chapter 7
Dialectic Materialism
A notion of history that privileges conflict over economic, material resources as the central struggle and driver of change in society
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
argued that if we stripped away all elements of society that result from the institution of private property, only social equality would remain.
Vertical social mobility
the movement between different class statuses, often called either upward mobility or downward mobility
exchange mobility
the movement of individuals among positions within a given distribution of positions among social classes
Conflict Theory
way of studying society that focuses on the inequalities of different groups in a society
Meritocracy
A society where status and mobility are based on individual attributes, ability, and achievement and talent.
class system
A stratified system based on socioeconomic status in which individuals have the potential (real or imagined) for mobility.
social mobility
The movement between different positions within a system of social stratification in any given society.
wealth
The total value of money and other assets, minus outstanding debts
social equality
a condition in which no differences in wealth, power, prestige, or status based on nonnatural conventions exist
estate system
a politically based system of stratification characterized by limited social mobility ex: control of land
status hierarchy system
a system of stratification based on social prestige (reputation or esteem associated with one's position in society, which is closely tied to their social class)
status-attainment model
approach that RANKS individuals by socioeconomic status, including income and educational attainment, and that seeks to specify the attributes characteristic of people who end up in more desirable occupations.
Marx's two classes
bourgeoisie (capitalist class) and proletariat (working class)
Erik Olin Wright
developed the concept of contradictory class locations, which is the idea that people can occupy locations in the class structure that fall between the two "pure" classes defined by Marx. ex: a manager, like workers, they are exploited by capitalists (who make a profit from managerial work), yet like capitalists themselves they dominate and control workers.
socioeconomic status
position of an individual or group on the socioeconomic scale, which is determined by a combination of social and economic factors such as income, amount and kind of education, type and prestige of occupation, place of residence
structural mobility
societal changes enable a whole group of people to move up or down the social class ladder
Structural Functionalism
society's many parts—institutions, norms, traditions, and so on—mesh to produce a stable, working whole that evolved over time
elite-mass dichotomy system
system of stratification that has a governing elite
Stratification
the hierarchical organization of a society into groups with differing levels of power, social prestige, or status and economic resources
horizontal social mobility
the occupational movement of individuals or groups within a social class