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)