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