Sociology Exam 3
closed system
is one in which there is very little opportunity to move from one class to another.
open system
is one with ample opportunities to move from one class to another.
Karl Marx and economic relations
believed that there were two main social classes in capitalist societies: Capitalists (or bourgeoisie), who owned the means of production Workers (or proletariat), who sold their labor for wages
Weberian Theory
He argued that class status was made of three components: Wealth (or privilege) Power Prestige ex: in a typical ranking, you might find physicians near the top and Janitors near the bottom.
Conflict Theory
Marx argued that economic relationships were quickly becoming the only social relationships that mattered. He believed that the classes would remain divided and social inequality would grow
What criteria does a social class system use to stratify its members?
Social Stratification
Social Inequality
the unequal distribution of wealth, power, or prestige among members of society
Caste System
a form of social stratification in which status is determined by one's family history and background and cannot be changed
Socioeconomic Status and Life Chances
a measure of an individual's place within a social class system; often used interchangeably with "class"
status inconsistency
a situation in which an individual has differing levels of status in terms of the individual's wealth, power, prestige, or other elements of socioeconomic status
Social Class
a system of stratification based on access to such resources as wealth, property, power, and prestige
Pierre Bourdieu
attempted to explain social reproduction, the tendency for social-class status to be passed down from one generation to the next
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
Social Stratification
the division of society into groups arranged in a social heirarchy
Slavery
the most extreme form of social stratification, based on the legal ownership of people
apartheid
the system of segregation of racial and ethnic groups that was legal in South Africa between 1948 and 1991