12.1 Social Class

On an ____ level, poverty is a SE condition in which people don't have enough money/resources to maintain a quality of living with basic necessities, while ____ poverty is one where one is poor in comparison to the larger population where they live.

absolute vs. relative poverty

Social inequality is further accelerated by ___, a lack of social norms or the breakdown of social bonds between an individual and society. ____ theory focuses on how these conditions can lead to deviance, including excessive individualism, social inequality, and isolation, which all erode social solidarity.

anomie; strain theory

Social stratification is related to one's socioeconomic status, which may depend on ____ status, which derives from clearly identifiable characteristics like age, gender, and skin color, or ____ status, which is acquired via direct, individual efforts.

ascribed vs. achieved status

___ refers to the benefits one receives from knowledge, abilities, and skills.

cultural capital

Anomic conditions in postindustrial modern life have accelerated the decline of _____ and further obstructed opportunities to obtain ____, the investments people make in their society in return for economic or collective rewards.

decline of social inclusion; social capital

It's important to keep in mind that SES status is not only determined by merit, but also

external characteristics (skin color, gender).

The one major barrier to class consciousness was ____, a misperception of one's actual position within society.

false consciousness

The upper class has a ___ concentration of prestige and power. The middle class is divided into three levels, and the lower class is at the poorer end of the economic spectrum, with a greatly ___ amount of sociopolitical power.

high; reduced

The greater the investment in social capital, the ___ the level of social integration and inclusion.

higher

___ changes in social status happen within a person's lifetime, while ___ changes are from parents to children.

intragenerational vs. intergenerational

Those with ___ problems are one of the largest disadvantaged groups to lack both strong and weak ties.

mental health issues

___ is based on intellectual talent and achievement and represents a means for a person to advance up the social ladder. Some fear that America's ___ system is quickly becoming a ___, or a rule by the upper classes.

meritocracy, meritocratic, plutocracy

Global inequality has been further exacerbated by an unprecedented large ___ spike, placing strain on the world's resources.

population

___ is defined by low SES and a lack of possessions or financial resources.

poverty

In the US, the official ___ is derived from the government's calculation of the minimum income requirements for families to acquire the minimum necessities of life. Note that poverty can be the result of inability to control events that shape a person's ___.

poverty line; life

____ refers to the amount of positive regard society has for a given person or idea, while ___ can be described as the ability to affect others' behavior thru real or perceived rewards and punishments, and it is based on the unequal distribution of valued resources.

prestige and power

Inequality in networks creates and reinforces ___, or inequality in opportunity.

privilege

Marxist theory proposes that the have-nots called the ____ could overthrow the haves called the ____ and the entire capitalist economy. In order to do this, they need to develop ____, the organization of the working class around shared goals and recognition of a need for collective political action.

proletariat vs. bourgeoisie class consciousness

Social inequality is more pronounced among certain disadvantaged groups than others, including ___ and ____.

racial and ethnic minorities

____ can arise from the sense of powerlessness when poor individuals feel segregated and isolated from society.

social exclusion

In a class system, ___ is typically the result of an economic and occupational structure that allows one to acquire higher-level employment opportunities given proper credentials and experience requirements.

social mobility

Social inequality, especially poverty, can be reproduced or passed on from one generation to the next, an idea called

social reproduction

Social class is defined as a category of people who share a similar ___ position in society.

socioeconomic position

____ focuses on social stratification across territories and their populations.

spatial inequality

Communities are joined together thru both ____, which refer to peer group and kinship contacts and are quantitatively small but qualitatively powerful, and ____, which refer to social connections that are superficial but larger in number.

strong and weak ties

Suburbanization can lead to ___, in which a previously functional part of a city deteriorates and becomes decrepit over time. This can spontaneously reverse in the process of ____, in which city land is reclaimed and renovated for public or private use, often fueled by gentrification.

urban decay vs. urban renewal

Upward and downward mobility both refer to patterns of ____ mobility, or movement from one social class to another. ___ on the other hand is a change in occupation or lifestyle that remains within the same social class.

vertical mobility vs. horizontal mobility

Socioeconomic inequalities remain high in America, which some people consider to be the result of overreliance on the oversimplified five ethnicities model used by the US Census Bureau and the NIH:

white, black, Asian, Latino, Native American.