Sociology Chapter 7 Key Words

Social stratification

Social inequality

The unequal distribution of wealth, power, or prestige among members of a society

Slavery

The most extreme form of social stratification, based on the ownership of people

Caste system

A form of social stratification in which status is determined by one’s family history and background and cannot be changed

Apartheid

The system of segregation of racial and ethnic groups that was legal in South Africa between 1948 and 1991

Social class

a system of stratification based on access to such resources as wealth, property, power, and prestige

Socioeconomic status (SES)

A measure of an individual’s place within a social class system; often used interchangeably with class

Intersectionality

a concept that identifies how different categories of inequality (race, class, gender, etc.) intersect to shape the lives of individuals and groups

Upper class

an elite and largely self-sustaining group that possesses most of the country’s wealth

Upper-middle class

Social class consisting of mostly highly educated professionals and managers who have considerable financial stability

Middle class

social class composed primarily of white collar workers with a broad range of education and incomes

White collar

a description characterizing lower-level professional and management workers and some highly skilled laborers in technical jobs

Working class

social class consisting of mostly blue collar or service industry workers who typically do not have a college degree

Lower-middle class

Social class consisting of mostly blue collar or service industry workers who typically do not have a college degree

Blue collar

A description characterizing skilled and semiskilled workers who perform manual labor or work in service or clerical jobs

Working poor

Poorly educated manual and service workers who may work full-time but remain near or below the poverty line

Underclass

The poorest group, comprising people who are experiencing homelessness or who are chronically unemployed

Status inconsistency

A situation in which an individual holds differing and contradictory levels of status in terms of wealth, power, prestige, or other elements of socioeconomic status

Feudal system

a system of social stratification based on a hereditary nobility who were responsible for and served by a lower stratum of forced laborers called serfs

Wealth

A measure of net worth that includes income, property, and other assets

Prestige

The social honor people are given because of their membership in well-regarded social groups

Social reproduction

The tendency of social classes to remain relatively stable as class status is passed down from one generation to the next

Cultural capital

The tastes, habits, expectations, skills, knowledge, and other cultural assets that help us gain advantages in society

Everyday class consciousness

Awareness of one’s own social status and that of others

Homogamy

the tendency to choose romantic partners who are similar to us in terms of class, race, education, religion, and other social group membership

Heterogamy

the tendency to choose romantic partners who are dissimilar to us in terms of class, race, education, religion, and other social group membership

Hypergamy

Marrying up in the social class hierarchy

Hypogamy

Marrying down in the social class hierarchy

Social mobility

The movement of individuals or groups within the hierarchical system of social classes

Closed system

A social system with very little opportunity to move from one class to another

Open system

A social system with ample opportunities to move from one class to another

Intergenerational mobility

Movement between social classes that occurs from one generation to the next

Intragenerational mobility

Movement between social classes that occurs during the course of an individual’s lifetime

Horizontal social mobility

The movement of individuals or groups within a particular social class, most often as a result of changing occupations

Vertical social mobility

The movement between different class statuses; often called either upward mobility or downward mobility

Structural mobility

Changes in the social status of large numbers of people as a result of structural changes in society

Relative deprivation

A relative measure of poverty based on the standard of living in a particular society

Absolute deprivation

an objective measure of poverty, defined by the inability to meet minimal standards for food, shelter, clothing, or health care

Federal poverty line

federal index that defines “official” poverty in the United States based on household income; updated annually

Just-world hypothesis

argument that people have a deep need to see the world as orderly, predictable, and fair, which creates a tendency to view victims of social injustice as deserving of their fates

Residential segregation

The geographical separation of the poor from the rest of an area’s population

Disenfranchisement

The removal of the rights of citizenship through economic, political, or legal means

Digital divide

the unequal access to computer and internet technology, both globally and within the United States

Wealth gap

The unequal distribution of assets across a population

Meritocracy

A system in which rewards are distributed based on merit

Simplicity movement

A loosely knit movement that opposes consumerism and encourages people to work less, earn less, and spend less, in accordance with nonmaterialistic values