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Stratification Systems of stratification Sociological perspectives on stratification Is stratification universal? Stratification by social class? Social mobility The global divide
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Stratification(or how you can do better than your parents
did)
StratificationSystems of stratificationSociological perspectives on stratificationIs stratification universal?Stratification by social class?Social mobilityThe global divide
Systems of StratificationSocial inequality: condition in which
members of society have different amounts of wealth, prestige, or power
Stratification: structured ranking of entire groups of people that perpetuates unequal economic rewards and power in a societyIncome: salaries and wagesWealth: encompasses all of a person’s material
assetsInequality is heavily linked to achieved and
ascribed status
Systems of StratificationSlavery: individuals owned by other people who treat them as
propertyCastes: hereditary ranks usually religiously dictated and tend to
be fixed and immobileEstate system (feudalism): required peasants to work land leased
to them in exchange for military protection and other servicesClass system: social ranking based primarily on economic
position in which achieved characteristics can influence social mobility Upper class Upper-middle class Lower-middle class Working class Lower class
Karl Marx and Class DifferentiationSocial relations depend on who controls
the primary mode of productionCapitalism: means of production held
largely in private hands and main incentive for economic activity is accumulation of profits
Bourgeoisie: capitalist class; owns the means of production
Proletariat: working class
Karl Marx and Class DifferentiationClass consciousness: subjective
awareness of common vested interests and the need for collective political action to bring about change
False consciousness: attitude held by members of class that does not accurately reflect their objective positionMost Americans when asked will say they
belong in the middle class
Max Weber and StratificationNo single dimestion totally defines a society’s
stratification systemClass: group of people who have similar level
of wealth and incomeStatus group: people who have the same
prestige or lifestyle Power: ability to exercise one’s will over others
Interactionist PerspectiveInteractionists interested in importance of
social class in shaping person’s lifestyleThorsten Veblen: those at top of social
hierarchy typically convert part of wealth into conspicuous consumption or leisure
Stratification also influences peer groups an individual is exposed toArgot
Is Stratification Universal?Functionalist view: social inequality necessary so
people will be motivated to fill functionally important positionsDoes not explain extreme inequality
Conflict view: human beings are prone to conflict over scarce resources as wealth, status, and powerStratification major source of societal tensionLeads to instability and social change
Lenski’s view: as a society advances technologically, it becomes capable of producing surplus of goods, thus expands the possibilities for inequality in status, influence, and power
Measuring Social ClassObjective Method
Class largely viewed as a statistical category Education Occupation Income Place of residence
Prestige: respect and admiration an occupation holds in society
Esteem: reputation specific person has earned within an occupation
Measuring Social ClassMultiple Measures
Statistical methods and computer technology have multiplied that factors used to define class under the objective method
Socioeconomic status (SES) Income Education Occupation
Wealth is unevenly distributed in the US, even more than income
Distribution of Wealth in the US
PovertyAbsolute poverty: Minimum level of
subsistence that no family should live belowPoverty line
Relative poverty: Floating standard by which people at the bottom of a society are judged as being disadvantaged in comparison to the nation as a whole
PovertyWho are the poor?
Feminization of poverty: trend since World War II of women constituting increasing proportion of poor people of U.S.
About half of all women in the United States who are living in poverty are “in transition”
Drastic changes to the poverty numbers since 2008
Who are the poor in the US
Explaining PovertyHerbert Gans (1995) argues that various segments of
society benefit from the existence of the poor through social, economic, and political functionsSociety’s dirty work such as dirty, dangerous, or dirty
jobs are performedPoverty creates jobs professions that service the poor
Punishment of the poor as deviants uphold the legitimacy of conventional social norms and mainstream values regarding hard work, thrift, and honesty
Existence of poor people guarantees the higher status of the affluent
Because of lack of political power, the poor often absorb the costs of social change
Social MobilitySocial mobility: movement or individuals or groups
from one position in a society’s stratification system to another
Life chances: Opportunities people have to provide themselves with material goods, positive living conditions, and favorable life experiencesHousing, education, and health
Open system: implies the position of each individual is influenced by his achieved statusEncourages competition among members of a society
Closed system: allows little or no possibility of moving upSlavery, caste, and estate systems
Types of Social MobilityHorizontal mobility: movement within same
range of prestigeVertical mobility: movement from one
position to another of a different rankIntergenerational mobility: social position
changes of children relative to their parentsIntragenerational mobility: social position
changes within person’s adult lifeMobility is influenced by race, class, gender,
and education
The Global DivideDivides in global wealth emerged as result of
Industrial Revolution and rising agricultural productivitySharp divides between industrial and developing nations
Legacy of colonialismColonialism: foreign power maintains political, social,
economic, and cultural domination for an extended period
Neocolonialism: continued dependence on more industrialized nations for managerial and technical expertise by former colonies
Wallerstein’s World-Systems AnalysisUnequal economic and political
relationships in which certain industrialized nations and their global corporations dominate core of the world’s economic system
Dependency theory: even as developing countries make economic advances, they remain weak and subservient to core nations and corporations
Globalization: worldwide integration of government policies, cultures, social movements, and financial markets through trade and exchange of ideas
Multinational CorporationsMultinational corporations: commercial
organizations headquartered in one country but doing business throughout the worldRevenues of many multinational business are
equivalent to the total value of goods and services exchanged in entire nations
Functionalist view: multinational corporations help developing nations of the world
Conflict view: Multinational corporations exploit local workers to maximize profits
ModernizationModernization: process through which
developing nations move from traditional or less developed institutions to those characteristic of more developed society
Modernization theory: functionalist view that modernization and development will gradually improve lives of people in developing nations