Sociology Final - Chapter 8
Social Inequality
A condition in which members of society have differing amounts of wealth, prestige, and power; Some degree of this characterizes every society
Relative poverty
A floating standard of deprivation by which people at the bottom of a society, whatever their lifestyles, are judged to be disadvantaged in comparison with with the nation as a whole
Caste
A hereditary rank, usually religiously dictated that tends to be fixed and immobile; An ascribed status ( at birth children automatically assume the same position as their parents); Sharply defined
Socioeconomic Status
A measure of social class that is based income, education, and occupation; Speak of this when researches use multiple measures in measuring social class
Absolute poverty
A minimum level of subsistence that no family should be expected to live below (poverty line)
Life chances
A person's opportunities to provide themselves with material goods, positive living conditions, and favorable life experiences; Reflected in measures such as housing, education, and health
Ascribed status
A social position assigned to a person by society without regard for the person's unique talents or characteristics; Most affluent families = inherit wealth and status, Racial & ethnic minorities = inherit disadvantaged status
Achieved status
A social position that a person attains largely through his or her own efforts
Class system
A social ranking based primarily on economic position in which achieved characteristics can influence social mobility
Open stratification system
A social system in which the position of each individual is influenced by his or her achieved status; Encourages competition among members of society
Closed stratification system
A social system in which there is little or no possibility of individual social mobility; Ex: slavery and caste systems
Estate
A system of stratification under which peasants were required to work land leased to them by nobles in exchange for military protection and other services; Also known as feudalism; The basis for the system was the nobles' ownership of land, which was critical to their superior and privileged status
Feminization of poverty
A trend in which women constitute an increasing proportion of the poor people of both the United States and the world; Since WW2; Major factors of this include the increase in families with women as single heads of the household
Upper class
About 1-2% of the people of the United States; this groups is wealthy and associate in exclusive clubs and social circles
Transition (due to economic crisis caused by the departure, disability or death of a husband), Welfare (or friends and family nearby)
About 1/2 of all women living in poverty in the United States are in ___________ and the other 1/2 tend to be dependent on ________
Upper-middle class
About 10-15% of the population; Includes professionals such as doctors, lawyers and architects; Participate extensively in politics and take leadership roles
Lower class
About 20-25% of the population; disproportionately consists of Blacks, Hispanics, single mothers, and people who cannot find work; lack wealth and income
Lower-middle class
About 30-35% of the population; Includes less affluent professionals such as teachers and nurses, owners of small businesses
Working class
About 40-45% of the population; People who hold regular manual or blue-collar jobs; this class is declining noticeable in size
Capitalism
An economic system in which the means of production are held largely in private hands and the main incentive for economic activity is in the accumulation of profits
Wealth
An inclusive term encompassing all of the person's material assets
Davis Moore Thesis (Functionalist Perspective)
Argues that stratification is universal and that social inequality is beneficial to society; Necessary so that people will be motivated to fill functionally important positions in society and motivate people to perform duties associated with positions
Age and Gender
Ascribed statuses; Are two things that influence a person's wealth and social position
Industrialization
Based in manufacturing; Doesn't capture variation especially in post-industrial society
Max Weber
Came up with the idea of life chances
Social Class
Group of people who share similar economic and social position in society
Power
Influence; The ability to get people to do things otherwise not to do; Often related to wealth but also gender, age, race, etc.; The ability to exercise one's will over others
Intragenerational mobility
Involves changes in social position within a person's adult life; EX: A woman who begins work as a teacher's aide and eventually becomes superintendent of the school district
Intergenerational mobility
Involves changes in the social position of children relative to their parents; EX: A plumber whose father was a physician
Class standing
Is achieved but heavily dependent on family and ascribed factors such as race and ethnicity
Income
Money received as wages, salaries, rents, investment proceeds from business
Slavery
Most extreme form of legalized social inequality for both individuals and groups; A system of enforced servitude in which some people are owned by other people
Max Weber
Questioned the emphasis on the overriding importance of the economic sector, arguing that stratification should be viewed as having many dimensions; Identified 3 distinct components of stratification
Prestige
Recognition, respect and admiration society attaches to particular social position; Wealth, power and occupation
Social mobility
Refers to the movement of individuals or groups from one position in a society's stratification system to another
Means of production
Resources like machines, factories, land that is used to produce wealth
Theory of cumulative disadvantage
States that if you begin life with fewer resources you have less opportunity to accumulate more resources; Continue to fall further and further behind; Disadvantages compound because of missed opportunities early on
Karl Marx
Strongly stressed the significance of class for society and for social change; Viewed class differentiation as the crucial determinant of social, economic, and political inequality; Concerned with stratification in all types of human society
Higher, higher
The _______ the social class, the ______ your life chances
Bourgeoisie
The capitalist class who own most of society's wealth and means of production such as factories and machinery
Social Stratification
The division of society in a way that that some categories of people get more resources than others; unequal access to things they want in any society
Underclass
The long-term poor who lack training and skills; Used by social scientists, sociologist William Julius Wilson and his colleagues; Blacks and Latinos are more likely than Whites to be persistently poor and less likely to leave the welfare rolls as a result of welfare reform
Vertical mobility
The movement of an individual from one social position to another of a different rank; can go upward or downward; EX: going form teacher to lawyer or teacher to bank teller
Horizontal mobility
The movement of an individual from one social position to another of the same rank; EX: An elementary school teacher who becomes a police officer
Conspicuous consumption (Interactionist Perspective)
Those at the top of the social hierarchy typically convert part of their wealth into this; Purchasing goods not to survive but to flaunt one's superior wealth and social standing
Class
To refer to a group of people who have similar level of wealth and income
Status group
To refer to people who have the same prestige or lifestyle
Daniel Rossides
Used a five class model to describe the class system of the United States
Difficulty finding affordable health care, sexual harassment, sex discrimination
What 3 factors do conflict theorists and other observers trace the higher rates of poverty among women back to?
Better health care, private doctors, food, clean drinking water, air pollution, safety
What 6 things do higher social classes have when it comes to health?
Hinduism in India and other countries
What and where is the caste system generally associated with?
Income, Property
What are the 2 main material assets.
Wealth, Power, Prestige
What are the 3 things Max Weber believes social class is based on?
Castes, Estates, Slavery, Social Classes
What are the 4 general systems of stratification?
Horizontal, Vertical, Intergenerational, Intragenerational
What are the 4 types of social mobility?
Upper, upper-middle, lower-middle, working, lower
What are the 5 classes in Rossides 5 class model?
Capitalists, Workers
What did Karl Marx believe were the 2 social classes of social stratification?
Stratification
What is it referred to when a system of social inequality is based on hierarchy (ranking one above the other) of groups
Economic System
What is the key to society?
Interactionist
What perspective believes that unequal access to resources influences everyday experiences especially in terms of life chances; Believes the purpose of social stratification is to influence people's lifestyles; Believe social inequality influences intergroup relations; Believe the wealthy exhibit conspicuous consumption and conspicuous leisure
Conflict
What perspective believes that unequal access to resources is reflection of differences in power built into social system; Believes the purpose of social stratification is to make it easier to exploit (treat someone unfairly); Believe social inequality is excessive and growing; Believe the wealthy use dominant ideology to further their own interests
Functionalist
What perspective believes the unequal distribution of resources is necessary to get people to fill positions in social structure; Believe the purpose of social stratification is to make it easier to fill social positions; Believe social inequality is necessary to come extent; Believe the wealthy are talented and skilled and create opportunities for others
Class, status, power
What were the 3 things Max Weber identified as the 3 distinct components of stratification
Property
What you own including land, buildings, household goods
Proletariat
Workers or working-class people; Will eventually lead to the destruction of the capitalist system (workers will revolt)