ch7 social class

Social stratification

hierarchical ranking of groups in society with unequal access to resources

Social inequality

unequal distribution of wealth power and prestige

Stratification principle:

characteristic of society persists over generations universal maintained by beliefs

Slavery

extreme stratification where people are property

Caste system

closed hierarchy with little chance of mobility

Apartheid

South African racial segregation system from 1948–1991

New Jim Crow

Michelle Alexander’s argument about racism in the U.S. criminal justice system

Social class

stratification based on wealth property power and prestige

Socioeconomic status (SES)

measure of class using income education occupation

Intersectionality

overlapping systems of inequality based on social categories

Upper class

top 1% holding most wealth and influence

Upper-middle class

educated professionals with financial stability

Middle class

white-collar workers with moderate incomes

Working class

blue-collar and service workers with less education

Working poor

low-wage workers living near or below poverty line

Underclass

chronically unemployed and homeless individuals

Status inconsistency

contradictory class indicators in one person

Feudal system

land-based stratification with nobility and serfs

Marx’s conflict theory

inequality exists because capitalists exploit workers

Weber’s theory

class determined by wealth

Wealth

total assets including income and property

Power

ability to impose one’s will

Prestige

social honor granted by group membership

Davis-Moore thesis

inequality ensures important roles are filled

Social reproduction

Bourdieu’s idea that class positions persist across generations

Cultural capital

tastes habits

Everyday class consciousness

awareness of class position and others’

Social mobility

movement within social hierarchy

Closed system

little opportunity for mobility

Open system

opportunities for mobility exist

Intergenerational mobility

change in class from parents to children

Intragenerational mobility

class change within one lifetime

Horizontal mobility

movement within same class

Vertical mobility

upward or downward class movement

Structural mobility

large-scale mobility due to societal changes

Relative deprivation

feeling deprived compared to others

Absolute deprivation

lacking basic necessities for survival

Poverty line

official minimum income for basic needs

Culture of poverty

belief that the poor accept their fate (criticized)

Just-world hypothesis

belief that people get what they deserve

Residential segregation

geographic separation of classes

Redlining

denying loans to minority neighborhoods

Disenfranchisement

removal of citizenship rights

Digital divide

unequal access to technology

American Dream ideology

belief that success is based on merit

Meritocracy

system where rewards are based on merit

Simplicity movement

rejection of consumerism