Social Mobility and Family Structures in Society

Horizontal Mobility

Movement within the same social class (e.g., a nurse becoming a teacher).

Caste

Fixed, hereditary, no mobility.

Class

Based on achievement, allows mobility.

Upper-Middle Class

Professionals, high income, college-educated.

Lower-Middle Class

Clerical, semi-professionals, modest income.

Working Class

Manual labor, less job security.

Middle Class

Broad category, often split into upper/lower.

Underclass

Unemployed, often reliant on welfare.

Feminization of Poverty

Women, especially single mothers, are disproportionately affected by poverty due to wage gaps, caregiving roles, and systemic inequality.

Highest Poverty Rates in U.S.

Age: Children under 18; Gender: Women, especially single mothers.

Wealth vs. Income Distribution

Wealth is more unequally distributed than income; top 1% hold most wealth.

Bourgeoisie

Own production means.

Proletariat

Sell labor, exploited.

Marx's Alienation

Workers are alienated from: Product, Process, Themselves, Others.

Pink Collar Occupations

Traditionally female-dominated, low-paying service jobs (e.g., nursing, teaching).

Structural Causes of Poverty/Unemployment

Automation, Globalization, Discrimination, Education gaps, Deindustrialization.

Absolute Poverty

Inability to meet basic needs (food, shelter, water).

Talcott Parsons: Family Roles

Husband: Instrumental role (provider); Wife: Expressive role (nurturer).

Romantic Love

Romantic love is not universal; some cultures prioritize arranged marriages or economic alliances.

Second Shift

Unpaid housework women do after their paid job.

Patriarchy

Social system where men hold primary power in roles of leadership, moral authority, and control.

Foster Care Facts

Temporary care for children removed from unsafe homes; Often underfunded and overburdened.

Gay Couples with Children in U.S.

Increasingly common; children fare as well as those in heterosexual households.

Kissing as Universal?

No—kissing is not a universal sign of affection; some cultures do not practice it.

Homogamy

Marrying someone with similar characteristics (e.g., race, religion, education).

Family of Orientation

The family into which a person is born or adopted.

Polygamy

Multiple spouses.

Polygyny

One man, multiple wives.

Monogamy

One spouse at a time; most common globally.

Education & Remarriage

Higher education correlates with lower rates of remarriage.

Children with Same-Sex Parents After Divorce

Children often live with the biological parent; outcomes are comparable to heterosexual households.

Durkheim: Division of Labor in Families

Division of labor strengthens social bonds and family stability.

Structural Functional Theory of Family

Family serves key functions: socialization, regulation of reproduction, emotional support, and economic cooperation.