Soc Chapter 7

vertical social mobility

the movement between different class statuses, often called either upward mobility or downward mobility (page 192)

intragenerational mobility

the movement between social classes that occurs during the course of an individual's lifetime (page 192)

horizontal social mobility

the movement of individuals or groups within a particular social class, most often a result of changing occupations (page 192)

social mobility

the movement of individuals or groups within the hierarchical system of social classes (page 191)

underclass

the poorest group, comprising the homeless and chronically unemployed who may depend on public or private assistance; they constitute about 12 percent of the U.S. population (page 181)

Disenfranchisement

the removal of the rights of citizenship through economic, political, or legal means (page 198)

prestige

the social honor people are given because of their membership in well-regarded social groups (page 182)

apartheid

the system of segregation of racial and ethnic groups that was legal in South Africa between 1948 and 1991 (page 176)

cultural capitol

the tastes, habits, expectations, skills, knowledge, and other cultural assets that help us gain advantages in society (page 184)

social reproduction

the tendency of social classes to remain relatively stable as class status is passed down from one generation to the next (page 184)

heterogamy

the tendency to choose romantic partners who are dissimilar to us in terms of class, race, education, religion, and other social group membership (page 190)

homogamy

the tendency to choose romantic partners who are similar to us in terms of class, race, education, religion, and other social group membership (page 190)

digital divide

the unequal access to computer and Internet technology, both globally and within the United States (page 199)

wealth gap

the unequal distribution of assets across a population (page 200)

social inequality

the unequal distribution of wealth, power, or prestige among members of a society (page 175)

meritocracy

a system in which rewards are distributed based on merit (page 202)

feudal system

a system of social stratification based on a hereditary nobility who were responsible for and served by a lower stratum of forced laborers called serfs (page 182)

social class

a system of stratification based on access to such resources as wealth, property, power, and prestige (page 178)

culture of poverty

entrenched attitudes that can develop among poor communities and lead the poor to accept their fate rather than attempt to improve their lot (page 197)

federal poverty line

federal index that defines "official" poverty in the United States based on household income; updated annually (page 193)

intersectionality

a concept that identifies how different categories of inequality (race, class, gender, etc.) intersect to shape the lives of individuals and groups (page 179)

white collar

a description characterizing lower-level professional and management workers and some highly skilled laborers in technical jobs (page 181)

blue collar

a description characterizing skilled and semi-skilled workers who perform manual labor or work in service or clerical jobs (page 181)

caste system

a form of social stratification in which status is determined by one's family history and background and cannot be changed (page 176

simplicity movement

a loosely knit movement that opposes consumerism and encourages people to work less, earn less, and spend less, in accordance with nonmaterialistic values (page 202)

socioeconomic status (SES)

a measure of an individual's place within a social class system; often used interchangeably with "class" (page 178)

wealth

a measure of net worth that includes income, property, and other assets (page 182)

relative depravation

a relative measure of poverty based on the standard of living in a particular society (page 193)

status inconsistency

a situation in which an individual holds differing and contradictory levels of status in terms of wealth, power, prestige, or other elements of socioeconomic status (page 181)

open system

a social system with ample opportunities to move from one class to another (page 191)

closed system

a social system with very little opportunity to move from one class to another (page 191)

upper class

an elite and largely self-sustaining group who possess most of the country's wealth; they constitute about 1 percent of the U.S. population (page 180)

absolute deprivation

an objective measure of poverty, defined by the inability to meet minimal standards for food, shelter, clothing, or health care (page 193)

just-world hypothesis

argues that people have a deep need to see the world as orderly, predictable, and fair, which creates a tendency to view victims of social injustice as deserving of their fates (page 198)

everyday class consciousness

awareness of one's own social status and that of others (page 185)

strcutural mobility

changes in the social status of large numbers of people as a result of structural changes in society (page 192)

intergenerational mobility

movement between social classes that occurs from one generation to the next (page 192)

working poor

poorly educated manual and service workers who may work full-time but remain near or below the poverty line; they constitute about 13 percent of the U.S. population (page 181)

hypogamy

marrying "down" in the social class hierarchy (page 190)

hyergamy

marrying "up" in the social class hierarchy (page 190)

middle class

social class composed primarily of white collar workers with a broad range of education and incomes; they constitute about 30 percent of the U.S. population (page 181)

working class or lower-middle class

social class consisting of mostly blue collar or service industry workers who are less likely to have a college degree; they constitute about 30 percent of the U.S. population (page 181)

upper-middle class

social class consisting of mostly highly educated professionals and managers who have considerable financial stability; they constitute about 14 percent of the U.S. population (page 180)

social stratification

the division of society into groups arranged in a social hierarchy (page 175)

residential segregation

the geographical separation of the poor from the rest of an area's population (page 198)

slavery

the most extreme form of social stratification, based on the legal ownership of people (page 175)