Soc: Chapter 7 (social class)

- Professionals and managers - Make up about 14% of the U.S. population

upper-middle class in U.S.

This system of stratification is based on status and family history. It cannot be changed.

caste

one with ample opportunities to move from one class to another

open system

the movement of individuals or groups within the hierarchical system of social classes

social mobility

More recently, Pierre Bourdieu attempted to explain _________, the tendency for social-class status to be passed down from one generation to the next.

social reproduction

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.) a. intergenerational b. intragenerational c. horizontal d. vertical e. circular

a,b,c,d

What percentage of the population do you think makes under $22,000 per year? a. 1% b. 10% c. 25%

c

- believed that there were two main social classes in capitalist societies: (a) Capitalists (or bourgeoisie), who owned the means of production (b) Workers (or proletariat), who sold their labor for wages - believed that the classes would remain divided and social inequality would grow

Karl Marx

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

absolute deprivation

comparing your salary to the cost of living -vs- comparing your salary to the salary of others

absolute deprivation -vs- relative deprivation

T/F: 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.

b

The tendency of social classes to remain relatively stable as social class status is passed down from one generation to the next is called a. cultural capital. b. social prestige. c. social reproduction. d. class consciousness.

c

Which person is likely to confer the greatest status in the United States? a. a black male b. a black female c. a white male d. a white female

c

a form of social stratification in which status is determined by one's family history and background and cannot be changed

caste system

one in which there is very little opportunity to move from one class to another

closed system

Marx was a ______ theorist, meaning that he was interested in the conflict between these two classes. He believed that eventually the workers would revolt against the capitalists because of the oppression they felt.

conflict

Every society has some form of stratification, but societies stratify people according to a variety of _____ (such as race, class, and gender).

criteria

- tastes, habits, expectations, skills, knowledge - either helps or hinders us as we become adults - For instance, it is very helpful for business people to know how to play golf, as many important business deals are struck on a golf course. Growing up in a family that can teach you that how to play golf can give you some cultural capital that will be very advantageous

cultural capital

social reproduction occurs because each generation acquires ______ which helps us to gain advantages in society.

cultural capital

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

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

culture of poverty

the movement between social classes that occurs over the course of an individual's lifetime ex. a man who is a secretary but then goes back to school to become a lawyer. The mobility in that situation would be within his own lifetime and would likely change his social class.

intragenerational mobility

- Many poor people, who typically have lower levels of literacy than other classes - Make up about 20% of the U.S. population

lower class in U.S.

- "White-collar" workers - Have a broad range of incomes - Make up about 30% of the U.S. population

middle class in U.S.

America technically has an ______ system (it is legal and permissible for people to move between classes), but we can notice structural patterns where people tend to stay very close to the class they were raised in.

open

Residential segregation, political disenfranchisement, and the use of law enforcement to control the homeless can make ____ invisible to many Americans.

poverty

- 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

relative deprivation

- the most extreme form of social stratification and is based on the legal ownership of people - Slaves aren't even considered to be people—they are considered the property of the slave owner. This is an extreme form of stratification because the individuals who are slaves have no access to pursuing the resources available in society and no opportunity for social mobility

slavery

This system of stratification is based on the legal ownership of people.

slavery

This system of stratification is based on access to key resources such as wealth, power, and property.

social class

refers to a system of stratification based on access to resources such as wealth, property, power, and prestige. Sociologists often refer to it as socioeconomic status (or SES).

social class

the unequal distribution of wealth, power, or prestige among members of a society.

social inequality

- the division of society into groups arranged in a social hierarchy - a characteristic of society; it persists over generations and is maintained through beliefs that are widely shared by members of society

social stratification

refers to changes in the social status of large numbers of people due to structural changes in society ex. Women entering the workplace during World War II

structural mobility

- Suggests that the system of stratification that has emerged is functional to society in many ways: (a) Certain roles are more important for the functioning of society, and these roles may be more difficult to fill, so more incentive is needed. (b) Greater rewards are necessary for work that requires more training or skill.

structural-functional theory

examine the way we use status differences to categorize ourselves and others

symbolic interactionsts

The ideology of the _____ 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.

the American Dream

anyone can achieve material success if he or she works hard enough

the American Dream

T/F: Belonging to a certain social class has profound consequences for individuals in all areas of life, including education, employment, and medical care

true

T/F: Every society has some form of stratification.

a

theory that hard work is justly rewarded; the American Dream supports this

meritocracy

- the term for the system of segregation of racial and ethnic groups that was legal in South Africa between 1948 and 1991 - legally classified into four main racial groups: white (English and Dutch heritage), Indian (from India), "colored" (mixed race), and black.

Apartheid

pointed out that our clothing, speech, gestures, possessions, friends, and activities provide information about our socioeconomic status

Erving Goffman

- offered a similar model to Marx that also included cultural factors. - He argued that class status was made of three components: (3-pronged image of power) (a) Wealth (or privilege) - money and investments (b) Power - political, or ability to make change in a system (c) Prestige - social honor people are given bc of their membership in well-regarded social groups

Max Weber

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? a. structural functionalist b. conflict theorist c. symbolic interactionist

a

We call entrenched attitudes that can develop among poor communities and lead the poor to accept their fate a. the culture of poverty. b. the just-world hypothesis. c. disenfranchisement. d. social welfare.

a

What percentage of the population do you think makes over $250,000 per year? a. 1% b. 10% c. 25%

a

Max Weber argued that there were several important components of social class. Which of the following is NOT one of the components? a. prestige b. power c. wealth d. morals

d

During periods of economic recession, we may see ____ _____ mobility for many people at once due to layoffs and company closures.

downward social

India, Apartheid

examples of cast system

T/F: In America, all citizens have equal chances of obtaining significant wealth during their lifetime.

false

- an absolute measure of annual income - frequently used to determine who should be categorized as poor

federal poverty line

The _____ perspective helps to explain the existing system of social stratification and its persistence, but it still leaves us with questions about the structured inequalities that the system continues to reproduce.

functionalist

the occupational movement of individuals or groups within a social class ex. a therapist who shifts careers so that he can teach college experiences horizontal mobility.

horizontal social mobility

the movement between social classes that occurs from one generation to the next ex. a plumber who has a daughter who becomes a doctor. There was class movement between generations

intergenerational mobility

- Wealthiest people in a class system - Make up about 1% of the U.S. population - Possess most of the wealth of the country

upper class in the U.S.

the movement between social classes and, depending on the direction, is often called either upward mobility or downward mobility ex. therapist marries a president of a large corporation, he might experience upward mobility.

vertical social mobility

- "Blue-collar" or service industry workers - Less likely to have college degrees - Make up about 30% of the U.S. population

working (lower-middle) class in U.S.