Sociology Ch. 8 Social Class in the United States

Horatio Alger Myth

the belief that due to limitless possibilities anyne can get ahead if her or she tries hard enough

Social class according to weber

Social class according to marx

a large group of people who rank close ot one another in property, power, and prestige.

one of two groups: capitalists who own the means of production, or workers who sell their labor.

Power elite

C wright mills term for the top people in US corporations, military, and politics who make the nations major decisions.

prestige

respect or regaurd.

status consistancy

rankking high or low on all three dimensions of social class

status inconsistency

ranking high on some dimensions of social class and low on others; also known as status discrepancy.

Anomie

durkheims term for a condition of society in which people become detached from the usual norms that guide their behavior.

contradictory class locations

erik wrights term for a position in the class structure that generates contradictory interests.