Sociology Ch 7

The system of segregation of racial and ethnic groups that was legal in South Africa between 1948 and 1991. Consequence was to create great disparity among those in the different strata of society

apartheid

A description characterizing workers who perform manual labor

blue collar

A social system with very little opportunity to move from one class to another

closed system

Developed by Melvin Lerner, argues that people have a deep need to see the world as orderly, predictable, and fair, which creates a tendency to view victims of social injustice as deserving their fates

just-world hypothesis

Who argued that that economic relationships were quickly becoming the only social relationships that mattered- capitalist had every economic advantage. He believed that classes would remain divided and social inequality would grow

karl marx

A social system with ample opportunities to move from one class to another

open system

The geographical separation of the poor from the rest of the population.

residential segregation

The social honor people are given because of their membership in well-regarded social groups

prestige

Composed primarily of "white collar" workers with a broad range of incomes; they constitute 30% of Us population. Skilled workers in technical/lower-management jobs, small entrepreneurs. $55,000-88,000; move up or down because of the recession; most with a two or four year degree. Most cannot afford their own homes

middle class

The tastes, habits, expectations, skills, knowledge, and other cultural dispositions that help us gain advantages in society

cultural capital

Coined by Oscar Lewis; entrenched attitudes that can develop among poor communities and lead the poor to accept their fate rather than attempt to improve their lot. Ex: hispanics in US and mexico excluded from the mainstream and so developed a way of life different from that of middle-class societies

culture poverty

The occupational movement of individuals or groups within a social class. Ex: therapist shifts career so that they can teach college experiences

horizontal social mobility

_______ believe that all social structures-including systems of inequality- are constructed from the building blocks of everyday interaction

interactionists

Movement between social classes that occurs from one generation to the next. Ex: when a child eventually moves into a different social class from that of their parents

intergenerational mobility

The movement between social classes that occurs during the course of an individual's lifetime. In other words, it's a measure of a persons status they were born into, and the social class status they achieve during their life time; can be measured in two directions

intragenerational mobility

The caste system is a reflection of what Hindus call _____, the complex moral law of cause and effect

karma

A system in which rewards are distributed based on merit

meritocracy

1. scholars and priests 2. rulers and warriors 3. merchants and traders 4. farmers, artisans, and laborers 5. social outcasts

Brahman, ksatriya or chhetri, vaisya, sudra, untouchables

____ argues that we make split-second judgments about who people are and which social status they occupied based on their appearance. _____ suggests that we make inferences about the status of others when we encounter them in different social situations

David Sudnow, Aaron Cicourel

_______ noted that we "read" different aspects of identity by interpreting the behavior of others and that we become accustomed to others "reading" our behavior in the same way

Erving Goffman

Who noted that owning the means of production was not the only way of achieving upper-class status; a person could also accumulate wealth consisting of income and property. Power should be considered as part of the equation when measuring a person's class standing

Max Weber

This person believed that social reproduction happens as a result of each generation's acquisition to cultural capital which can help or hinder the generation as they become adults

Pierre Bourdieu

true or false? Lower class = difficulties in finding a job, leads to unemployment/gov help. Lower-middle class = blue collar jobs/manual labor. Middle class = jobs found in service/info/tech sectors, need two incomes keep sustain household. Upper-middle = jobs in executive and professional fields. Upper class = influential in politics/business/culture control 33% of national wealth

true

Mostly professionals and managers who enjoy considerable financial stability, they constitute 14% of US population. $89,000-150,000; well educated/highly skilled/work in executive, managerial, and professional jobs

upper-middle class

A form of social stratification in which status is determined by one's family history and background and cannot be changed. Ex: a girl must marry a man her parents chose and that man is in the same strata as her

caste system

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

absolute deprivation

A person can become enslaved by ___ and ____.

dept, warfare

The removal of the rights of citizenship through economic, politic, or legal means

disenfranchisement

Awareness of one's own social status and that of others

everyday class consciousness

A system of social stratification based on hereditary nobility who were responsible for and serve by a lower stratum of forced laborers called serfs

feudal system

____ are people who avoid consumerism and who engage in strategies to support themselves without participating in a conventional economic system

freegans

Sam Walton, founder of Wal-Mart, and Hilary Swank, are examples of _______, because Sam was a farm boy/grad from state college and then turned into a billionaire business man. Hilary lived in her car in Los Angeles before landing a role in Boys dont cry; laterr earning an Oscar for Million dollar baby

problematic categories/status inconsistency

Residential segregation is exacerbated by the practice of _____, in which banks and mortgage lenders identify high-risk areas and either refuse mortgages to applicants from those neighborhoods or offer loans at prohibitively high rates. Keeps the poor from acquiring assets that might allow them to rise out of poverty and move to a more affluent neighborhood

redlining

A relative measure of poverty based on the standard of living in a particular society.

relative deprivation

A loosely knit movement that opposes consumerism and encourages people to work less, earn less, and spend less, in accordance with nonmaterialistic values. Encourages people to downshift by working less, earning less, and spending less in order to put their lifestyle in sync with their values

simplicity movement

The most extreme form of social stratification, based on legal ownership of people. Mainly for the purpose of providing labor for the owner, they aren't paid for their labor, they're bought and sold, and they are the lowest rank in the social hierarchy

slaves

A system of stratification based on access to such resources as wealth property, power, and prestige. Practiced primarily in capitalist societies. Can move up or down; not based on race, ethnicity, gender, or age (although it can overlap)

social class

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

social inequality

The movement of individuals or groups within the hierarchal system of social classes

social mobility

The tendency of social classes to remain relatively stable as social class status is passed down from one generation to the next

social reproduction

The division of society into groups arranged in social hierarchy. Members may be grouped according to their gender, age, race; some groups may be ranked higher than others

social stratification

A measure of an individual's place within a social class system; often used interchangeably with "class."

socioeconomic status (SES)

A situation in which there are serious differences between the different elements of an individual's socioeconomic status

status inconsistency

Changes in the social status of large numbers of people due to structural changes in society. Ex: the Depression affected many people; up or down the ladder

structural mobility

Characteristics of a society rather than an individual, social stratification persists over generations, different societies use different criteria for ranking members, and social stratification is maintained through beliefs that are widely shared by members of a society are:

the four basic principles of social stratification

True or false? According to Bourdieu, cultural capital also shapes the perceptions that others form about a person. For example, a candidate who can impress a potential employer with their social skills may be chosen over others who are less adept.

true

True or false? Blacks were forcibly removed from almost 80% of the country.They were relocated to independent homelands, and had to get a pass in order to go to the white areas, usually for work

true

True or false? Homelessness can remain invisible, government tries to get them off the streets so that they don't disturb the society/community, also because most of us feel discomfort and guilt. For ex: you may avoid eye contact, move away from a homelessness person

true

True or false? India is the country most closely associated with the caste system, based there in Hindu religion. The caste system ranks individuals into one of five categories

true

True or false? Karl Marx was concerned about a new kind of of social inequality that he saw emerging-between the capitalists (bourgeoisie), who owned the means of production, and the workers (proletariat), who owned only their own labor

true

True or false? Macrosociologists believe that there is little an individual can do to change systems of structured inequality.

true

True or false? Max Weber believed another important element in social class has to do with prestige. People's prestige can affect not only their wealth or power but also how they are perceived in social situations. Wealth/power/prestige interrelated because they often come together

true

True or false? One of the main goals of education is to make sure students get the chance to succeed both in school and life. But student's social class/background can affect this. Ex: those in low income areas, schools have fewer resources and difficult to attract qualified teachers. Those in higher SES, the higher the standards

true

True or false? SES influences the likely hood of death sentence/criminal setting. Those lower in SES more likely to commit crimes

true

True or false? Steve Biko and Nelson Mandela were known worldwide anti-apartheid leaders. In 1991 apartheid legal institution was abolished

true

True or false? The American Dream is more of an ideology; a belief system that explains and justifies some sort of social arrangement. The ideology of the American Dream legitimizes stratification by reinforcing the idea that everyone has the same chance to get ahead and that succeed, then logically we must also blame anyone who fails

true

True or false? The age at which people start a family and the number of children they have are also related to social class. Ex: census found that women with only high school diplomas had twice the birthrate of women with graduate degrees. Those less than high school education who gave birth, 64% unmarried

true

True or false? Those with higher education/higher SES feel healthier and live longer, about 5 more years, and engage in exercising more. Those in lower stratas least likely to obtain adequate nutrition/shelter/health care, can't afford and will wait until absolute emergency

true

True or false? Though welfare programs do help, researchers found that families leaving welfare, their income rose incrementally. Getting off welfare brings positive results, but often those results aren't strong enough to serve as much of an incentive

true

The poorest Americans who are chronically unemployed and may depend on public or private assistance; they constitute 5% US population. $7,500 or less; mostly found in inner cities where they live in substandard housing or homeless. Considered impoverished by federal gov. standards

underclass

A largely self-sustaining group of the wealthiest people in a class system; in the US, they constitute 1% of the population and possess most of the wealth of the country. At least $250,000 a year; highly educated/cultured/influential/private schools/prestige universities/seek positions of power government

upper class

Scavenging for usable food, clothing, and other goods. Along with sharing housing and transportation with others in order to work less and minimize their impact on the planet

urban foraging or dumpster diving

The movement between different class statuses, often called either upward mobility or downward mobility. Ex: therapist get hired for bigger corporations = move up or if their spouse lost their job, the therapist moves down the ladder

vertical social mobility

A measure of net worth that includes income, property, and other assets

wealth

South Africans were legally classified into four racial groups:

white (english and dutch) , indians (from india) , colored (mmixed race) , and black

A description characterizing workers and skilled laborers in technical and lower-management jobs

white collar

Mostly "blue collar" or service industry workers who are less likely to have a college degree; they constitute 30% of US population. Work in manual labor/service industry such as retail, restaurant, tourism; workers have little control in workplace. $23,000-54,000. Most live in rental homes or in modest home they have inherited/longed saved for

working class or lower-middle class

Poorly educated workers who work full-time but remain below the poverty line; they constitute 20% of US population. Not well educated; some not complete high school, lack in other work skills- seasonal jobs, temporary, housekeeping, migrant agriculture. $10,500-22,000.Some receive welfare subsidies

working poor