Chapter 7: Stratification Vocab

Socioeconomic status

A person’s social position based on income, education, and occupation. Example: A doctor has higher SES than a retail worker.

Stratification

A hierarchical ranking system in society based on social or economic factors. Example: Upper, middle, and lower class.

Income

Money received from work or investments over time. Example: A weekly paycheck.

Wealth

Total assets minus debts; long‑term accumulated value. Example: Owning a home, savings, stocks.

Rousseau Humans Good, Property Bad

Rousseau believed humans are naturally good, but private property creates inequality and corruption. Example: Ownership leads to competition.

Scottish Enlightenment Inequality is Good

Thinkers argued inequality motivates people to work harder and innovate. Example: Competition drives progress.

Malthus: Man is Destined to Starve

Malthus believed population grows faster than food supply, causing scarcity and inequality. Example: Overpopulation leading to famine.

Hegel: Dialectic

History progresses through conflict between opposing ideas (thesis vs. antithesis → synthesis). Example: Old idea + opposing idea = new idea.

Marx: Dialectic materialism

Economic conflict drives historical change; class struggle leads to new social systems. Example: Workers overthrowing owners.

Structural functionalism

Society is a system whose parts work together to maintain stability. Example: Schools teach norms that keep society functioning.

Conflict theory

Society is driven by competition over resources and power between groups. Example: Workers vs. owners.

Equality of Opportunity

Everyone has the same chance to succeed. Example: Equal access to education.

Equality of Condition

Everyone starts from the same place; the playing field is leveled. Example: Affirmative action.

Equality of Outcome

Everyone ends up with the same results regardless of starting point. Example: Same pay for all workers.

Free rider problem

People benefit from resources without contributing. Example: Using public goods without paying taxes.

Estate System

Stratification based on legal rights and duties; limited mobility. Example: Feudal Europe.

Caste System

Stratification based on hereditary status; no mobility. Example: Traditional Indian caste system.

Class system

Stratification based on economic position; mobility is possible. Example: Moving from middle class to upper class.

Proletariat

Working class who sell their labor. Example: Factory workers.

Bourgeoisie

Owners of the means of production; capitalist class. Example: Factory owners.

Contradictory class locations

Positions between classes. Example: Managers — not owners, not workers.

Status Hierarchy System

Ranking based on social prestige rather than money. Example: Teachers have high prestige but moderate income.

Elite–mass dichotomy system

A small elite holds power over the masses. Example: Billionaires influencing politics.

Meritocracy

Status based on talent and effort. Example: Promotions based on performance.

Social mobility

Movement between social classes. Example: Going from poor to middle class.

Structural mobility

Mobility caused by societal changes, not individual effort. Example: New industries creating new jobs.

Exchange mobility

People move up and down the class ladder, but overall class distribution stays the same. Example: Some rise, some fall, but class sizes stay stable.

Status-attainment model

Explains how individuals reach their SES based on education, family background, etc. Example: Higher parental education → higher SES for child.

Which idea about social inequality is associated with the historical context of Karl Marx?

group struggles for control of economic resources is at the center of social change.

Which modern school of thought about social inequality helps explain why oppositional forces between capital and labor did not result in the elimination of private property?

structional functionalism

Which standard is promoted by the idea of equality of opportunity?

the rules of the game should be the same for all

which standard or equality is most radical, antibourgeois, and anticapitalist?

equality of outcome

Which real-world example represents estate system?

The American south before the civil war

What type of social hierarchy involved a governing elite who hold the power in society?

elite-mass dichotomy system

What would be the focus of a sociological study about horizontal social mobility?

groups or individuals who transition from one social status to another situated more/less on the same rung of the ladder

Why would a sociologist studying the reproduction of social stratification rely on a status-attainment model?

to understand the attributes of people who end up in more desirable occupations

-status-attainment model of research ranks individuals by socioeconomic status and seeks to specify the attributes of people who end up in more desirable occupations-

what statement about the effects of European colonialism on international inequality is accurate?

since around 1950, many former colonies have gained political independence but have lagged well behind the West in income per capita.

what statement about modern globalization and international inequality is accurate?

the number of poor people in the world will likely reduce over the next decade.