Sociology Chapter 7

Socioeconomic status (SES)

a measure of an individual's place within a social class system; often used interchangeably with 'class' (page 184)

Wealth

a measure of net worth that includes income, property, and other assets (page 188)

Relative deprivation

a relative measure of poverty based on the standard of living in a particular society (page 199)

Status inconsistency

a situation in which an individual has differing levels of status in terms of wealth, power, prestige, or other elements of socioeconomic status (page 187)

Open system

a social system with ample opportunities to move from one class to another (page 198)

Closed system

a social system with very little opportunity to move from one class to another (page 198)

Meritocracy

a system in which rewards are distributed based on merit (page 207)

Feudal system

a system of social stratification based on a hereditary nobility who were responsible for and served by a lower stratum of forced laborers called serfs (page 187)

Social class

a system of stratification based on access to such resources as wealth, property, power, and prestige (page 184)

Upper class

an elite and largely self-sustaining group who possess most of the country's wealth; they constitute about 1 percent of the U.S. population (page 185)

Absolute deprivation

an objective measure of poverty, defined by the inability to meet minimal standards for food, shelter, clothing, or health care (page 199)

Just-world hypothesis

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 of their fates (page 203)

Everyday class consciousness

awareness of one's own social status and that of others (page 192)

Structural mobility

changes in the social status of large numbers of people as a result of structural changes in society (page 199)

Heterogamy

choosing romantic partners who are dissimilar to us in terms of class, race, education, religion, and other social group membership (page 192)

Hypogamy

marrying 'down' in the social class hierarchy (page 193)

Hypergamy

marrying 'up' in the social class hierarchy (page 193)

Intergenerational mobility

movement between social classes that occurs from one generation to the next (page 198)

Working poor

poorly educated manual and service workers who may work full-time but remain near or below the poverty line; they constitute about 13 percent of the U.S. population (page 186)

Middle class

social class composed primarily of white-collar workers with a broad range of education and incomes; they constitute about 30 percent of the U.S. population (page 186)

Working class or lower-middle class

social class consisting of mostly blue-collar or service industry workers who are less likely to have a college degree; they constitute about 30 percent of the U.S. population (page 186)

Upper-middle class

social class consisting of mostly highly educated professionals and managers who have considerable financial stability; they constitute about 14 percent of the U.S. population (page 185)

Social stratification

the division of society into groups arranged in a social hierarchy (page 182)

Residential segregation

the geographical separation of the poor from the rest of an area's population (page 204)

Slavery

the most extreme form of social stratification, based on the legal ownership of people (page 182)

Vertical social mobility

the movement between different class statuses, often called either upward mobility or downward mobility (page 199)

Intragenerational mobility

the movement between social classes that occurs during the course of an individual's lifetime (page 198)

Horizontal social mobility

the movement of individuals or groups within a particular social class, most often a result of changing occupations (page 198)

Social mobility

the movement of individuals or groups within the hierarchical system of social classes (page 198)

Underclass

the poorest group, comprising the homeless and chronically unemployed who may depend on public or private assistance; they constitute about 12 percent of the U.S. population (page 186)

Disenfranchisement

the removal of the rights of citizenship through economic, political, or legal means (page 204)

Prestige

the social honor people are given because of their membership in well-regarded social groups (page 188)

Apartheid

the system of segregation of racial and ethnic groups that was legal in South Africa between 1948 and 1991 (page 183)

Cultural capital

the tastes, habits, expectations, skills, knowledge, and other cultural assets that help us gain advantages in society (page 191)

Social reproduction

the tendency of social classes to remain relatively stable as class status is passed down from one generation to the next (page 191)

Homogamy

the tendency to choose romantic partners who are similar to us in terms of class, race, education, religion, and other social group membership (page 192)

Digital divide

the unequal access to computer and Internet technology, both globally and within the United States (page 205)

Social inequality

the unequal distribution of wealth, power, or prestige among members of a society (page 182)

Intersectionality

a concept that identifies how different categories of inequality (race, class, gender, etc.) intersect to shape the lives of individuals and groups (page 184)

White-collar

a description characterizing lower-level professional and management workers and some highly skilled laborers in technical jobs (page 186)

Blue-collar

a description characterizing skilled and semi-skilled workers who perform manual labor or work in service or clerical jobs (page 186)

Caste system

a form of social stratification in which status is determined by one's family history and background and cannot be changed (page 183)

Simplicity movement

a loosely knit movement that opposes consumerism and encourages people to work less, earn less, and spend less, in accordance with nonmaterialistic values (page 208)

Culture of poverty

entrenched attitudes that can develop among poor communities and lead the poor to accept their fate rather than attempt to improve their lot (page 203)