Stratification and Social Mobility in the United States Flashcards
absolute poverty
a minimum level of subsistence that no family should be expected to live below
achieved status
a social position that a person attains largely through their own efforts
ascribed status
a social position that a person attains largely through their own efforts
bourgeoisie
Karl Marx’s term for the capitalist class, comprising the owners of the means of production
capitalism
an economic system in which the means of production are held largely in private hands and the main incentive for economic activity is the accumulation of profits
caste
a hereditary rank, usually religiously dictated, that tends to be fixed and immobile
class
a group of people who have a similar level of wealth and income
class consciousness
in Karl Marx’s view, a subjective awareness held by members of a class regarding their common vested interests and the need for collective political action to bring about social change
class system
a social ranking based primarily on economic position in which achieved characteristics can influence social mobility
closed system
a social system in which there is little or no possibility of individual social mobility
conspicuous consumption
purchasing goods not to survive but to flaunt one’s superior wealth and social standing
dominant ideology
a set of cultural beliefs and practices that helps to maintain powerful social, economic, and political interests
estate system
a system of stratification under which peasants were required to work land leased to them by nobles in exchange for military protection and other services. also known as feudalism
esteem
the reputation that a specific person has earned within an occupation
false consciousness
a term used by Karl Marx to describe an attitude held by members of a class that does not accurately reflect their objective position
feminization of poverty
a trend in which woman constitute an increasing proportion of the poor people of both the United States and the world
horizontal mobility
the movement of an individual from one social position to another of the same rank
income
salaries and wages, interest on savings, stock dividends, and rental income
intergenerational mobility
changes in the social position of children relative to their parents
intragenerational mobility
changes in the social position within a person’s adult life
life chances
the opportunities people have to provide themselves with material goods, positive living conditions, and favorable life experiences
objective method
a technique for measuring social class that assigns individuals to classes on the basis of criteria such as occupation, education, income, and place of residence
open system
a social system in which the position of each individual is influenced by their achieved status
power
the ability to exercise one’s will over others
prestige
the respect and admiration that an occupation holds in a society
proletariat
Karl Marx’s term for the working class in a capitalist society
relative poverty
a floating standard of deprivation by which people at the bottom of a society, whatever their lifestyles, are judged to be disadvantaged in comparison with the nation as a whole
slavery
a system of enforced servitude in which some people are owned by other people
social inequality
a condition in which members of society have differing amounts of wealth, prestige, or power
