Sociology - Chapter 8: Social Differentiation and Stratification

Inequality

the unequal distribution of scarce goods or resources-is found in most, if not all, societies

Social Differentiation

people vary according to social characteristics, they are not ranked higher or lower based on these characteristics Ex) Blue vs brown eyes

Social Stratification

the system of ranking people according to their wealth, prestige, and/or social status-where we live, who we marry, hobbies, jobs, and sports all affect this

Hunting and Gathering Societies

nomadic foraging groups with 50 or fewer people, do not accumulate a surplus of goods so no one becomes wealthy, little stratification, have to eat what they have to survive

Simple Horticultural Societies

there is occasional agricultural surplus and some division of labor, people farm with sticks, stay in one place, a stratification develops with people who acquire wealth

Advanced Horticultural Societies

farming techniques are much more efficient, and division of labor is more prominent, variation of occupations develop, political leaders become wealthy, differentiation and stratification become more pronounced

Industrial Societies

Ex) United States and Europe, have the greatest division of labor, most wealth, and the most stratification; people are highly independent and work is specialized

Open System

 individual accomplishments are encouraged and social mobility rewarded with advancements Ex) Your mom never graduated high school and is a waitress, but you were a first generation college attendee and become a doctor

Closed System

 a person's social status is ascribed at birth Ex) Your dad does burials so you have to do burials

Social Class

based on wealth, the power derived from wealth, and "life chances" to acquire wealth

Socioeconomic Status

 a measure of an individual's wealth, income, occupation, and educational attainment

Upper Class

those who have considerable wealth, own many shares in corporations, influence many people's wealth; have a lot of personal property (stocks, bonds, real estate, etc)

Old Money

inherited wealth, exclusive society Ex) Rockefeller

New Money

working rich, earned their money Ex) Oprah, Bill Gates

Middle Class

varies greatly in lifestyle, income, and opportunity

Top Middle

make between $50,000-$100,00; most likely have a college degree; believe the lives of their children will be better than their own; white males 30-49, 70% are married

Satisfied Middle

make between $30,000-$49,999; some college, white women ages 18-29, unmarried, optimistic, good quality of life, believe their children's lives will be better

Anxious Middle

make between $50,000-$99,000, some college, white, married, ages 30-40, less hopeful about their children's outlook, their life satisfaction is low, (most likely in a lot of debt)

Struggling Middle

make less than $20,000, unmarried, high school degree or less, low satisfaction of life but think they are okay , think their children will be better

Lower Class

consists of people who generally have the least amount of education and the most difficulties with employment

Poverty

having fewer resources than necessary to meet the basic necessities of life (food, water, shelter)

Feminization of Poverty

those living in poverty are more likely to be women and children, rather than men

Class Consciousness

the awareness that different classes exist in society and that people's fates are tied to the fate of their whole class Ex) Americans are not this because we believe in upward mobility

Life Chances

the opportunities people have to improve their income Ex) If your parents went to college you have a better chance of going to college

Social Mobility

a change in one's class or status within a persons' own lifetime experience Ex) Going from homeless to a successful businessman

Upward Mobility

movement to greater wealth, status, or power; attained by getting a better job, or marrying someone from a higher class

Downward Mobility

movement to a position of lower rank; divorce, job loss, and death of a spouse could cause this

Split Labor Market

some jobs lead to upward mobility and others do not Ex) You can go from being an intern to being the head of an entire department of a business; if you are a garbage man there is no "ladder to climb"

Minorities and people who came from poor/poverty backgrounds; people who haven't gotten past high school education; single mothers

What categories of people are at the highest risk for being poor?

Functional: You can move between classes and rise up and become better than your parents

Dysfunctional: The top 1% has 37% of the wealth, the next 19% of wealthy people have 52% of the wealth, that leaves 11% of the wealth to be shared by the bottom 80%. The rich are getting richer

How is the American class system both functional and dysfunctional?