stuff and things

Social class

parents typically determine where you land at the beginning of life. Able to move up and down as time goes on, though it’s often hard to

“Upper-upper class”

 inherited wealth and often are extremely rich

Upper-middle class

typically stable, have college or post-graduate degrees

Middle class

Work in white-collar jobs and struggle a bit to keep up with paying for everything. Makes up 30 percent of the population

White-collar jobs

office work

Lower-middle class

Workers without a college degree who work in blue-collar jobs

Blue-collar jobs

Manual labor

Working poor

people who work full hours with little pay, living below the poverty line

Underclass

Poorest group, often homeless/unemployed chronically

Status inconsistency

 have characteristics that fit more than one social class (wealth, power, prestige, or other elements)

Theories of social class

Frameworks explaining social class structures, stratification, and mobility.

Karl Marx

A philosopher and economist known for his theories on capitalism and social class conflict, particularly the struggle between the bourgeoisie and proletariat.

Feudal system

 basically there are hereditary nobility that had lower forced laborers, also known as serfs

In the Feudal system, you have capitalists and workers. Define these

Capitalists owned means of production

Workers sold labor for wages

Marx ultimately believed

classes would remain divisive until it blew up in capitalists' faces

Davis and Moore Thesis

a sociological theory that argues social stratification is necessary and beneficial for society, ensuring that the most qualified individuals occupy the most important roles.

Theory doesn’t work very well because essential jobs are not highly paid

Postmodernism

 claimed that society could stay stable because it was often passed down and helped people to gain advantages in society

Social reproduction

the process through which societies ensure continuity of social structures and hierarchies across generations, often through family, education, and cultural practices.

Cultural capital

the non-financial social assets that promote social mobility, such as education, intellectual skills, and cultural knowledge.

Social class can influence

 habits (aka poorer workers may indulge in their children’s food wants while higher class workers will focus on healthy foods because the higher class workers can provide more for their kids while poorer workers cannot)

Socioeconomic status/life chances

the economic and social position of an individual or group, which affects their access to resources, opportunities, and overall quality of life.

Homogamy

choosing romantic partners similar in social groups (socioeconomic classes and beyond). This is because we often date within our social circles

Social class plays a role in

the timing of marriage and parenthood

People in poorer social classes

are not able to get good healthcare or even live in good conditions, so they are more prone to illness/injury/death

Socioeconomic class was linked to

Deaths in COVID

In education, there is often a lot of inequality based on

socioeconomic classes, as upper and middle-class students are more likely to attend college than the lower class students

Because of this, poorer people have less money and worse jobs

White-collar workers are subject to

 less arrests, prosecutions, and convictions

Lower social class workers are often

arrested more and are harassed by the police more, alongside being subject to more violent crime

Intergenerational mobility

Movement between social classes that occurs through generations

Has stalled within the last 50 years

Intragenerational mobility

moving between social classes throughout your life

Horizontal social mobility

being stuck in the same social class after changing occupations

Vertical social mobility

making enough within an occupation to move up a social class

Structural mobility

significant changes in social classes

Relative deprivation

relative measure based on standards of living in a society

Absolute deprivation

Objective measure based on the inability to meet standards to get necessities

Federal poverty line

gov. Poverty line determines people’s ability to pay for things

Social welfare

Programs aimed at providing assistance and support to individuals and families in need.