Social Class and Inequality

social stratification

a system of inequality, unequal resources opportunities and outcomes, hierarchy in social identity

basde on power, privilege, and prestige

class

refers to financial status in economic system, partially by birth/by effort, mobility across and vertically

caste

socioeconomic system that is immobile, largely depends on birth, interactions across caste are not encourage

capital + types

anything that can provide an advantage in society

cultural

social

economic

cultural capital

cultural knowledge and assets can lead to opportunity and access e.g. being well-traveled

social capital

potential value of connections in social networks

economic capital

financial assets/resources

social reproduction

passing down social values across generations

social mobility

moving within or across social class, can occur horizontally or vertically across an individual’s life time due to employment, education, marriage, etc

meritocracy

idea that hard work/ability determines social economic system, no privilege or nepo baby status

health inequality

inequalities in health outcomes, several factors

health disparities

inequalities across several groups based on an element of healthcare system

intersectionality

theory that parts of social identity overlap and impact your perceptions and experiences

spatial inequality

geographic divisions between social class → unequal resources (e.g. redlining and school funding)

environmental injustice

unequal protections from environmental risks and inequal access to benefits

absolute poverty

cannot afford basic needs period (under poverty line) $1-2/day, mainly seen in LIC

relative poverty

can afford basic needs but looks at poverty in comparison to general population, factors in living standards (next to poverty line)

used as a metric in HIC (x% below federal poverty line)