9.1–9.4 Social Stratification and Mobility (OpenStax Notes)

A set of QA-style flashcards covering core concepts from sections 9.1–9.4 on social stratification, US class structure, global stratification, mobility types, and major theoretical perspectives.

What is social stratification?

The system by which a society ranks its people into layers based on wealth, income, education, family background, and power.

What is a closed system?

A stratification system that accommodates little social change; examples include estate, slavery, and caste.

What is an open system?

A stratification system based on achievement that allows movement between layers and classes.

What is the caste system?

A closed stratification system where social position is born into and fixed for life; occupations and marriage are tied to caste.

What is a class system?

An open stratification system based on wealth, income, education, family background, and occupation, with potential for movement between classes.

What is meritocracy?

An ideal system in which social standing is based on personal effort or merit; no society has a pure meritocracy.

What is status consistency?

The degree to which a person’s rank is similar across education, occupation, income, and other indicators of status; tends to be high in caste systems and lower in class systems.

What is endogamous marriage?

A union of spouses from the same social category.

What is exogamous marriage?

A union of spouses from different social categories.

What are class traits (class markers)?

The typical behaviors, customs, and norms that define each class; used to indicate class.

What is conspicuous consumption?

The purchase and use of expensive items to signal one's social status.

What is primogeniture?

A law stating that all property passes to the firstborn son.

What is absolute poverty?

Deprivation so severe that day-to-day survival is jeopardized; basic necessities cannot be afforded.

What is relative poverty?

An economic condition where income is significantly below the national median, often about 50% below the median.

What is standard of living?

The level of wealth and resources available to acquire material goods and comforts; shaped by wealth distribution and societal expectations.

What is intergenerational mobility?

Changes in social class between generations within a family.

What is intragenerational mobility?

Changes in a person’s social mobility over the course of their lifetime.

What is structural mobility?

A societal change that enables a whole group of people to move up or down the class ladder.

What are the three main US social classes?

Upper class, middle class, and lower class.

What is the difference between old money and new money?

Old money refers to inherited wealth with high prestige; new money is wealth earned and may lack established elite social ties.

What is the feminization of poverty?

A global pattern where women are disproportionately represented among those in poverty, often linked to single motherhood and wage gaps.

What is global stratification?

The comparison of wealth, status, power, and economic stability of countries across the world.

What are GDP and GNP?

GDP is the value of goods and services produced within a country in a year; GNP is the value produced by the nation’s citizens domestically and abroad.

What is Purchasing Power Parity (PPP)?

A measure that converts income into a common basis by accounting for price differences across countries.

What is GNI PPP per capita?

Average income per person adjusted for PPP; used to compare standard of living across nations.

What is the Davis–Moore thesis?

The claim that the unequal distribution of rewards in society serves a function by ranking more important or skilled positions higher to motivate people to fill them.

What is Melvin Tumin’s critique of the Davis–Moore thesis?

He argued that the thesis does not explain inequalities in education and race/gender, and that stratification can block qualified people from opportunity.

What did Karl Marx say about stratification?

Stratification results from relations of production (bourgeoisie vs. proletariat) and leads to alienation and class conflict.

What does symbolic interactionism emphasize about stratification?

A micro-level view examining how social standing shapes daily interactions and how class markers like appearance and consumption convey status.

What is occupational prestige?

The social value assigned to a job; different occupations are valued differently and influence status.

Which event historically created a divide between Western Europe/America and the rest of the world?

The Industrial Revolution.

Why is conspicuous consumption significant in stratification?

It signals status and signals differences in class through the display of luxury goods.

Approximately what share of wealth do the top 1% hold in the US?

About one-third of the nation’s wealth.

What share of wealth do the bottom 50% hold in the US?

Around 2% of the nation’s wealth.

How are GDP, GNP, and PPP used together in global stratification?

GDP and GNP measure economic output; PPP adjusts for price differences to compare living standards across countries.