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