Soc Ch 8

Which statement represents stratification from the perspective of symbolic interactionism?

After work, Pat, a janitor, feels more comfortable eating in a truck stop than a French restaurant.

underclass

America's lowest tier. Members of the underclass live mainly in inner cities. Many are unemployed or underemployed

Class Traits

Class markers. typical behaviors, customs, and norms that define each class

When Karl Marx said workers experience alienation, he meant that workers:

Do not feel connected to their work Marx believed social stratification resulted from people's relationship to production

In the US most people define themselves as

Middle Class

Which graphic concept best illustrates the concept of social stratification

Pyramid

Class

a group who shares a common social status based off of factors like wealth income education and occupation

premogeniture

a law stating that all property passes on to the first born son

downward mobility

a lowering of ones social class

social stratification

a socioeconomic system that divides societies members into categories ranking from high to low, based on things like wealth, power, and prestige

upward mobility

an increase-upward shift- in social class

conspicuous consumption

buying and using products to make a statement about social standing (fancy car, sneakers, expensive eco friendly water bottle)

Global Stratification

comparison of wealth, economic stability, status, and power of countries as a whole

JD Foster

defines the 20 percent of America's highest earners as "upper income," and the lower 20 percent as "lower income." The remaining 60 percent of the population make up the middle class

Unlike Davis and Moore, Melvin Tumin believed that, because of social stratification, some qualified people were _______ higher-level job positions.

denied the opportunity to obtain

intergenerational mobility

difference in social class between different generations of a family

intragenerational mobility

difference in social class between the same generations of a family

Functionalism

different aspects of society exist because they serve a needed purpose

Conflict theorists view capitalists as those who:

get rich while workers stay poor. Conflict theorists against social stratification

GDP

gross domestic product, a country's average national wealth per person. The GDP is calculated (usually annually) one of two ways: by totaling either the income of all citizens or the value of all goods and services produced in the country during the year. It also includes government spending. GDP indicates a country's productivity and performance, comparing GDP rates helps establish a country's economic health in relation to other countries

lower middle class

hold bachelor's degrees or associate's degrees from two-year community or technical college

meritocracy

ideal system in which personal effort-or merit- determines social standing

Occupational Prestige

jobs are not equally valued

standard of living

level of wealth available to acquire material goods and comforts to maintain a particular socioeconomic lifestyle

income

money a person earns from investments or work

The Industrial Revolution

saw the rise of vast inequalities between countries that were industrialized and those that were not

The basic premise of the Davis-Moore thesis is that the unequal distribution of rewards in social stratification

serves a purpose in society

class system

social standing based on social factors and individual accomplishments

Caste System

system in which people are born into a social standing that they will retain their entire lives

Upper-middle-class

tend to hold bachelor's and postgraduate degrees. They've studied subjects such as business, management, law, or medicine

social mobility

the ability to change positions within a social stratification system

The GNI PPP figure represents:

the average annual income of a country's citizens

status consistency

the consistency, or lack of, of an individuals rank across social categories like income, education, and occupation

Working-class people

the highest subcategory of the lower class, often land decent jobs in fields like custodial or food service. The work is hands-on and often physically demanding, such as landscaping, cooking, cleaning, or building.

working poor

their jobs rarely offer benefits such as healthcare or retirement planning, and their positions are often seasonal or temporary. They work as sharecroppers, migrant farm workers, housecleaners, and day laborers

Symbolic interactionism

theory that uses everyday interactions of individuals to explain society. Symbolic interactionism examines stratification from a micro-level perspective. This analysis strives to explain how people's social standing affects their everyday interactions (food, music, clothing)

Davis Moore Thesis

thesis that argues some social stratification is necessary. Certain tasks in society are more valuable than others. Qualified people who fill those positions must be rewarded more than others. the degree of skill required for a job determines that job's importance

exogamous marriage

union of spouses from different social categories

endogamous marriage

unions of people with the same social category

wealth

value of money and assets a person has from, for example, inheritance

structural mobility

when societal changes enable a whole group to move up or down the class ladder