Sociology Chapter 8

Conspicuous consumption

A lavish spending on a goods and services to display one's social status and enhance ones prestige

Cultural Capitol

Advanced degrees and assets such as style of speech, table manners, and physical appearances What you know

Open system

Allows movement up or down because people's achievements affect mobility

Gender pay gap

The overall income difference between women and men in the workplace

Modernization theory

Claims that low income countries are poor because their leaders don't have the attitudes and values that lead to experimentation and using modern technology

Symbolic interactionists

Focuses on how people create, change, and reproduce social classes Social context shape social class and affects mobility Socialize children differently

World System theory

Argues that "the economic realities of the world system help rich countries stay rich while poor countries stay poor"

Prestige

Based on wealth, family background, power and accomplishments

Income

Can include rent, interest on savings accounts Usually spent on everyday expenses

Lower-middle class

Composed of people in non manual occupations that require some training beyond high school Most rely on 2 incomes to maintain a comfortable standard of living

Working class

Consists of skilled and semiskilled laborers Most occupations are blue collar Jobs don't require a college education but offer little or no opportunity for advancement

Culture of poverty

Contends that people are poor because they're personally "deficient" or "inadequate"

Dependency theory

Contends that the main reason why low income countries are poor is because they're pawns that high income countries exploit and dominate

Wealth

Cumulative, increases over time, especially through investment Passed on overtime/to next generation Preserves privileges

Poverty Line

Department of Agriculture (DOA) estimates the annual cost of food that meets the minimum nutritional guidelines and the multiplies it by 3 to cover minimum cost of clothing, housing, healthcare etc.

Status consistency

Equal in terms of wealth, prestige and power

Feminist

Favors Men Women in poverty Discrimination

Economic Capitol

Income and other monetary assets (property) Things you own

Upper-middle class

Live on income rather than accumulated or inherited wealth Occupations usually require PH.D. or advanced professional degree

Extreme Poverty

Living on less than $1.25 a day

Closed system

Movement from one social position to another is limited by ascribed status

Social Capital

Networks comprised of influential people Who you know (help you)

Lower-upper class

Nouveau riche: new money Many worked for income rather than inherit Includes high level managers of international corporations, those who earn at least 1 million dollars a year, and some highly paid athletes and actors

Under class

Occupies the bottom rung of the economic ladder, consists of people who are persistently poor, residentially segregated and relatively isolated Most are chronically unemployed or drift in and out of jobs Many dependent on government programs

Upper-upper class

Old rich, been wealthy for generations White males shape the economic and political climate

Status inconsistency

Person ranks differently on stratification factors

Functionalism

Sees stratification as both necessary and inevitable

Social reproduction

Stay in same class

Conflict

Stratification harms society Dysfunctional Reduced to 2 social classes Capitalists motivated by profit

Habitus

The habits of speech and lifestyle that determine where a person feels comfortable and knowledgeable

Intergenerational Mobility

This is an example of what? If someone's parents are blue collar or in a low class and their child moves up to middle class.

Intragenerational Mobility

This is an example of what? Moving from a nurse assistant to a PA to a RN (nurse)

Lower Prestige

This level of prestige occupations include: janitors, carpenters, bartenders, garbage collectors, truck driver and food servers

Medium Prestige

This level of prestige occupations include: legislators police officers, actors, librarians, realtors and firefighters

Higher Prestige

This level of prestige occupations include: physicians, lawyers, pharmacists, college professors, architects, dentists and teachers

Functionalism

Universal Benefits society Variety of positions to fill Some positions are more crucial than others Some require more training than others

Upper-middle class

What class includes corporate executives and managers, high government officials, owners of large businesses, physicians, successful lawyers and stockbrokers?

Lower-middle class

What class includes office staff, low level managers, medical and dental technicians, secretaries, police officers and sales workers?

Working poor

Work at least 27 weeks a year but whose wages fall below official poverty level Women are more likely than men to be in working poor

meritocracy

a belief that social stratification is based on people's accomplishments.

social stratification

a society's ranking of people based on their access to valued resources such as wealth, power, and prestige.

socioeconomic status (SES)

an overall ranking of a person's position in society based on income, education, and occupation.

wealth

economic assets that a person or family owns.

social mobility

movement from one social class to another.

intragenerational mobility

movement up or down a social class over one's lifetime.

intergenerational mobility

movement up or down a social class over two or more generations

absolute poverty

not having enough money to afford the basic necessities of life.

relative poverty

not having enough money to maintain an average standard of living.

slavery system

people own others as property and have almost total control over their lives.

underclass

people who are persistently poor and seldom employed, residentially segregated, and relatively isolated from the rest of the population.

social class

people who have a similar standing or rank in a society based on wealth, education, power, prestige, and other valued resources.

working poor

people who work at least 27 weeks a year but whose wages fall below the official poverty level.

caste system

people's positions are ascribed at birth and largely fixed.

prestige

respect, recognition, or regard attached to social positions.

corporate welfare

subsidies, tax breaks, and assistance that the government has created for businesses.

power

the ability to influence or control the behavior of others despite opposition.

feminization of poverty

the disproportionate number of the poor who are women.

life chances

the extent to which people have positive experiences and can secure the good things in life because they have economic resources.

Davis-Moore thesis

the functionalist view that social stratification benefits a society.

poverty line

the minimal income level that the federal government considers necessary for basic subsistence (also called the poverty threshold).

income

the money a person receives, usually through wages or salaries, but can also include other earnings.

infant mortality rate

the number of babies under age 1 who die per 1,000 live births in a given year.

bourgeoisie

those who own and control capital and the means of production.

proletariat

workers who sell their labor for wages.

global stratification

worldwide inequality patterns that result from differences in wealth, power, and prestige.