Sociology Chapter 7: Social Class- The Structure of Inequality
vertical social mobility
the movement between social classes and, depending on the direction, is often called either upward or downward mobility.
intergenerational mobility
the movement between social classes that occurs from one generation to the next
intragenerational mobility
the movement between social classes that occurs over the course of an individuals lifetime
social mobility
the movement of individuals or groups within the hierarchical system of social classes
horizontal social mobility
the occupational movement of individuals or groups within a social class
structural-functional theory
the system of stratification that has emerged is functional to society in many ways: certain roles are more important for the functioning of society, and greater rewards are necessary for work that requires more training or skill.
social reproduction
the tendency for social-class status to be passed down from one generation to the next
what are the social classes in the united states?
the upper class, upper-middle class, middle class, lower-middle (working) class
workers (proletariat)
those who sold their labor for wages
true or false: belonging to a certain social class has profound consequences for individuals in all areas of life, including education, employment, and medical care
true
true or false: in the united states, the federal poverty line (an absolute measure of annual income) is frequently used to determine who should be categorized a poor
true
true or false: the ideology of the American dream explains and justifies our social system, but it has been criticized for legitimizing stratification by implying that everyone has the same opportunity to get ahead
true
true or false:Every society has some form of stratification.
true
upper class
wealthiest people, 1% of the population, possess most of the wealth in the country
closed system
one in which there is very little opportunity to move from one class to another
open system
one in with ample opportunities to move from one class to another
capitalists (bourgeoisie)
who owned the means of production
caste system
a form of social stratification in which status is determined by ones family history and background and cannot be changed
relative deprivation
a relative measure of poverty based on the standards of living; people are considered poor if their standard of living is less than that of other members of society
social class/socioeconomic status
a system of stratification based on access to resources such as wealth, property, power, and prestige
absolute deprivation
an objective measure of poverty that is defined by the inability to meet minimal standards for food, shelter, clothing, or health care
American dream
anyone can achieve material success if he or she works hard enough
what are the two main social classes in capitalist societies?
capitalists and workers
structural mobility
changes in the social status of large numbers of people due to structural changes in society
Weberian theory
class status is made of three components: wealth (privilege) , power, prestige.
what provides information about our socioeconomic status?
clothing, speech, gestures, activities, possessions, and friends
Max Weber argued that there were several important components of social class. Which of the following is NOT one of the components?
morals
lower class
poor people, who typically have lower levels of literacy, 20% of the population
upper-middle class
professionals and managers, 14% of the population
lower-middle (working) class
"blue collar" workers, less likely to have a college degree, 30% of the population
middle class
"white collar workers", broad range of incomes, 30% of population
why does social reproduction happen?
each generation acquires cultural capital, which helps us to gain advantage in society
symbolic interactionists
examines the way we use status differences to categorize ourselves and others
General predictions can often be made about a person's life chances based on their socioeconomic status. In general, people of lower socioeconomic status are less likely to encounter the criminal justice system.
false
true or false:In America, all citizens have equal chances of obtaining significant wealth during their lifetime.
false
Social mobility is the movement of an individual within social class. Select the different types of mobility that can exist in a society at any given time. (Choose all that apply.)
intergenerational intragenerational horizontal vertical
culture of poverty
learned attitudes that can develop among poor communities and lead the poor to accept their fate rather than attempt to improve their situation
Consider the three major theoretical perspectives routinely explored throughout the text. Which theorist explores the ways in which poverty serves a purpose in our society by providing jobs to many people in the social service sector?
structural functionalist
apartheid
system of segregation of racial and ethnic groups that was legal in South Africa between 1948 and 1991
cultural capital
tastes, habits, expectations, skills, knowledge, etc.
slavery
the most extreme form of social stratification and is based on the legal ownership of people