sociology test last 1

Global Stratification

The unequal distribution of wealth, power, and prestige on a global basis, resulting in vastly different lifestyles and life chances both within and among nations

Geographic Inequality

North America and Europe account for 57% of total household wealth while containing only 17% of the world adult population

High-Income Countries

Highly industrialized economies; technologically advanced industrial, administrative, and service occupations; relatively high levels of national and per capita income ($12,376 or more per year).

Middle-Income Countries

Industrializing economies, particularly in urban areas, and moderate levels of national and personal income. Divided into

Lower-middle-income

$1,026 to $3,995 per year

Upper-middle-incom

$3,996 to $12,375 per year

Low-Income Countries

little industrialization and low levels of national and personal income ($1,025 or less per year

Absolute Poverty

A condition where people do not have the means to secure the most basic necessities of life

Relative Poverty

When people can afford basic necessities but are still unable to maintain an average standard of living

Subjective Poverty

Measured by comparing a person's actual income against their own expectations and perceptions

3 core criteria

Life Expectancy, Education and Literacy, Living Standards

health

A condition of physical, mental, and social well-being (more than just the absence of illness

 Modernization Theory (Structural Functionalism)

Societies follow common stages of development. Low-income economies can move to middle- and high-income economies by achieving self-sustained economic growth through industrialization.

Dependency Theory (Conflict Theory)

Global poverty is caused by the exploitation of low-income countries by high-income countries, creating a system where wealth continuously flows from poor nations to rich nations.

World Systems Theory (Conflict Theory)

Examines global capitalism and the transnational division of labor within a single global economic system. It divides the world economy into three tiers: core nations, semi peripheral, peripheral

International Division of Labor Theory (Structural Functionalism)

Commodity production is broken down into fragments distributed globally to find the most profitable combination of capital and labor.

Extreme Disparity

In 2018, the twenty-six richest individuals in the world controlled as much wealth as the poorest 50% of the global population (3.8 billion people).

Pessimistic View

Some social scientists warn that inequality and absolute poverty will worsen due to natural resource depletion, environmental damage, and global political unrest.

Optimistic View

Other experts believe technology could alleviate absolute and relative poverty while reducing daily working hours.

Scientific View

DNA studies do not indicate that separate classifiable subspecies (races) exist within modern humans.

Sociological View

Race is a social construction, though it is very real in its consequences.

Basis

It is an idea based on phenotype (observable characteristics like facial features, hair, eye shape, and skin color) and ancestry (biological or historical descent from parents, grandparents, etc.).

Historical Shift

In the past, race was based on cultural tradition and religion. In the second half of the 19th century, it shifted to phenotype and ancestry to justify the enslavement of people brought from Africa, creating a racial hierarchy with whites at the top and Blacks at the bottom.

White

Origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa

Black or African American

Origins in any of the Black racial groups of Africa

American Indian or Alaska Native

Origins in any of the original peoples of North, South, or Central America who maintain tribal affiliation or community attachment

Asian

Origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent. (Note: Many individuals identify more specifically with their national origin rather than the broad racial category).

Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander

Origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands.

Ethnicity

Refers to one's cultural background or national origin. An ethnic group is a collection of people distinguished primarily by cultural or national characteristics (e.g., Jewish Americans, Irish Americans).

Hispanic" or Latinx

This is an ethnicity, not a race. It refers to a person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture/origin. Hispanic individuals can be of any race.