soc chapter 9: social stratification in the US
Davis-Moore thesis (functionalist perspective on social stratification)
1945 by sociologists Kingsley Davis and Wilbert Moore argued that the greater the functional importance of a social role, the greater must be the reward. The theory posits that social stratification represents the inherently unequal value of different work. Certain tasks in society are more valuable than others. Qualified people who fill those positions must be rewarded more than others. Davis and Moore believed that rewarding more important work with higher levels of income, prestige, and power encourages people to work harder and longer.
the lower classes
divided into subsets: the working class, the working poor, and the underclass. Compared to the lower middle class, lower- class people have less of an educational background and earn smaller incomes. They work jobs that require little prior skill or experience and often do routine tasks under close supervision.
exogamous marriage (class system)
exogamous marriages, unions of spouses from different social categories. Marriage in these circumstances is based on values such as love and compatibility rather than on social standing or economics. this is allowed in the class system but not the caste system
Structural mobility
happens when societal changes enable a whole group of people to move up or down the social class ladder. Structural mobility is attributable to changes in society as a whole, not individual changes. (ex: industrial revolution)
classification of systems of Stratification (open and closed)
Sociologists distinguish between two types of systems of stratification. Closed systems accommodate little change in social position. They do not allow people to shift levels and do not permit social relationships between levels. Open systems, which are based on achievement, allow movement and interaction between layers and classes. Different systems reflect, emphasize, and foster certain cultural values and shape individual beliefs. Stratification systems include: class systems and caste systems, as well as meritocracy.
Erik Olin Wright's expansion on Marx's ideas (conflict theorist)
accepts his idea that class is based on wealth, but distinguished between small owners (PETTY BOURGIOUSE) and managers
Upper Class (Capitalist Class)
considered the top and powerful elite members of society about 1% of population and make over 1M income In the United States, people with extreme wealth make up 1 percent of the population, and they own one-third of the country's wealth Money provides not just access to material goods, but also access to a lot of power.
intragenerational mobility
describes a difference in social class that between different members of the SAME GENERATION . For example, the wealth and prestige experienced by one person may be quite different from that of his or her siblings.
social impacts of the great recession
the Great Recession, like the Great Depression, has changed social attitudes. Where once it was important to demonstrate wealth by wearing expensive clothing items like Calvin Klein shirts and Louis Vuitton shoes, now there's a new, thriftier way of thinking. In many circles, it has become hip to be frugal.
conflict theorists perspective on stratification
Conflict theorists are deeply critical of social stratification, asserting that it benefits only some people, not all of society. conflict theorists believe stratification perpetuates inequality. Conflict theorists try to bring awareness to inequalities, such as how a rich society can have so many poor members. For instance, to a conflict theorist, it seems wrong that a basketball player is paid millions for an annual contract while a public school teacher earns $35,000 a year.
gdp
Gross Domestic Product-calculated (usually annually) one of two ways: by totaling either the income of all citizens or the value of all goods and services produced in the country during the year. It also includes government spending. Because the GDP indicates a country's productivity and performance, comparing GDP rates helps establish a country's economic health in relation to other countries.
JD Foster
Economist--defines the 20 percent of U.S. citizens' highest earners as "upper income," and the lower 20 percent as "lower income." The remaining 60 percent of the population make up the middle class. problematic because by that distinction, annual household incomes for the middle class range between $25,000 and $100,000 THIS IS WHY KAHL AND GILBERTS MODEL IS USED
lower middle class
LOWER MIDDLE CLASS members hold bachelor's degrees from four-year colleges or associate's degrees from two-year community or technical colleges. they make about 60K and make up about 34% of the population In the lower middle class, people hold jobs supervised by members of the upper middle class. They fill technical, lower- level management or administrative support positions.
the working poor (subset of the lower class)
Like the working class, they have unskilled, low-paying employment make about $17K and are around 16% of the population their jobs rarely offer benefits such as healthcare or retirement planning, and their positions are often seasonal or temporary. They work as sharecroppers, migrant farm workers, housecleaners, and day laborers. Some are high school dropouts. Some are illiterate, unable to read job ads.
3 p's of the class system
Prestige (cultural value bestowed on someone, usually tied to occupation) power(the ability to control and influence others) property (wealth owned and income that is earned)
symbolic interactionist perspective on stratification
Symbolic interactionism examines stratification from a micro-level perspective. This analysis strives to explain how people's social standing affects their everyday interactions. people in similar social standings tend to stick together symbolic interactionists also note that people's appearance reflects their perceived social standing. Housing, clothing, and transportation indicate social status, as do hairstyles, taste in accessories, and personal style.
Melvin Tumin's critique of Davis and Moore's thesis (functionalist) (1953)
Tumin questioned what determined a job's degree of importance. The Davis-Moore thesis does not explain, he argued, why a media personality with little education, skill, or talent becomes famous and rich on a reality show The thesis also does not explain inequalities in the education system or inequalities due to race or gender. Tumin believed social stratification prevented qualified people from attempting to fill roles
upper middle class
UPPER MIDDLE CLASS people tend to hold bachelor's and postgraduate degrees. They've studied subjects such as business, management, law, or medicine. salaries are above 125K and they make up about 15% of the population Upper- middle-class people tend to pursue careers that earn comfortable incomes. They provide their families with large homes and nice cars
the working class (subset of the lower class)
Working-class people, the highest subcategory of the lower class, often land decent jobs in fields like custodial or food service. make about 35K and are around 30% of the population The work is hands-on and often physically demanding, such as landscaping, cooking, cleaning, or building.
meritocracy (system of stratification)
an ideal system based on the belief that social stratification is the result of personal effort—or merit—that determines social standing. High levels of effort will lead to a high social position, and vice versa. The concept of meritocracy is an ideal—because a society has never existed where social rank was based purely on merit. Because of the complex structure of societies, processes like socialization, and the realities of economic systems, social standing is influenced by multiple factors—not merit alone. (ex: inheritance and conformity)
Weber's views on stratification and class
based on all 3 p's (property, prestige, and power) argues that power and prestige aren't always a result of wealth (ex: athletes often earn prestige before getting contracts)
the class system (system of stratification)
based on both social factors and individual achievement. people are members of a CLASS which consists of a set of people who share similar status with regard to factors like wealth, income, education, and occupation. Unlike caste systems, class systems are open. People are free to gain a different level of education or employment than their parents. They can also socialize with and marry members of other classes, which allows people to move from one class to another.
marx (conflict theorist)
believed class is based on wealth (one of the 3 p's) the owners get wealthy by exploiting the poor the working class owns little to nothing and must sell labor to survive
the caste system (system of stratification)
closed stratification systems in which people can do little or nothing to change their social standing. A caste system is one in which people are born into their social standing and will remain in it their whole lives. People are assigned occupations regardless of their talents, interests, or potential. There are virtually no opportunities to improve a person's social position.
global stratification
compares the wealth, economic stability, status, and power of countries across the world. Global stratification highlights worldwide patterns of social inequality.
social stratification
refers to a society's categorization of its people into rankings of socioeconomic tiers based on factors like wealth, income, race, education, and power. The people who have more resources represent the top layer of the social structure of stratification. Other groups of people, with progressively fewer and fewer resources, represent the lower layers of our society. In most societies, stratification is an economic system, based on wealth, the net value of money and assets a person has, and income, a person's wages or investment dividends.
Social mobility (upwards and downwards)
refers to the ability to change positions within a social stratification system. When people improve or diminish their economic status in a way that affects social class, they experience social mobility: either upwards or downwards UPWARD MOBILITY refers to an increase—or upward shift—in social class. DOWNWARD MOBILITY indicates a lowering of one's social class. Some people move downward because of business setbacks, unemployment, or illness.
.intergenerational mobility
movement up or down a social stratification hierarchy from ONE GENERATION TO ANOTHER (ex: an upper-class executive may have parents who belonged to the middle class. In turn, those parents may have been raised in the lower class.) Patterns of intergenerational mobility can reflect long-term societal changes.
old vs new money
old money is inherited wealth passed from one generation to the next new money is wealth you have earned and built yourself. these people generally carry middle or lower class attitudes compared to old money who is accustomed to upper class life
Primogeniture
primogeniture, a law stating that all property would be inherited by the firstborn son. If the family had no son, the land went to the next closest male relation. Women could not inherit property, and their social standing was primarily determined through marriage. used by britian in the middle ages
the underclass (subset of the lower class)
the United States' lowest tier. make under 10K and are around 4% of the population Members of the underclass live mainly in inner cities. Many are unemployed or underemployed. Those who do hold jobs typically perform menial tasks for little pay. Some of the underclass are homeless. For many, welfare systems provide a much-needed support through food assistance, medical care, housing, and the like.
status consistency
the degree of uniformity in a person's social standing across various dimensions of social inequality Social stratification systems determine social position based on factors like income, education, and occupation. Sociologists use the term status consistency to describe the consistency, or lack thereof, of an individual's rank across these factors. Caste systems correlate with high status consistency, whereas the more flexible class system has lower status consistency. low status consistency correlates with having more choices and opportunities.
standard of living
the level of wealth available to a certain socioeconomic class in order to acquire the material necessities and comforts to maintain its lifestyle. The standard of living is based on factors such as income, employment, class, poverty rates, and housing affordability. Because standard of living is closely related to quality of life, it can represent factors such as the ability to afford a home, own a car, and take vacations. In the United States, a small portion of the population has the means to the highest standard of living.
conspicious consumption (symbolic interactionist)
the purchase and use of certain products to make a social statement about status. (ex: designer shoes)
class traits (class markers)
the typical behaviors, customs, and norms that define each class. Class traits indicate the level of exposure a person has to a wide range of cultures. Class traits also indicate the amount of resources a person has to spend on items like hobbies, vacations, and leisure activities.
Kahl/Gilbert's Social Class Model
top to bottom: capitalist (upper class), upper middle, lower middle, working(lower class), working poor, and underclass
endogamous marriages (class system)
unions of people within the same social category not a rule, but generally encouraged in a class system
Social classes in the US
upper class, middle class, lower class
wealth vs income
wealth, the net value of money and assets a person has, income, a person's wages or investment dividends.