Social Stratification

Social Stratification
Unit 5: Lesson 1

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The wealth inequality video demonstrated that the top​

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% of America has about ​

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% of all the nation's wealth

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The wealth inequality video demonstrated that the bottom​

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% of America has about ​

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% of all the nation's wealth

Types of Stratification

• Social Stratification - division of society into categories, ranks, and classes

• Stratification is part of nearly all societies; vary among society

  • Ascribed Status - ancestry, race, age, physical appearance, gender, etc.

  • Achieved Status - education, occupation, etc.

  • Talent and Effort

Types of Stratification

• Social Inequality - unequal sharing of scarce resources; also varies among societies

  • Closed Systems: Movement between strata (status levels) impossible

    • Example: Caste System

  • Open System - Movement between strata possible

Caste System

• Resources distributed by class, based on ascribed status

• Effort and talent have little impact on class distinction

• Status inherited

• Specific norms dictate system

  • Prohibit exogramy - marriage outside of social class

  • Developed over 3000 years ago

  • Difficult to dismantle

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The Caste System would be an example of a

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because movement is​

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between strata or social classes.

Determining Class in America

• U.S. has a fairly open class system; anti-discrimination laws encourage open movement

• In theory, Americans have equal access to resources for social advancement

• But U.S. has a wide range of social classes, mobility is not equal

Multiple Choice

What type of class system does the United States possess?

• Open

• Closed

Multiple Choice

What is the income range of the Middle Class in America according to this graphic?

• Up to 25,000

• 25,000 - 40,000

• 40,000 - 65,000

• 65,000 - 100,000

Multiple Choice

Blue collar industries make up the majority of which class of Americans according to this graphic?

• Working Class

• Lower-Middle Class

• Middle-Class

• Upper-Middle Class

Multiple Choice

Workers who possess a post-graduate degree typically make up what class in America according to this graphic?

• Working Class

• Lower-Middle Class

• Middle-Class

• Upper-Middle Class

Class System

• Distribution of resources and rewards based on achieved status

• Individuals have some level of control over movement

  • Movement can be both upwards and downwards

• Karl Marx: Conflict Theory

  • Bourgeoisie - Control and own means of production, receive benefits of production

  • Proletariat - Sell their labor, do the "hard work"

Dimensions of Social Stratification

• Max Weber - Expands Marx's theory; suggests class consists of 3 factors

  • Property

  • Prestige

  • Power

• Many sociologists agree with Weber's theory

• Social Class - grouping of people with similar levels of wealth, power, and prestige

Multiple Select

Max Weber suggested that class consists of which three factors:

• Property

• Prestige

• Power

• Education

• Occupation

Social Stratification

• Wealth

  • Consists of a person's assets; the value of everything a person owns including income

  • U.S.: Controlled by minority of population; wealthiest 1% control 1/3 of country's wealth

  • Top 1% also earned 21% of the nation's income

• Power

  • Usually comes with wealth, special skill, talent, knowledge

  • Ability to control or influence overs

Social Stratification

• Prestige

  • Respect, honor, recognition, and courtesy received from others

  • Characteristics society thinks are important

  • Occupation is considered among prestige and higher levels of education

Categorize

Options (11)

Income

Assets

Control

Respect

Honor

Recognition

Courtesy

Value

Influence

Skill/Talent/Knowledge

Occupation

Sort the following terms into the category that best fits

Wealth

Power

Prestige

Social Rankings

• Socioeconomic Status - SES; used by sociologists to determine social standing

  • Consider educational level

  • Occupational Prestige

  • Place of residence

Stratification: Functionalism

• Stratification necessary

• Certain roles in society must be performed for society to be maintained

• Higher rewards to ensure fulfillment

• Variation to rewards ensure that all jobs are filled

• Weakness with theory:

  • Not everyone has equal access to education

  • Higher rewards = most important jobs... Where does that put trash collectors?

Stratification: Conflict

• Competition over scare resources = social inequality

• Groups within society compete for these resources

• Group in power will set the rules to its advantage

• Weakness:

  • Doesn't recognize that unequal rewards are based on skill, talent, drive

  • Not everyone suited for every pattern in social structure

  • EX: Is everyone going to be successful in college? Is a college degree a guarantee of a higher income?

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The ​

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perspective would support the idea that social stratification is necessary and that certain roles in society must be performed to maintain society

The ​

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perspective would support the idea that social stratification and social inequality occur as a result of competition over scarce resources

Social Mobility

• Social Mobility - the movement between or within social classes; can be horizontal or vertical

  • Horizontal - movement within a social class or stratum (Ex. Accountant changing firms)

  • Vertical - Movement between social classes or strata (Ex. Promotion from secretarial to management position)

• Intragenerational Mobility - Changes in social position during a person's life

Social Mobility

• Intergenerational Mobility - status changes between generations in the same family

• Majority of Americans tend to reach a higher occupation status than their parent, but tend to remain in the same social class

• Sociologists focus on what causes the changes in social mobility

  • Technology

  • Merchandising

  • Level of Education

  • Economy

Categorize

Options (6)

A child from a working-class family becomes a doctor

A daughter of migrant farm workers graduates college and becomes a teacher

The son of a single mom on food stamps becomes a successful business owner

A factory worker gets promoted to a management position

A young entrepreneur starts a small business that grows into a highly successful corporation

A teacher goes back to school to earn a doctorate and become a university professor

Match the following

Intergenerational Mobility

Intragenerational Mobility

Categorize

Options (6)

Promotion from secretarial to management position

High school dropout getting a degree and becoming a professional

A doctor losing their medical license and taking a lower paying job

A nurse transferring to a different hospital

A software engineer moving to a different tech company

A teacher decides to work at a school closer to home

Sort the following into horizontal or vertical mobility

Vertical Mobility

Horizontal Mobility

Upper Class

• Small segment of the population but controls much of country's wealth

• "Old Money": Rockefellers, Vanderbilt's, Kennedys

  • Wealth continues for generations

  • Life revolves around the best schools & Lifestyles

• "New Money"

  • Acquired wealth through own gains

  • Less prestigious

  • Looked down upon by "Old Money" class

• All part of a segment of society that carries power & influence

Middle Class

• Upper Middle Class - high income earners, business professionals, college educated

  • Live in large houses, expensive cars, yearly vacations

  • Politically & socially active

  • Influence is limited to the community

• Lower Middle Class: white collar jobs, not manual labor

  • Require less labor

  • Middle management & small business owners

  • Comfortable living - bills are paid, life is "good"

Middle Class

• The Working Class - factory workers & tradesmen; blue collar work

  • Some jobs pay more than those in lower middle class (specialized labor: plumbers)

  • Pink collar - "women's work" clerical

  • Few financial resources

Lower Classes

• Working Poor: lowest paying jobs, temporary & seasonal

  • Rarely make a living wage

  • High school dropouts

  • Future prospects limited

• The Underclass: families experience unemployment & poverty over several generations

  • Some work, but steady employment is struggle

  • Rely on public assistance

  • Only 50% of children make it to a higher class

Match

Match the following

• Wealth that has persisted over many generations

• Wealth acquired through own gains but considered less prestigious

• Factory workers, tradesmen; blue collar professions

• Temporary and seasonal jobs with low pay

• Typically experience unemployment and poverty over several generations

Old Money

New Money

Working Class

Working Poor

Underclass

• Old Money

• New Money

• Working Class

• Working Poor

• Underclass

Reorder

Order the following by income and status

• Old money

• New Money

• Lower Middle Class

• Working Class

• Working Poor

1

2

3

4

5

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5

Poverty

• 37 million people - 13% of population live below poverty level

• Millions of others whose income are above poverty level, but struggle to get by

• Poverty - standard of living that is below the minimum level considered adequate

  • Relative measure - what it means to be poor in the U.S. is different in other countries

Poverty

• Poverty level is calculated by figuring out how much it costs to provide an adequate diet

  • Amount multiplied by 3 as 1/3 of income is spent on food

  • Adjusted yearly

  • Debated over accuracy as that formula was made in 1960s

  • Should dollar amount include new modern necessities?

Variations in American Poverty

• Age, gender, race, and ethnicity play a factor

• Children under 18 = 33% of those living in poverty

• African American and Hispanic children are a greater number

• 57% are women, head 1/2 of poor households

Effects of Poverty

• Life chances - likelihood that individuals have of sharing in benefits & opportunities of society

  • Vary by social class

  • Lower classes have fewer opportunities

• Increased health problems for lower classes, less likely to see doctor

• Shorter life expectancy, inadequate nutrition

• Work in high risk, high injury jobs

• Educational opportunities limited - schools poorly funded, students struggle to balance job & school

• Increase in crime

Multiple Choice

Poverty level is calculated by which of the following:

• Cost of providing an adequate diet based on minimum nutritional standards and multiplying by 3

• Determining the average rate of unemployment in a particular region

• Total expenditures on government assistance programs utilized in a fiscal year

• Total average household expenses in urban areas