Chapter 8 3333

Upper-Upper class

Inherited wealth and privilege.

Nouveau Riche

New money.

Upper-Middle class

High educational attainment and prestige.

Lower-Middle class

Semi-professional, non-managerial employees and skilled craftspeople whose lifestyle is considered average.

Upper-Lower class

Solidly blue collar, with highly routinized jobs and steady incomes.

Working Poor

Low on the social ladder and economically insecure.

Underclass

Mostly unemployed and dependent on the government.

Family

Two or more persons related by blood, marriage, or adoption who reside together.

Social class

The division of members of a society into a hierarchy of distinct status classes.

Consumer socialization

The process by which children acquire the skills, knowledge, and attitudes necessary to function as consumers.

Bachelorhood

Young single adult living apart from parents.

Honeymooners

Young married couple.

Parenthood

Married couple with at least one child living at home.

Post-parenthood

An older married couple with no children living at home.

Index of Status Characteristics (ISC)

A classic composite measure of social class that weighs occupation, source of income, house type, and dwelling area.

Socioeconomic Status Scores (SES)

A score developed by the United States Bureau of Census combining socioeconomic variables of occupation, family income, and educational attainment.

Downward mobility

Moving down the social ladder, experienced by today’s second youngest generation.