sociology exam 2 - chapter 7 confronting economic inequality

stratification

hierarchical arrangement of individuals and groups in a society. large part of our society as we naturally assign importance and rank people based on perceived importance

what aspects of stratification are distributed unequally in society

income, social status, occupations, and power

social inequality

the unequal distribution of resources (income + wealth), opportunities, and status among individuals and groups

social mobility

upward or downward movement of individuals and groups between different class positions

intergenerational social mobility

social mobility across generations. typically more common in U.S.

intragenerational social mobility

social mobility within generations

structural social mobility

mobility resulting from changes in the number and kinds of jobs in society

education’s affects on social mobility

higher education is most important for upward intergenerational social mobility

example of education’s relationship with social mobility

lower-income students going to college more increases intergenerational mobility of low-income students

systems of stratification: key characteristics

degree of inequality AND degree of social mobility (fixed or easy to move up/down?)

what are the four systems of stratification

slavery, estate system, caste system, and class system

slavery and its key characteristics of stratification

one person owns people. extreme inequality and low mobility

caste system and its keys characteristics of stratification

born into a system and cannot move out of it - seen in India. high inequality, low mobility

estate system and its key characteristics of stratification

feudal Europe, nobles vs serfs. high inequality, low mobility

class system and its key characteristics of stratification

merged with capitalism and inequality tends to be higher with low mobility. possibility for most equality and mobility (variable for both)

functionalists perspective on stratification

argues stratification is vital for social stability because it motivates people to work hard AND ensures the most qualified people fill the most important positions/are rewarded for hard work

flaws of functionalists argument

some people are highly rewarded but have low societal importance (social media influencers, porn stars) and some people are not reward for the amount of social importance they hold (teachers, first-responders, social workers). assumes everyone starts with equal opportunity and it not always clear-cut as to what is societally important.

conflict theory perspective on stratificaition

believes classes are competing for limited resources (owners vs workers) and that resources are distributed unequally (owners accrue surplus value while workers earn wages for surplus value)

flaws of conflict theory on stratification

class system is more complex today as there are contradictory class positions that involve occupations sharing characteristics with both owners and workers (university prof is employee but has autonomy over how content is taught). owners are also differentiated (Jeff Bezos’ expertise are vastly different from a loal business owner)

Marx’s beliefs on stratification

believed socioeconomic inequality is an outcome of capitalism and divides people into classes based on their position in the economy (workers vs owners)

Weber’s beliefs on stratification

extends Marx’s distribution of inequality through more than income/money. status (people are stratified by the prestige/status of a position) and party (relationship between economic power and political power)

income

money received from work, investments, and/or programs

wealth

income + assets

assets

house, car, savings, etc

status

prestige associated with occupation and social class

what is the current trend of stratification and economic inequality in the US

the rich are becoming richer, the middle class poorer, and the bottom class stagnant. more inequality is rising betwen classes

what are the classes

upper class, upper middle class, lower middle class, working bottom class, and lower bottom class

upper class

• top 20% of households

• mean income = $281,000

• generational wealth, corporate leaders

• super-rich

super-rich

• richest 0.1 percent in terms of income

• approximately 250,000 Americans

• income is > 2.8 million

• substantial increase. in the super-rich since 2000

upper middle class

• second quintile

• mean household = $123,000

• doctors, lawyers (highly educated professionals)

lower middle class

• third quintile

• mean household = $78,000

• teachers, nurses, firefighters

working bottom class

• fourth quintile

• mean income = $46,000

• primarily blue and pink-collar

lower bottom class

• fifth quintile

• mean income = $16,350

• part-time, not working, or full time-with low wages

equality of opportunity vs equality of outcomes

equality of opportunity is providing equal opportunities to everyone regardless of background and circumstances whereas equality of outcomes is redistributing resources towards those who are the most disadvantaged and away from the advantaged to equality income, wealth, social status, etc. equality of opportunity = equality vs. equality of outcome = equity

what are the two types of poverty

absolute poverty and relative poverty

absolute poverty

lacks minimal requirements necessary to sustain healthy existence (homeless, food insecure)

relative poverty

compares a person’s income to the rest of society. generally indicates a lower standard of living compared to others.

what are the two explanations of poverty

culture of poverty and structural explanations

culture of poverty

need to work harder and become better educated individually. due to learned values, learned norms, and learned behaviors (too lazy, poor work ethic) passed down generationally but individualizes poverty and blames the victim

structural explanations

social, economic, and political systems that contribute to and perpetuate poverty. inequities in opportunity and involves discriminatory policies. need to level the playing fields through policy.

example of structural explanation

schools are funded through property taxes so the wealthier a community is, the more resources will be available in school. the poorer an area is, the less resources that will be available