Social Stratification Flashcards
Ascribed Status
- derives from clearly identifiable characteristics such as age, gender, and skin color
- involuntary
Achieved Status
- acquired via direct, individual efforts
- obtained through hard work or merit
What determines SES?
both ascribed and achieved status
Prestige
the amount of positive regard society has for a given person or idea
Power
- the ability to affect others’ behavior through real or perceived rewards and punishments and is based on the unequal distribution of valued resources
- defines the relationship between individuals, groups and social institutions
- maintain order, organize economic systems, conduct warfare and rule over and exploit people
Marxist Theory
- proposes that the “have-nots” called the proletariat could overthrow the “haves” called the bourgeoisie, as well as the entire capitalist economy by developing class consciousness
- revolt would lay the groundwork for a socialist state
- perspective suggests the rise of socialized medicine
Class Consciousness
-the organization of the working class around shared goals and recognition of a need for collective political action
False Consciousness
- one major barrier to class consciousness
- a misperception of one’s actual position within society
What have been some negatives of a capitalist economy?
- increase in social inequality
- reduction in social cohesion
- waning of social capital
Anomie
- further accelerates social inequality
- refers to a lack of social norms or the breakdown of social bonds between an individual and society
- has further obstructed opportunities to acquire social capital
- includes excessive individualism, social inequality, and isolation
Strain Theory
-focuses on how anomic conditions can lead to deviance
What are the two primary sources of social trust?
- social norms of reciprocity (“I’ll scratch your back if you scratch mine”)
- social networks
Social Capital
- considered the investments people make in their society in return for economic or collective rewards
- the greater the investment the higher level of social integration (peaceful movement into mainstream society) and inclusion
- one of the main forms is social networks
- refers to the benefits one receives from group association
What two types of social inequality can social networks create?
- situational (SES) disadvantage
- positional (based on how connected one is within a network and one’s centrality within that network)
Privilege
- created and reinforced by inequality in networks
- inequality in opportunity
Cultural Capital
the benefits one receives from from knowledge, abilities, and skills
Strong Ties
- join communities together
- refer to peer group and kinship contacts which are quantitatively small but qualitatively powerful
Weak Ties
- join communities together
- refer to social connections that are personally superficial such as associates but that are large in number and provide connections to a wide range of other individuals
- Ex. social networking websites
What groups are social inequalities more pronounced?
racial and ethic minority groups such as hispanics and African Americans, female-headed families, and the elderly
Five Ethnicities Model
- used by the US Census Bureau and the NIH
- includes: white, black, Asian, Latino, Native American
Social Mobility
- the ability to move up or down from one class to another
- typically the result of an economic and occupational structure that allows one to acquire higher-level employment opportunities given proper credentials and experience requirements
Intragenerational Changes in Social Status
changes in social status (social mobility) happen within a person’s lifetime
Intergenerational Changes in Social Status
changes in social status (social mobility) happen from parents to children
Meritocracy
-based on intellectual talent and achievement and is a means for a person to advance up the social ladder
What is one of the largest factors driving American social mobility?
meritocratic competition / merit-based system of social mobility
Plutocracy
rule by the upper class
Vertical Mobility
- movement from one social class to another
- can either be upward (positive change in social status) or downward (negative change in social status)
Horizontal Mobility
- change in occupation or lifestyle that remains within the same social class
- Ex. construction worker who switches jobs to work in custodial services or mechanical maintenance has made a shift in occupation but remains in the lower-middle class
Poverty
- low SES and lack of possessions or financial resources
- can be handed down from generation to generation
Social Reproduction
- the passing of social inequality, especially poverty, from one generation to the next
- the culture-of-poverty explanation for social inequality
- handing down of poverty from one generation to another as a feature of society
Structural Poverty
- theory of poverty based on the concept of “holes” in the structure of society rather than poverty due to the actions of the individual
- proponents of this argue that the same individuals do not by necessity occupy these “holes” from year to year but the percentage of a society that falls under the poverty line stays relatively constant due to the actions of the individual
Absolute Poverty
- SES condition in which people do not have enough money or resources to maintain a quality of living that includes basic life necessities such as shelter, food, clothing and water
- applies across locations, countries, and cultures
Poverty Line
- derived from the government’s calculation of the minimum income requirements for families to acquire the minimum necessities of life
- problem: this fails to take into account geographic variables that impact the value of money in different locations
Social Exclusion
- can arise from sense of powerlessness when poor individuals feel segregated and isolated from society
- can create further obstacles to achieving self-help, independence and self-respect
Spatial Inequality
- focuses on social stratification across territories and their populations
- focus on how geography influences social processes
- social relationships between different agents, such as capitalists, laborers, the government, and citizens, result in spatially varied social structures, built environments, and unequal regional development
Residential Segregation
-concept of where one resides (urban, suburban, or rural environment) having a substantial effect on how people interact, cooperate, and advance
What is true of individuals living in urban environments?
tend to have more career opportunities, and can more easily improve their SES through such avenues as education, career choice and marriage
What explains the overall greater concentration of poor individuals in urban centers?
suburbanization
Suburbanization
- migration pattern of the middle class to suburban communities
- leads to urban decay
Urban Decay
occurs when a previously functional portion of a city deteriorates and becomes decrepit over time
What process can spontaneously revers urban renewal?
urban decay
Urban Renewal
- occurs when city land is reclaimed and renovated for public or private use
- fueled by gentrification
Gentrification
occurs when upper- and middle-class populations begin to purchase and renovate neighborhoods in deteriorated areas, displacing the low-SES population
Environmental Justice
- poor and minority groups tend to reside closer to sites of environmental pollution because these areas are usually cheaper housing markets
- environmental risks (ex. hazardous waste-producing plants, toxic waste dumps) are located in low-income areas with a high concentration of racial and ethnic minorities
- result in increase in illness and disease in these areas
World System Theory
- categorizes countries and emphasizes the inequalities of the division of labor at the global level
- focus on global inequality
Core Nations
nations that focus on higher skills and higher paying productions while exploiting peripheral nations for their lower-skilled productions
Semi-Peripheral Nations
- midway between core nations and peripheral nations
- nations that work toward becoming core nations while having many characteristics of peripheral nations
- mostly seen in parts of India, sub-Sahara Africa, south central Asia
What has globalization created?
further inequalities in space, food and water, energy, housing, and education as the production of goods shifts to cheaper and cheaper labor markets
Incidence
- the number of new cases of an illness per population at risk in a given amount of time
- equation: new cases / population at risk / time
Prevalence
- measure of the number of cases of an illness overall - whether new or chronic - per population in a given amount of time
- equation: total cases / total population / time
Morbidity
the burden or degree of illness associated with a given disease
Mortality
refers to deaths causes by a given disease
Second Sickness
- refers to the fact that health outcomes are exacerbated by social inequalities and social injustice
- results in higher-income groups having longer life expectancies than lower-income groups
__-_____ groups have an overall worse profile in terms of morbidity and mortality rates
low-income – especially racial and ethnic minorities
Which gender has a better health profile?
women
Which gender has worse mortality rates?
men
Which gender has higher morbidity rates?
women
Medicare
covers patients over the the age of 65, those with end-stage renal disease, and those with ALS
Medicaid
covers those who are in significant financial need
List some reasons why low-income groups have higher morality rates
- poor access to quality medical care
- poor nutrition
- feeling less in control of life circumstances
- more likely to smoke, and be overweight/obese
- less likely to engage in physical activity
Which groups of Americans receive worse care than white Americans?
- African Americans
- Asian Americans
- Native Americans
- Hispanics
What group of patients are most likely to switch doctors repeatedly?
overweight/obese patients
- this group is highly discriminated against
- doctors do not form strong relationships with these patients
- lack of continuity of care so this group has less quality preventive care and screenings
Which gender is favored in the healthcare system?
women
-women are better when it comes to accessing healthcare because they are more likely to be insured compared to men
Which gender is most likely to be delayed or unable to obtain necessary medical care?
women
Social Epidemiology
- interested in the distribution of health and disease within a given population
- examines such factors as availability of and accessibility to healthcare among various groups within society
