Sociology- social stratification

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Sociology- social stratification
angeline martin
Flashcards by angeline martin, updated more than 1 year ago
angeline martin
Created by angeline martin about 10 years ago
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Social Stratification a system by which a society ranks categories of people in a hierarchy
Social Stratification (4 important principles) 1. trait of society not individual differences 2. generation to generation 3. universal but variable 4. inequality but beliefs as well
Social Mobility changes in a person's position such as class -can be up, down or horizontal
Caste System amounts to social stratification based on ascription (birth) a pure caste system is closed because birth alone determines a person's entire future, with little or no social mobility
Class System social stratification is based on both ascription and individual achievement open-
Class - status consistancy 1.- consistency of a person's social standing across various dimension of social inequality is lower than in caste-2. -High degrees of status consistency and low degrees of social mobility go hand in hand
Meritocracy is a system of stratification based entirely on individual merit and achievement-
ideology culture and beliefs that directly or indirectly justify social stratification 1. historical patterns (gender, race and social class)- 2. diversity- Is getting Rich- survival of the fittest? pg. 240
Functions of social stratification (Davis Moore Thesis) This thesis states that the most valuable positions in society must yield sufficient rewards to attract the talent necessary to fill them.
Stratification and Conflict (Karl Marx - class and conflict) Marx saw classes as defined by people's relationships to the means of production 1. - Capitalists- (or bourgeoisie) are people who own factories and other productive businesses 2.- Workers (or proletariat) are people who sell their productive labor to the capitalists
Class conflict and alienation, the experience of isolation and misery resulting from economic powerlessness, is an inevitable consequesnce of class inequality
Western Capitalism to experience a Marxist revolution 1. Capitalists class has fragmented and grown in size, giving more people a stake in the system 2. a higher standard of living has emerged A.) Blue Collar occupations- manual labor, have declined B.) White collar occupations- higher prestige - have expanded. 3. Worker's are better organized and able to fight for reform 4. The government has extended various legal protections to workers
Max Weber Identified three distinct demensions of stratification: Class, status and power
Weber- Socioeconomic status a composite ranking based on various dimensions of social inequality(income, education and occupation)
Weber's view of inequality (Pre-industrial agrarian societies/ caste systems-status, early industrial/ capitalist societies) -class post industrial capitalist societies-power)
Social Stratification from three theoretical approaches pg 246 Structural- functional theory Social conflict theory Symbolic interaction theory
Dimensions of Social Inequality (income) 1. Income = wages, salaries, investments. 2. Median family income in 2011 was $60,974 3.Wealth = total amount of assets, minus outstanding debts,
Dimensions of Social Inequality Wealth - Corporations Out of 6,000,000 corporations in America; only 2600 corporations control 80% of the corporate wealth
Dimensions of inequality - Page 249- Distribution of income and wealth in the US 1. the richest 1% of pf Americans control about 35% of all wealth
Dimensions of social inequality Occupational prestige Occupation serves as a key source of social prestige
Dimensions of social inequality (Education) (approximately 30%of all American adults 25 or older are college graduates)
Ascription and Social Stratification 1. Ancestry 2. Race and Ethnicity 3. Gender 4. Religeon
Ascription and social stratification (Ancestry) Ancestry- (over 1/3 of the richest individuals in America derived their wealth from inheritance)
Social Classes in the United States Upper-Upper Class and Upper Class 1. Upper class (5% of population, family income of at least $205,000/year) a.) The upper-upper class is less than 1% of the population 1. inherited wealth 2. 100% college educated 3. Networks of national/international power and influence
The lower upper class Working wealth, educated power and influence may be national based on achievement Professional athletes, high corporate executives
The middle class (40-45% of the population) 1. upper middle = 2/3 college, local influence, lawyers, engineers, business executives 2. average middle class= ($48,500-$116,000/year
Working class (30-35% of population) ($27,000-$48,500/year) 25% college, 56% own homes- most blue collar occupations
The lower class (20% of the population, less than $27,000/year) 70% complete high school-15% college- low prestige- unemployed or under employed-43% own homes general in the least desirable neighbohoods
The difference class makes 1. class and health 2. Class and values 3. class and politics 4. Class, family and gender
The difference class makes (class and values) Class and values(the rich are more liberal on social issues, more conservative on economic issues
Types of social mobility Intragenerational social mobility -Upward- using education to move up Downward -ex. single woman household Mobility varies by income level - wealth enables more wealth Mobility varies by race, ethnicity, gender
Types of Social Mobility Thinking about Diversity pg 258 (Exception or rule) within a single generation the mobility s usually small - long term trend in social mobility has been upward- Since 1970's mobility is uneven - The short term trend is downward
Poverty in the US 23% (46,000,000 or 15% of population current poverty line $23,021 family of 4 in 2011. This represents the highest level of poverty in 50 years. However the income of the average poor family in 2012 was just 59% of the poverty level(13,500)
Poverty Race and eithnicity 66% of poor people are white- but African Americans are 3 times likely to be poor
Poverty feminization single mother homes- 52%
Working Poor 45% of those in poverty worked full -or part time in 2011
Explaining Poverty Oscar Lewis Welfare to workforce represents this viewpoint
William Julius Wilson - Society primarily responsible for poverty the structure of occupational wages- evidence suggests that society rather than the individual is primarily responsible for poverty
Controversy and Debate Page 267 The welfare dilema Welfare Reforms, time limits on benefits
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