chap 9 soc

absolute poverty

deprivation so severe that it puts day-to-day survival in jeopardy.

caste system

a system in which people are born into a social standing that they will retain their entire lives

class

a group who shares a common social status based on factors like wealth, income, education, and occupation

class system

social standing based on social factors and individual accomplishments

class traits

the typical behaviors, customs, and norms that define each class (also called class markers)

Davis-Moore thesis

a thesis that argues some social stratification is a social necessity and is functional

downward mobility

a lowering of one’s social class

endogamous marriages

unions of people within the same social category

exogamous unions

unions of spouses from different social categories

ideology

the cultural belief system that justifies a society’s system of stratification

income 

the money a person earns from work or investments

intergenerational mobility

a difference in social class between different generations of a family

intragenerational mobility

changes in a person's social mobility over the course of their lifetime.

meritocracy

an ideal system in which personal effort—or merit—determines social standing

relative poverty

is not having the means to live the lifestyle of the average person in your country

social mobility

the ability to change positions within a social stratification system

social stratification

a socioeconomic system that divides society’s members into categories ranking from high to low, based on things like wealth, power, and prestige. Also called inequality.

socioeconomic status (SES)

an individual’s level of wealth, power, and prestige

standard of living

the level of wealth available to acquire material goods and comforts to maintain a particular socioeconomic lifestyle

structural mobility

a societal change that enables a whole group of people to move up or down the class ladder

upward mobility

an increase—or upward shift—in social class

wealth

the value of money and assets a person has from, for example, inheritance or salary.