chapter 4 social stratification
prejudice
A negative attitude toward an entire category of people, often an ethnic or racial minority not disliking someone because of their behavior
cohort
A population group unified by a specific common characteristic, such as age, and subsequently treated as a statistical unit.
racism
Belief that one race is superior to another
conspicuous consumption
FBuying and using products because of the "statement" they make about social position
social mobility
Movement of individuals or groups from one position in a society's stratification system to another
redlining
a practice in which banks refuse to make loans to people living in certain geographic locations
structural mobility
a societal change that enables a whole group of people to move up or down the class ladder
social gerontology
a specialized field of gerontology that examines the social (and sociological) aspects of aging
Second World
a term from the Cold War era that describes nations with moderate economies and standards of living China or Cuba
Fourth World who added this term?
a term that describes stigmatized minority groups who have no voice or representation on the world stage Manual Castells
selective optimization with compensation theory
a theory based on the idea that successful personal development throughout the life course and subsequent mastery of the challenges associated with everyday life are based on the components of selection, optimization, and compensation Baltes and Baltes
peripheral nations
according to world systems theory, nations that are dependent on core nations for capital, have little or no industrialization and have uneven patterns of urbanization
activity theory
activity levels and social involvement are key to this process, and key to happiness
secondary aging
aging that occurs due to controllable factors like exercise and diet
sexual orientation
an enduring sexual attraction toward members of either one's own sex (homosexual orientation) or the other sex (heterosexual orientation)
upward mobility
an increase—or upward shift—in social class
Geotranscendence
as people age, they transcend the limited views of life they held in earlier times. Tornstam
heteronormative society
assumes sexual orientation is biologically determined and unambiguous
class system
based on both social factors and individual achievement consists of a set of people who share similar status
sociologist on gender
behavior on how you act would be the same around the world
queer theory
social theory about gender and sexual identity; emphasizes the importance of difference and rejects ideas of innate identities or restrictive categories
social construction of sexuality
socially created definitions about the cultural appropriateness of sex-linked behavior which shape how people see and experience sexuality
Social Straification
societys categorization of people into rankings of socioeconomic tiers based on wealth, income, race, education, etc
Greif
the feeling of deep sadness when someone you had deep concern for or loved died
gender identity
the individual's sense of being male or female
sedimentation of racial inequality
the intergenerational impact of both practical and legalized racism that limits the abilities of black people to accumulate wealth
absolute deprivation
the minimum level of subsistence below which families or individuals should not be expected to exist
glass ceiling (gender inequality)
the mostly invisible barrier that keeps women from advancing to the top levels at work
capital flight
the movement (flight) of capital from one nation to another, via jobs and resources
relative deprivation
the perception that one is worse off relative to those with whom one compares oneself
internal colonialism
the policy of exploiting minority groups for economic gain
socialization of gender
the process of learning the social expectations and attitudes associated with one's sex
assimilation
the social process of absorbing one cultural group into harmony with another usually take on characteristics of dominant group
Thanatology
the study of death and dying
global inequality
the systematic differences in wealth and power between countries
culture of prejudice
the theory that prejudice is embedded in our culture
class traits
the typical behaviors, customs, and norms that define each class (also called class markers)
gender stratification
the unequal distribution of wealth, power, and privilege between men and women
stratification
the uneven distribution of resources and privileges among participants in a group or culture
intersection theory
theory that suggests we cannot separate the effects of race, class, gender, sexual orientation, and other attributes Patricia Hill Collins
feminism 3rd movement
today least industrialized countries workforce qualities removal of objectification
minority group Wirth
"any group of people who, because of their physical or cultural characteristics, are singled out from the others in the society in which they live for differential and unequal treatment
expulsion
dominant group forcing out subordinate group
poverty line
1/5 of US pop 2015 $24,250 for a family of four greater gap between rich and poor in recent economic growth
feminism first movement
1920s right to vote
feminism 2nd movement
1960s earn equal pay
Origins of Patriarchy
2 theories 1. women had to stay at home and take care babies 2. men were physically more powerful so they went to war and hunted. dominant group
income gap
2015 median income males- $50,285 females- $39,621
stereotype
A generalized belief about a group of people
racial group
A group that is set apart from others because of obvious physical differences
Transsexual
a person who has changed sexes
symbolic interactionism on gender
Gender is learned through the process of socialization; gender inequalities are reproduced through interactions with family, peers, schools, and the media
interactionism theory on prejudice
Herbert Bulmer- formed through interactions between members of the dominant group
Tumin's critique of Davis and Moore
How do we know that the positions that offer higher rewards are more important? If functionalism is true, why aren't we more of a Meritocracy (a form of social stratification in which all positions are awarded on the basis of merit). If social stratification is so functional, why is it dysfunctional for so many?
what determines social class
MARX: the means of production (class consciousness) individuals that own means of production workers
sociological models of social class
Marx capitalist and workers Wright: capitalists, petty bourgeoisie (owners of small businesses, managers (authority over others), workers
consequences of social class
Physical health- unequal access to medical care, unhealthy lifestyle mental health- stresses of poverty, less vacations family life- pressure continue family line, more divorce education religion politics- liberal economic conservative- social criminal justice- police and court, prison parole, probation
de facto segregation
Racial segregation that occurs in schools, not as a result of the law, but as a result of patterns of residential settlement
Segregation
Separation of people based on racial, ethnic, or other differences
sexuality
a person's capacity for sexual feelings
Third World
Term applied to a group of "developing" or "underdeveloped" countries who professed nonalignment during the Cold War. Latin America and Asia, parts of Africa
Davis Moore thesis
The greater the importance of a position, the more rewards a society attaches to it.
first world
The group of nation-states that possesses mature industrialized economies based on capitalistic production. United states and Japan
genocide (extermination)
The systematic killing of people within one category, often with the intent of eliminating the entire category of people - Holocaust
dependacy ratio
`The number of people under 15 and over 64 compared to the number of people active in the labor force
intragenerational mobility
a difference in social class between different members of the same generation
ethnic group
a group of people who share a common culture and ancestry basis of natural origin language, marriage, food habits
Hospice
a home providing care for the sick, especially the terminally ill.
absolute poverty
a lack of resources that is life-threatening lives on less than $1.25 a day
social class
a large group of people who rank closely to one another in wealth, power, and prestige
downward mobility
a lowering of one's social class
Gini Coefficient
a measure of income inequality between countries using a 100-point scale, in which 1 represents complete equality and 100 represents the highest possible inequality
primary aging
biological factors such as molecular and cellular changes
Erick Erickson on aging
broke life span into 8 phases each phase has a challenge that has to be overcome
sociological models of social class Gibert and Kahl
capitalist 1% $1 million income upper middle 15% professionals college lower middle 34% lower managers HS degree working 30% white collar HS degree working poor 16% blue collar bad in HS underclass 4% inner city
Symbolic Interactionism on aging
changes associated with old age, in and of themselves, have no inherent meaning
intergenerational mobility
changes in the social position of children relative to their parents
authoritarian personality theory
claims that prejudice is a personality trait of certain individuals, especially those with little education and those raised by cold and demanding parents
How do elites maintain stratification
control of ideas dictators and democracy control information selectively release info technology monitor activities
why is stratification universal functionalist perspective
davis and moore important positions that must be filled need qualified people greater rewards
gender dysphoria
diagnosis for a person whose gender at birth is contrary to the one with which the person identifies
heterosexism
discrimination or prejudice against homosexuals on the assumption that heterosexuality is the normal sexual orientation
core nations
dominant capitalist countries, highly industrialized, technological, and urbanized
conflict theory on prejudice
economic and structural inequality social structures serve interests of the powerful split labor market- division of workers reserve labor force- unemployed blaming the victim
Modernization Theory
elderly losing power and influence in society are the parallel forces of industrialization and modernization
continuity theory
elderly make specific choices to maintain consistency in internal and external structures remaining active and involved throughout their elder years.
conflict perspective on aging
elderly struggle with other groups—for example, younger society members—to retain a certain share of resources.
conflict perspective on global stratification
focus on creation and reproduction of inequality address inequality when core nations exploit resources of benefits only some not all
subculture of aging theory
focuses on the shared community created by the elderly when they are excluded (due to age), voluntarily or involuntarily, from participating in other groups
structural functionalism on gender
gender roles established before pre-industrial era women were limited by physical restraints of nursing and pregnancy roles were passed down to future generations
conflict theory on gender
gender roles result from male dominance problems are created when dominant groups oppress subordinate groups
who are the poor
geography: the South and rural race ethnicity: 9% white 21% latinos 26% african american education age least likely elder most likely children Head of household- feminization of poverty mother or father least likely to be poor single mother most likely
gerontocracy
government of the old
High income nation
highest standard of living, 80% of worlds nations $12.746 per capita
functionalist perspective on global stratification
how all aspects of society are integral to health and viability of a whole focus on why we have global inequality and what purpose it has
gender inequality worldwide
illiteracy higher in women than men women lag behind men in HS enrollment women poorly represented in politics (10% in world politics)
exchange theory
increasingly submit to the will of others because we have fewer ways of compelling others to submit to us Dowd
Minority (or subordinate) group
less control/power overself economic and political powerlessness
standard of living
level of wealth available in certain socioeconomic class in order to acquire the material necessities and comforts to maintain its lifestyle.
gender inequality
medicine and healthcare- 2x more likely to die politics- underrepresented (women) education- more females than males in college earn 57% BA degrees
functionalist theory on prejudice
moral justification to a society discourages minorities to question low status strengthen bonds failed use of recourses increases social problems
pluralism
mutual respect between the various groups in a society for one another's cultures, allowing minorities to express their own culture without experiencing prejudice or hostility
low income nations
nations with a low standard of living in which most people are poor $1.045 or less per capita average $528 per capita 28% urban areas
middle income nations
nations with a standard of living about average for the world as a whole between $1,045 and $12,746 average $7594 per capita 62% urban
Deindustrialization
no new companies open to replace jobs lost to foreign nations
what determines social class WEBER
not only property but people as well prestige- other skills power- ability to control others
Semipheriphery Nations
not powerful enough to dictate but major source for raw material
amalgamation
occurs when majority and minority groups combine to form a new group
feminist theory of gender
patriarchy is the cause of women's oppression mens contributions are seen more valuable than womens
institutional racism
patterns of discrimination based on ethnicity that have become structured into existing social institutions
global stratification
patterns of social inequality in the world as a whole
Baby Boomers
people born between 1946 and 1964
Functionalist Perspective on aging
people with better resources who stay active in other roles adjust better to old age
ageism who coined the term?
prejudice and discrimination directed at people because of their age
Senescence
process of aging
status inconsistency
ranking high on some dimensions of social class and low on others
racial steering
real estate agents advising customers to purchase homes in neighborhoods depending on their race
gender
refers to the physical, behavioral, and personality traits that a group considers normal for its male and female members
structural functionalism on sexuality
regulating sexual behavior to ensure marital cohesion and family stability talcott parsons regulation of sexual activity is important part of family functions
Filial Piety
respect shown by children for their parents and elders
scapegoating theory
says that prejudiced people believe they are society's victims dominant group will displace aggression onto subordinate group
gender roles
sets of behavioral norms assumed to accompany one's status as male or female
ethnicity
shared culture, which may include heritage, language, religion, and more
racial profiling
singling out an individual as a suspect due to appearance of ethnicity
Doing Gender
something we do or perform not something we are west and Zimmerman
relative property
state of living where people can afford necessities but are unable to meet societies average standard of living
Symbolic Interactionism perspective on global strat.
studies day to day impact on global inequality what someone in core nation def as poverty vs what someone in peripheral nation def as poverty
Gerontology
study of the aging process
age stratification theory
suggests that age is a way of regulating the behavior of a generation
Meritrocracy
system based on the belief that social stratification is the result of personal effort that determines social standing
labeling theory
the belief that individuals subconsciously notice how others see or label them, and their reactions to those labels over time form the basis of their self-identity
biological determinism
the belief that men and women behave differently due to inherent sex differences related to their biology
sexism
the belief that one sex is innately superior to the other
colorism
the belief that one type of skin tone is superior or inferior to another within a racial group
feminism
the belief that women should possess the same political and economic rights as men stratification according to gender is wrong
sex
the biological distinction between females and males
debt accumulation
the buildup of external debt
status consistency
the consistency of an individual's rank across social categories like income, education, and occupation
A minority group is distinguished by
unequal treatment and less power over their lives, distinguishing physical or cultural traits like skin color or language, involuntary membership in the group awareness of subordination high rate of in-group marriage Harris and Wagley
endogamous marriages
unions of people within the same social category
exogamous marriages
unions of spouses from different social categories
Discrimination
unjustifiable negative behavior or action toward a group and its members
Immanuel Wallerstein's World Systems Theory
uses economic basis to understand global inequality core nations peripheral nations semiperipheral nations
components of social class
wealth -net worth (income and property) power (mills-power elite power in hands of few) prestige- respect people give to occupations or accomplishments
caste system
where people can do little or nothing to change their social standing born into and remain in it their whole lives
disengagement theory
withdrawing from society and social relationships is a natural part of growing old