Class Systems and Political Structures in Sociology and Stratification, Class, and Inequality in Sociology

Social Stratification

Hierarchical arrangement of social groups by access to rewards.

Class Division

Distinct form of stratification based on socioeconomic status.

Slavery

Extreme inequality where individuals are owned as property.

Caste System

Social status assigned for life, based on Hindu beliefs.

Class Systems

Grouping based on shared resources influencing lifestyle.

Income

Money earned from wages, salaries, or investments.

Wealth

Total assets minus debts, indicating financial status.

Net Worth

Value of assets after subtracting liabilities.

Wealth Inequality

Disparity in wealth distribution among different groups.

Education

Key predictor of future occupation, income, and wealth.

Occupation

Job type indicating social standing and prestige.

Lifestyle

Individual choices reflecting class location and consumption.

Cultural Capital

Non-financial social assets influencing social mobility.

Economic Capital

Financial resources available to individuals or families.

Social Capital

Networks and relationships providing social advantages.

Perceived Wealth Inequality

Public perception of wealth distribution disparities.

Real Wealth Inequality

Actual statistical differences in wealth among groups.

Material Rewards

Tangible benefits received based on social status.

Symbolic Rewards

Intangible benefits like prestige or recognition.

Macro Social Attributes

Broad societal factors influencing individual status.

Strata

Levels in a social hierarchy based on privilege.

Income Disparity

Difference in income levels among various groups.

Prestigious Jobs

Positions requiring significant education or public service.

Consumption Patterns

Trends in how individuals spend their resources.

Capitalism

A class system in which the bourgeoisie owns the means of production.

Bourgeoisie

The class that owns the means of production; the rich.

Proletariat

The class that earns their living by selling their labor to the capitalist.

Surplus value

The excess value produced by workers that goes to capitalists beyond the cost of hiring them.

Proletarian revolution

A movement aimed at overthrowing the capitalist system.

Communism

A social system based on the common ownership of the means of production and the sharing of the wealth it produces.

Max Weber

A sociologist known for his views on class and status.

Class division

The separation of social classes based on control of the means of production and economic differences unrelated to property.

Status

The social honor or prestige accorded to a particular group by others.

Class

A relatively objective measure of social stratification.

Power

The ability to enact change, command resources, or make decisions, distinct from status and class.

Functionalist view

The perspective that all societies must be stratified because the benefits of different positions are not equal.

Inequality

A condition that ensures that the most qualified people will fill the roles that are most important to society.

Critics of functionalism

Those who argue that the functional importance of roles is difficult to measure.

Social classes

Groups that differ with respect to their power and ability to influence society.

Weber's key argument

Dimensions other than class are important in understanding social stratification.

Industrial capitalism

A stage of capitalism that creates an increasing gap between the wealth of the minority and the poverty of the mass population.

Social Mobility

the upward or downward movement of individuals or groups between different social positions through chances in occupation, wealth, or income

Intergenerational mobility

social movement across generations

Intragenerational mobility

social movement during their working life

Educational attainment

the key factor behind occupation status

Democracy

a political system that allows the citizens to participate in political decision-making or to elect representatives to government bodies

Participatory democracy

all members of a group or community

Liberal democracy

elected representatives

Populism

the belief that politics should reflect the needs and interest of ordinary people rather than those of elite individuals or groups

Authoritarianism

a political system in which the governing bodies or leaders use force to maintain control

Nation-state

political communities with delimited borders and shared culture

Nation

people with a common identity that ideally includes shared culture, language, and feeling of belonging

State

a political apparatus (government institutions + civil service officials) ruling over a given territorial order, whose authority is backed by law and the ability to use force

Sovereignty

a state's undisputed political rule over a given territory

Nationalism

beliefs and symbols expressing identification with a national community

Power

The exercise of power is accompanied by the belief system that justifies its use

Authority

a form of power seen as rightfully exercised or legitimate, people who are subject to government authority voluntarily

Citizenship

citizens are members of a political community, and have both rights and duties associated with that membership

Civil rights

legal rights held by all citizens in each national community

Political rights

rights to political participation, such as the right to vote in elections and run for public office

Democratic elitism

In large-scale societies, democratic participation is necessarily limited to the regular election of political leaders.

Max Weber

States that parties represent different interests and have different outlooks, with political leaders who have the imagination and courage to escape the inertia of bureaucracy.

Charismatic authority

Power that is legitimized on the basis of a leader's exceptional personal qualities or the demonstration of extraordinary insight from followers.

Rational-legal authority

Power that is legitimized by law or written rules and regulations in an organization.

Traditional authority

Power that is legitimized on the basis of long-standing customs.

Pluralist theory

Emphasizes the role of diverse and potentially competing interest groups.

Power elite theory

Describes small networks of individuals who hold concentrated power in modern societies.

Elections

A process influenced by the winner-take-all electoral system.

Interest groups

A group organized to pursue specific interests in the political arena, often through lobbying.

Polarization

A measure of how much societies' values and beliefs divide along political or ideological lines.

Revolution

Processes of political change involving the mobilization of mass social movements, often using violence to overthrow an existing regime and form a new government.

Social movements

Collective attempts to further a common interest or secure a common goal through action outside the sphere of established institutions, involving large groups of people who seek to spread a message.