Social Stratification Flashcards
Social class
Defined as a category of people who share a similar socioeconomic position in society
Socioeconomic status (SES)
May depend on ascribed or achieved status
Ascribed status
Derives from clearly identifiable characteristics, such as age, gender and skin color
Achieved status
Acquired through direct, individual efforts
3 major social classes
upper, middle, and lower
Prestige
Refers to the amount of positive regard society has for a given person or idea
Power
The ability to affect others’ behaviour through real or perceived rewards and punishments, and is based on the unequal distribution of valued resoures
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
Class consciousness
Refers to the organization of the working class around shared goals and recognition of a need for collective political action
What is one major barrier to class consciousness
False consciousness, a misperception of one’s actual position within society
Anomie
A lack of social norms, or the breakdown of social bonds between an individual and society. Anomic conditions erode social solidarity by means of excessive individualism, social inequality, and isolation (strain theory)
Strain theory
Focuses on how anomic conditions can lead to deviance
Social Capital
Can be considered the investments people make in their society in return for economic or collective rewards; the greater the investment, the higher the level of social integration (peaceful movement into mainstream society) and inclusion
What is one of the main forms of social capital
Social Networks
What are two types of social inequality created by social networks
Situational (socioeconomic advantage) and positional (based on how connected one is within a network and one’s centrality within that network).
Cultural capital
Refers to the benefits one receives from knowledge, abilities, and skills
Strong ties
Refers to peer group and kinship contacts, which are quantitatively small but qualitatively powerful
Weak ties
Refer to social connections that are personally superficial, but that are large in number and provide connections to a wide range of other individuals
Intersectionality
Compounding of disadvantage seen in individuals who belong to more than one oppressed group
Five ethnicities model
Used by the United States Census Bureau and the National Institutes of Health (NIH): white, black, Asian, Latino, and Native American
Social mobility
Typically the result of an economic and occupational structure that allows one to acquire higher-level employment opportunities given proper credentials and experience requirements; can be upward or downward
Meritocracy
Based on intellectual talent and achievement, and is a means for a person to advance up the social ladder
Plutocracy
Rule by the upper classes
Horizontal mobility
A change in occupation or lifestyle that remains within the same social class
Poverty
Defined by low socioeconomic status and a lack of possessions or financial resources
Social reproduction
refers to the passing on of social inequality, especially poverty, from one generation to the next
Structural poverty
Theory as to the cause of poverty based on the concept of “holes” in the structure of society rather than due to the actions of the individual
Absolute poverty
When people do not have enough resources to acquire basic life necessities, such as shelter, food, clothing, and water
Relative poverty
When one is poor in comparison to a larger population
How is the poverty line determined in the US?
Determined by the government’s estimation of the minimum income requirements for families to acquire their minimum needs
What is the main problem with how poverty line is determined in US?
It is not contextualized according to geographic location and thus does not take into account the cost of living in different communities
Social exclusion
Can arise from this sense of powerlessness when poor individuals feel segregated and isolated from society
Spatial inequality
A form of social stratification across territories and their populations, and can occur along residential, environmental, and global lines.
Urban decay
A previously functional portion of a city detoriates and becomes decrepit over time
Urban renewal
City land is reclaimed and renovated for public or private use
Gentrification
Upper and middle-class populations begin to purchase and renovate neighbourhoods in deteriorated areas, displacing the low-SES population
Environmental Injustice
Refers to an uneven distribution of environmental hazards in communities. Lower-income neighbourhoods may lack the social and political power to prevent the placement of environmental hazards in their neighbourhoods
World System theory
Categorizes countries and emphasizes the inequalities of the division of labor at the global level
Core nations
Focus on higher skills and higher paying productions, while exploiting peripheral nations for their lower-skilled productions
Semi-peripheral nations
These nations work toward becoming core nations, while having many characteristics of peripheral nations
Incidence
The number of new cases of a disease per population at risk in a given period of time: for example, new cases of lung cancer per 1000 at-risk people per year
Prevalence
The number of cases of a disease per population in a given period of time: e.g. cases of lung cancer per 1000 people per year
Morbidity
The burden or degree of illness associated with a given disease
Mortality
Refers to deaths caused by a given disease
Second sickness
Refers to an exacerbation of health outcomes caused by social injustice
How do mortality and morbidity rates in males and females compare
Males tend to have worse mortality rates than females, but females tend to have higher morbidity rates. Results from both biological and sociological factors
Medicare
Covers patients over the age of 65, those with end-stage renal disease, and those with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
Medicaid
Covers patients who are in significant financial need
