Sociology Quiz 2.3

"old money" vs "new money"

"old money" is inherited wealth passed from one generation to the next. These ppl have behaviors and connection that match the upper class. "New money", wealth you have earned and built yourself, ppl lack the connection of the established upper class and act in middle class ways

data slides: Quintile

- any of five equal groups into which a population can be divided according to the distribution of values of a particular variable - 20% of pop has 90% of country's wealth - occupy wall street: young grads stated occupying wall street to say income disparity is not fair - When economy shuffles, more unemployment for those with lower degrees. Not surprising - there is interplay between education, ethnicity, and income. Eduction rates of a certain ethnicity = blacks and latinos don't get as high of an education -

characteristics of lower middle class

- people hold jobs supervised by members of the upper middle class - they fill technical, lower- level management or administrative support positions - slightly higher paychecks than lower-class - people can afford a decent, mainstream lifestyle, but they struggle to maintain it - they generally don't have enough income to build significant savings - their grip on class status is more precarious than those in the upper tiers of the class system --------ex: when companies need to save money, lower-middle class people are often the ones to lose their jobs.

What are other factors of a person's place in the social stratification?

- prestige - sometimes elderly are esteemed

Meritocracy - definition and does it really exist?

A hypothetical system in which social stratification is determined by personal effort and merit. It does not exist, but parts of it can be see in modern societies. can be bad? You might believe the poor deserve to be there because they did not work - you worked, so you're high up; they did not, so they are not.

Upward mobility examples of how

an increase—or upward shift—in social class examples of how: inheritance, marriage, education, new job

two types of systems of stratification:

1. closed system = a system of stratification that accommodates little/no change in social position. ex: slavery 2. open system = a system of stratification, based on achievement, that allows some movement and interaction between layers and classes.

factors that cause poverty globally = inequality

1. internal inflation in the country = high costs 2. war/conflict 3. natural disasters/Weather and climate change 4. lack of job opportunities/job growth 5. health - lack of access to quality healthcare and mental healthcare [life expectancy, under 5 yrs mortality] 6. lack of education [specifically girl's education] 7. Social injustice [getter discrimination - conflict theory stuff - it can cause more poverty overall. Inequalities!] 8. Lack of food and drinking water 9. Lack of infrastructure [public transport, electricity, ect.] 10. Lack of government support [social budgeting - govs looking at issues and deciding where to put money]

What perpetuates the American belief that people control their own social standing?

An emphasis on choice, motivation, and self-effort

socioeconomic status (SES)

An individual's place within this stratification - aka an individual's level of wealth, power, and prestige

Conflict theory view on social stratification

Conflict theorists are deeply critical of social stratification, asserting that it benefits only some people, not all of society. Stratification perpetuates inequality. They take from ideas of Marx, who argued that proletariats were oppressed by the bourgeoisie. Today, while working conditions have improved, conflict theorists believe that the strained working relationship between employers and employees still exists. Capitalists own the means of production, and a system is in place to make business owners rich and keep workers poor. According to conflict theorists, the resulting stratification creates class conflict.

Functionalism view on social stratification

Davis-Moore thesis, which 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 (for example, doctors or lawyers). Qualified people who fill those positions are 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. in most cases, the degree of skill required for a job determines that job's importance. They noted that the more skill required for a job, the fewer qualified people there would be to do that job. Criticism: Melvin Tumin argued that it does not explain inequalities in the education system or inequalities due to race or gender and that social stratification prevented qualified people from attempting to fill roles

Caste systems

are closed stratification systems where people can do nothing to change the social standing of their birth. must marry with one's own cast ex: slavery, [old] Indian caste system

Class traits/class markers what do they indicate?

the typical behaviors, customs, and norms that define each class (also called class markers) - stereotype based on how ppl dress, we attribute behaviors and ideas to ppl who act in certain ways. indicate the amount of resources a person has available to spend on items like hobbies, vacations, leisure activities, fancy clothes, ect.

What is considered an outdated model of global stratification?

First and second world described industrialized nations, while third world referred to "undeveloped" countries

GNI vs GNP

GNI is the total income received by the country from its residents and businesses regardless of whether they are located in the country or abroad. GNP includes the income of all of a country's residents and businesses whether it flows back to the country or is spent abroad.

HDI

Human Development Index, measure of quality of life using factors like life expectancy, literacy, access to clean water, income, etc. How a country is doing expresses the capabilities of people's potential achievement. The index is calculated using data regarding people's lifespan, education, and income. By using both financial and non-financial factors, it paints a deeper picture of the lives and issues in a region. For example, a nation with high income but low education will still have difficulty in overall opportunity. This approach was developed by Pakistani economist Mahbub ul Haq, who produced the first annual Human Development report, which captures and illustrates development issues and changes each year.

GNP and GDP

are used to gain insight into global stratification based on a country's standard of living. According to this analysis, a GDP standard of a middle-income nation represents a global average. In low-income countries, most people are poor relative to people in other countries. Citizens have little access to amenities such as electricity, plumbing, and clean water. People in low-income countries are not guaranteed education, and many are illiterate. The life expectancy of citizens is lower than in high-income countries. Therefore, the different expectations in lifestyle and access to resources varies.

what's used to calculate global stratification?

Income, purchasing power, and wealth

How do we categorize wealth classes in the us?

One economist, J.D. Foster, 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 (Mason 2010). Pew Center defines classes based on the median household income. The lower class includes those whose income is two-thirds of the national median, the middle class includes those whose income falls between two-thirds and twice the median, and the upper class includes those whose income is above twice the national median

US upper class

People with extreme wealth make up one percent of the population, and they own roughly one-third of the country's wealth. They have lots of power and influence in many realms. Including philanthropy, politics, media, ect. work to maintain their businesses, not for money 10%

Social mobility

the ability to change positions within a social stratification system

subjective poverty

Subjective poverty is an individual's perception on his or her financial/material situation. Poverty is defined on the basis of individual feeling, i.e., those who say that they feel poor represent subjective poverty.

ideology

the cultural belief system that justifies a society's system of stratification

In the last century, the United States has seen a steady rise in its standard of living - what is that?

the level of wealth available to acquire the material necessities and comforts to maintain a specific lifestyle.

SNAP

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program provides ppl with food assistance - food stamps

what create barriers to social mobility?

Systemic barriers like unequal education, discrimination, and lack of opportunity

TANF

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families provides cash assistance with the goal of helping families with children achieve economic self-sufficiency.

What is GINI Coefficient/what does it measure?

The Gini Index is a summary measure of income inequality. The Gini coefficient incorporates the detailed shares data into a single statistic, which summarizes the dispersion of income across the entire income distribution. Measures diff between wealthy and poor: 0 = more equal 100 = richest are in one place and poorest are all the way in a different place "A country in which every resident has the same income would have a Gini coefficient of 0 (or 0 percent). A country in which one resident earned all the income, while everyone else earned nothing, would have an income Gini coefficient of 1 (or 100 percent). Thus, the higher the number (the closer to that one person having all the income or wealth), the more inequality there is."

which class in the US is shrinking?

the mid class

Symbolic interactionism view on social stratification

This analysis strives to explain how people's social standing affects their everyday interactions. people interact primarily with others who share the same social standing. It is precisely because of social stratification that people tend to live, work, and associate with others like themselves, people who share their same income level, educational background, class traits and even tastes in food, music, and clothing. The built-in system of social stratification groups people together. People's appearance reflects their perceived social standing - they also analyze how individuals think of themselves or others interpretation of themselves based on these class traits.

characteristics of upper middle class

Upper-middle-class: - pursue careers - own their homes - travel on vacation - their children receive high-quality education and healthcare - Parents can support more specialized needs and interests of their children --> leads to more social mobility for the next generation. - Must work for an income to maintain this lifestyle.

men and whites are... many construction workers are...

at higher levels of work hispanic, underpaid [sometimes undocumented un-unionized works are picked up to do work they can't find anyone else for]

why is wealth the most significant way of distinguishing classes?

because wealth can be transferred to one's children and perpetuate the class structure.

global stratification

a comparison of the wealth, status, power, and economic stability of countries as a whole

intergenerational mobility

a difference in social class between different generations of a family immigrants come poor, children are wealthier, grandchildren are wealthier

class

a group who shares a common social status based on factors like wealth, income, education, and occupation

Downward mobility examples of how

a lowering of one's social class examples of how: divorce, disability [injury], development of mental illness, bogged down by medical bills, getting fired, structural changes in the economy [inflation, war, recession], debt

Structural mobility

a societal change that enables a whole group of people to move up or down the class ladder

social stratification

a socioeconomic system that divides society's members into categories ranking from high to low, based on things like wealth, power, and prestige. Also called inequality.

feminization of poverty

acknowledges that women disproportionately make up the majority of individuals in poverty across the globe and have a lower standard of living.

middle class split, degrees, areas of study

broken up into upper and lower categories lower: associate degree or bachelors upper: postgraduate degrees Study: business, management, law, or medicine 35-40%

intragenerational mobility

changes in a person's social mobility over the course of their lifetime.

Gross National Income (GNI)

gross domestic product, plus net receipts from abroad of compensation of employees, property income and net taxes less subsidies on production. "the total income earned by a country's people and businesses, no matter where it was earned."

Absolute poverty vs Relative poverty

is an economic condition in which a family or individual cannot afford basic necessities, such as food and shelter, so that day-to-day survival is in jeopardy. vs is an economic condition in which a family or individuals have 50% income less than the average median income. This income is sometimes called the poverty level or the poverty line.

general info about the lower class

less formal education and earn smaller incomes and less skilled 55% don't own their own houses

endogamous marriage vs exogamous marriages

marry in one's own class vs marrying outside of one's own class - thats a way to change one's status

blue collar vs white collar vs pink collar

mid class upper mid class/upper class jobs women generally take

income v wealth

money from your salary basically - what you get monthly v the stock of assets held by a person or household at a single point in time.

higher up's homes vs lower classes' homes

own homes vs rent homes

determinants of social standing

parents - who pass on social standing, cultural norms, values, beliefs, and SUPPORT that accompany a certain lifestyle. society's occupational structure - does your job have prestige? Are you getting payed accordingly?

wealth

refers to the value of money and assets a perason has from, for exapmle, inheritance

class system

social standing based on social factors and individual accomplishments - can change for a person

3 categories of lower class:

the working class = often land steady jobs, work is hands-on and physically demanding: ex landscaping, cooking the working poor = unskilled, low-paying employment, jobs rarely offer benefits, jobs are temporary. ex: migrant farm workers, housecleaners the underclass = live mainly in inner cities, unemployed or underemployed, typically perform menial tasks for little pay, homeless, rely on welfare systems, stress, poorer health, and suffer crises fairly regularly

Ways to define countries in global stratification:

they rank countries according to their economic status, often ranked by gross national product (GNP). gross domestic product (GDP), a country's national wealth. comparing GDP rates helps establish a country's economic health in relation to other countries, with some countries rising to the top and others falling to the bottom. separates countries into two groups: more developed and less developed.

desegregate

to break down/separate statistics by some catagory

what are three the levels of class in the United States?

upper, middle, and lower class.

what determines class in the US?

wealth relative power and control over their lives

in most societies, what is stratification based on?

wealth, the net value of money and assets a person has, and income, a person's wages or investment dividends = economic stratification

conspicuous consumption

which is the purchase and use of certain products to make a social statement about status.

prestige

wide spread respect for a person

are exogamous marriages allowed in the class system?

yes, but there are systems in place that encourage endogamous marriage