Sociology: The Structure of Inequality

The upper class

The wealthiest people in a class system Possess most of the wealth of the country Comprise 1% of the population but total net worth greater than 99% of the population

Relative deprivation

a relational 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.

Absolute deprivation

an objective measure of poverty that is defined by the inability to meet minimal standards for food, shelter, clothing or health care

Weber Theory

offered a model that included cultural factors Argued that class status was made up of 3 things: power, prestige, wealth (prestige)

Culture of poverty

refers to learned attitudes that can develop among poor communities and lead the poor to accept their fate rather than attempt to improve their situation

Structural mobility

refers to the social status of large numbers of people due to structural changes in society

culture of poverty critique

tends to blame the victims of poverty for their own misfortune while failing to take into account the structural factors that shape culture

Social stratification

the division of society into groups arranged in a social hierarchy. Maintained through widely shared beliefs. Characteristics of society

The American Dream

the ideology that anyone can achieve material success if he or she works hard enough the that hard is justly rewarded

Intergenerational mobility

the movement between social classes that occurs from one gen to the next

Intragenerational mobility

the movement between social classes that occurs over the course of an individual's life

Social mobility

the movement of individuals or groups within the hierarchical system of social classes A closed system is one in which there is very little opportunity to move from one class to another An open system is one with ample opportunities to move from one class to another.

Intersectionality

A concept that identified how different categories of inequality interact

The American Dream critique

Has been criticized for legitimizing stratification by implying that everyone has the same opportunity to get ahead

Bourdieu theory:

each generation acquires cultural capital (tastes, habits, expectations, skills, knowledge) which helps us to gain advantages in society