Social Stratification

Question 1

Lumpenproletariat [Marx]

Answer 1

A stratum below the lower class comprised of criminals, vagrants, and the long term unemployed. These people will always remain in false class consciousness and never become a part of the proletariat revolution.

Question 2

A set of cultural beliefs and values that justify a particular way of organising society.

Answer 2

Ideology. Ideology also includes strongly held beliefs about a society’s patterns of inequality.

Question 3

What is absolute mobility?

Answer 3

How a person moves up or down the social ladder in absolute terms. For example: if you $50k now compared to $50k five years ago, you experienced upward/vertical mobility in an absolute sense.

Question 4

What is relative mobility?

Answer 4

How one moves up and down in social position compard to the rest of society.

Question 5

A person’s position based on the opportunities obtained from income and occupation that influence his or her chances [Weber]

Answer 5

Class situation

Question 6

One’s position based on the esteem given to certain criteria; it can influence one’s life chances. [Weber]

Answer 6

Status situation

Question 7

According to Weber, society can be categorised into four economic classes, namely:

Answer 7

1. the propertied upper class
2. White collar professionals/upper middle class
3. Petty bourgeoisie/lower middle class
4. Manual working class/blue collar workers

Question 8

Weber identified 3 dimensions of social stratification, namely:

Answer 8

1. Economic social class
2. Status
3. Party

Question 9

The wages or salary one earns; used as an objective measure economic social class [Weber]

Answer 9

Market situation

Question 10

Buying and using luxury items or services to display display their income, wealth or economic social class [Thorstein Veblen]

Answer 10

Conspicuous consumption

Question 11

The period of adjustment to a new lifestyle after moving up or down the social ladder [vertical mobility]

Answer 11

Status dissonance