U.S. society changing from before as time goes by?

Answer 12

Social mobility is how one may move up or down in socioeconomic status based on his/her achievements and experiences. Due to the inequality gap that has been static and increasing, social mobility has been quite limited nowadays and going towards downward rather than upward. Overall, not that flexible as it was used to be.

Question 13

What is poverty and how is it related to social reproduction?

Answer 13

poverty is a socioeconomic condition where resources are limited. Because of social reproduction, poverty can be passed on from one generation to the next.

Question 14

What is the difference between Absolute poverty and Relative poverty?

Answer 14

Absolute: No resources whatsoever

Relative poverty: low income compared to larger population

Question 15

What is the poverty line?

Answer 15

way of calculating by government the minimum income requirement for families to acquire minimum necessities of life

Question 16

What is Social exclusion?

Answer 16

sense of powerlessness when poor individuals feel alienated from society

Question 17

What is Spatial inequality?

Answer 17

Social stratification across territories and populations

Question 18

How does social inequality manifest in different areas of the country?

Answer 18

Urban areas have more diverse economic opportunities with more mobility but also more low income racial ethnic minority neighborhoods.
Some suburbs form higher-income suburbs due to limited social mobility

Question 19

What is Environmental justice and how is this related to SES?

Answer 19

Uneven distribution of environmental hazards in communities. Poor areas tend to experience more hazards, leading to more problems with health.

Question 20

What is the difference between Incidence vs Prevalence, and Morbidity vs Mortality?

Answer 20

Incidence is new cases of illness per population at risk at given time, whereas Prevalence is total cases in total population at a given time.
Morbidity is the burden or degree of illness associated with given disease, and mortality is deaths caused by a given disease

Question 21

How are morbidity and mortality rate related to SES and Gender?

Answer 21

Higher in low income groups, especially racial and ethnic minorities. Males have higher mortality rate but females have higher morbidity rate because females tend to utilize resources more than males.

Question 22

What is the difference in Medicare and Medicaid?

Answer 22

Medicare targets people over 65, end stage renal diseases and ALS.
Medicaid is for people who are in significant financial need.

Question 23

What is Waitzkin’s second sickness and how does this relate to SES?

Answer 23

exacerbation of health outcomes caused by social injustice. Weak groups experience Waitzkin’s second sickness more.

Question 24

How is social capital related to Social cohesion?

Answer 24

Less social capital -> less opportunities.

this leads to less social cohesion

Question 25

Is social mobility dependent on merit?

Answer 25

It may be dependent on merit such as intellectual talent, skills, achievements, etc but may also be obstructed due to concentrated power and discrimination