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