Week 6: Stratification and Global Inequality

Week 6: Social Stratification

  • Course: SOC 1010: Principles of Sociology

Social Stratification

  • Definition: Socioeconomic system dividing society into categories ranking from high to low.

  • Key Terms:

    • Inequality: Another term for social stratification.

    • Socioeconomic Status (SES): An individual's wealth, power, and prestige.

    • Wealth: Value of money and assets (inheritance, salary).

    • Income: Earnings from work or investments.

Types of Social Stratification

Closed Systems

  • Characteristics:

    • Little change in social position allowed.

    • No social relationships permitted between levels.

  • Examples:

    • Estate systems

    • Slavery

    • Caste systems

Open Systems

  • Characteristics:

    • Based on achievement.

    • Movement between classes is permitted.

Caste System

  • Definition: Individuals are born into a social standing retained for life.

  • Ideology: Cultural beliefs that justify the society's stratification.

Class System

  • Definition: Social standing based on social factors and individual achievements.

  • Class Definition: Groups sharing a common status based on wealth, income, education, occupation.

Meritocracy

  • Definition: Hypothetical system where social stratification is based on personal effort and merit.

Class Structure

  • Upper Class:

    • Old Money

    • New Money

  • Middle Class:

    • Upper Middle

    • Lower Middle

  • Lower Class:

    • Working Class

    • Working Poor

    • Underclass

Status Consistency

  • Definition: Stability of an individual's rank across different stratification factors.

  • Class Traits: Typical behaviors, customs, and norms defining each class.

Social Mobility

  • Definition: Ability to change positions within a social stratification system.

  • Types:

    • Upward Mobility: Moving from a lower to a higher class.

    • Downward Mobility: Decreasing class status.

    • Intergenerational Mobility: Class differences across generations.

    • Intragenerational Mobility: Social mobility changes in a person's lifetime.

    • Structural Mobility: Societal changes facilitating group movements in class.

Standard of Living

  • Definition: Wealth level available for acquiring material necessities.

  • Feminization of Poverty: Women make up the majority in poverty, affecting their standards of living.

Poverty Types

  • Absolute Poverty: Condition where individuals cannot afford basic necessities.

  • Relative Poverty: Having 50% less than the average median income.

  • Global Stratification: Comparing wealth, status, and economic conditions globally.

Theories of Social Stratification

Functionalism

  • Davis-Moore Thesis: Social stratification is necessary and functional; rewards should reflect role importance.

Conflict Theory

  • Argument: Social stratification benefits only a few, perpetuating inequality.

Symbolic Interactionism

  • Conspicuous Consumption: Buying/using products to communicate social standing.