6.) Social Class and Inequality, Theories of Social Class, Poverty

Which person is likely to confer the greatest status in the United States? -A black male -A black female -A white male -A white female

A white male

Something to think about - In your opinion, which of the following best represents the "American Dream"? -The American Flag -A white picket fence -A wallet full of money

A white picket fence

Upper class

The wealthiest people in a class system Possess most of the wealth of the country Comprise 1% of the U.S. population (Bill Gates, celebrities)

What are the major social classes in the U.S. Name and describe each, while also mentioning some statistics.

Upper class Upper-middle class Middle class Working (lower-middle) class Working poor Underclass

Something to think about personally - Are you a first-generation college student?

Yes, I am first in my family to go to college (and hopefully finish it).

General predictions can often be made about a person's life chances based on their socioeconomic status. In general, are people of lower socioeconomic status less likely to encounter the criminal justice system?

No, they're more likely to encounter the criminal justice system.

What is vertical social mobility?

The movement between social classes and, depending on the direction, is often called either upward mobility or downward mobility. Think up and down (vertical): actual movement between social classes.

What is intergenerational mobility?

The movement between social classes that occurs from one generation to the next.

What is intragenerational mobility?

The movement between social classes that occurs over the course of an individual's lifetime.

Discuss what is social mobility and different kinds of social mobility.

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.

What is relative deprivation, in regard to poverty?

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.

Apartheid is best described as which of the following types of social systems? -Slavery -Modern-day slavery -Caste -Social class

Caste system (India, and more recently, South Africa)

Working (lower-middle) class

Includes "Blue-collar" or service industry workers Is less likely to have college degrees Makes up about 30% of the U.S. population

Middle class

Includes "White-collar" workers Has a broad range of incomes Makes up about 30% of the U.S. population

Upper-middle class

Includes professionals and managers Makes up about 14% of the U.S. population (professionals, CEO's, managers, etc.):

Something to think about personally - Which of the following do you feel best describes your family? -Upper class -Middle class -Working class

Middle class

Something to think about personally - What is more important to you in your future career, prestige or money?

Prestige

What is structural mobility?

Refers to changes in the social status of large numbers of people due to structural changes in society. It is more on a whole society level, whereas the other two are individually-based.

What is 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.

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

Social reproduction

Differentiate between social stratification and social inequality.

Social stratification - the division of society into groups arranged in a social hierarchy Every society has some form of stratification, but societies stratify people according to a variety of criteria (such as race, class, and gender). Social inequality - the unequal distribution of wealth, power, or prestige among members of a society.

What is the view of structural-functional theory on social class?

Suggests that the system of stratification that has emerged is functional to society in many ways: -Certain roles are more important for the functioning of society, and these roles may be more difficult to fill, so more incentive is needed. -Greater rewards are necessary for work that requires more training or skill. Basically suggests that no societal class system = no structure/function for society.

What is the view of symbolic interaction theory on social class?

Symbolic interactionists examine the way we use status differences to categorize ourselves and others. As Erving Goffman pointed out, our clothing, speech, gestures, possessions, friends, and activities provide information about our socioeconomic status. You are able to judge one's class based on how he/she is seen (also by looking at their friends and possessions). This can be accurate but doesn't have to be because one can be rich, but still be modest and humble about how he/she dress for example.

Discuss inequality and the ideology of the American Dream.

American Dream - the ideology that anyone can achieve material success if he or she works hard enough. It explains and justifies economic inequality in our social system. It has been criticized for legitimizing stratification by implying that everyone has the same opportunity to get ahead. Does the American Dream still exist? -There are pros and cons, seems unbalanced between inequality, but it does make it a way for it to continue.

What is absolute deprivation, in regard to poverty?

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

Under class

Are likely employed part-time or unemployed Make up about 12% of the U.S. population

Discuss socioeconomic status and life chances, and why issues of social class and inequality matter as related to sociology.

Belonging to a certain social class has profound consequences for individuals in all areas of life, including education, employment, and medical care. Not everyone, however, has an equal chance of becoming the president, going to Harvard, etc. Big take away from the last few slides: social class profoundly influences individuals in many aspects of life (such as health).

Discuss the state of poverty in the U.S.

In the United States, the federal poverty line (an absolute measure of annual income) is frequently used to determine who should be categorized as poor. The poverty threshold in 2015 for a family of four was $24,250 Most people living in poverty are not unemployed. This fact is evident in the term "working poor." Countries with lower inequality can lead to war (in United States, the more unequal people are in regard to health, education, access to services and resources, etc.) Basically in the United States, the lower the inequality, the more unequal everything else is. Statistics show that: -Because we stratify by SES in the United States, the minorities of the SES are more poor than other groups; it's just camouflaged by race. -The younger you are, the more likely you are to be poor. -Females are disproportionately more poor than men (the amount of poor in the United States is increasingly female).

What would conflict theory say about social class? (i.e. Marx)

Karl Marx believed that there were two main social classes in capitalist societies: -Capitalists (or bourgeoise), who owned the means of production -Workers (or proletariat), who sold their labor for wages. He believed that the classes would remain divided and social inequality would grow. U.S. is the only country that models its healthcare system as capitalism for profit. Marx argues that eventually, these workers will revolt against capitalists: -This has only happened in micro-levels (workers/union) His theory is very present and true in the U.S., but even here, the system is not rising...only social inequality grows and so, the ladder doesn't change.

Working poor

Likely work manual and service jobs and seasonal employment Make up about 13% of the U.S. population -Many poor people have lower levels of literacy than other classes

What did Max Weber have to say about social class?

Max Weber offered a similar model that also included cultural factors. He argued that class status was made of three components: -Wealth (or privilege) -Power -Prestige -These three components are considered the three-piece! Religious leaders or those who are influential (including FBI agents/airline pilots) might not be wealthy, but they have power and prestige; however, there are only a few examples out there where power and prestige exist without wealth as well.

What is the view of postmodern theory on social class?

More recently, Pierre Bourdieu attempted to explain social reproduction. Social reproduction - the tendency for social-class status to be passed down from one generation to the next According to Bourdieu, this happens because each generation acquires cultural capital (tastes, habits, expectations, skills, knowledge, etc.), which helps us to gain advantages in society. This cultural capital either helps or hinders us as we become adults. Postmodern Theory - criticizes/rejects anything modern such as science; everything is relevant and needs to be understood on its own terms. Social reproduction - can help maintain one's current social class, but can also hinder an individual who depends/relies on his/her social class too much.

In America, do all citizens have equal chances of obtaining significant wealth during their lifetime?

No

What is invisibility of poverty?

Residential segregation, political disenfranchisement, and the use of law enforcement to control the homeless can make poverty invisible to many Americans.

Name the three systems of stratification, describe each, and name a region of the world where such stratification exists/existed.

Slavery - the most extreme form of social stratification and is based on the legal ownership of people. -Example: a very extreme stratification (modern-day slavery exists, such as in human trafficking) Caste system - a form of social stratification in which status is determined by one's family history and background and cannot be changed. -Apartheid is the term for the system of segregation of racial and ethnic groups that was legal in South Africa between 1948 and 1991. -Example: the country of India: no matter how well educated one is, he/she cannot move in b/w classes (class is determined by one's family history, and thus this is why there are a lot of arranged marriages, so that ppl stay within their caste system). Social class - a system of stratification based on access to resources such as wealth, property, power, and prestige. -Sociologists often refer to social class as socioeconomic status (or SES). -Intersectionality: a concept that identifies how different categories of inequality (e.g., class, race, and gender) intersect -Example: used in the United States (with a layer of race on top) as a form of stratification, due to the diversity of the nation. Three common ones (there are several other ones in b/w these three though).

We call entrenched attitudes that can develop among poor communities and lead the poor to accept their fate...

The culture of poverty

What is horizontal social mobility?

The occupational movement of individuals or groups within a social class. Think of a psychiatrist changing jobs to teach at a college: still at its social class, just in a different setting.