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Social Stratification, Social Class, and Ethnicity

Social Stratification A system by which a society ranks categories of people in a hierarchy based on their access to scarce resources.

What is Social Stratification? Definition: hierarchical arrangement of people within a society

Strata Definition: the levels people are placed within the hierarchy of stratification based on various dimensions Think: “Layers”

Four Basic Principles of Social Stratification:  It is a characteristic of society, not simply a reflection of individual differences.  It persists over generations.  It is universal but variable.  It involves not just inequality but beliefs.

Cultural beliefs serve to justify social stratification. That is part of the reason why it persists.

Types of Stratification Systems  Caste System- social stratification based on ascribed status.  India and Japan  Class System- social stratification based on achieved status.  USA

Interpretations of Stratification  Functionalist Social stratification allows society to operate  Social Conflict (Marx) A person’s worth is tied to their productivity in the system All of history is a struggle between the classes  Max Weber Wealth, Prestige, Power Socioeconomic status- An individual’s comparative status in a society based on factors (education, income and occupation).

People in the US are stratified based on the following: Income Prestige Wealth Education Power

Income  Wages or salaries from work and earnings from investments.  Distribution of Income in the US –Top 5 th 47% –Next 5 th 24% –Third 5 th 16% –Fourth 5 th 10% –Bottom 5 th 4%

Wealth  Total value of money and other assets, minus outstanding debts.  We are the 99% data We are the 99% data

15 min 1957 Clip about Social Class in America: Link Link 15 min 1957 Clip about Social Class in America: Link Link

“Poverty” Sociology

What exactly is Poverty? Definition: circumstance associated with need, hardship, and lack of resources - usually associated with economics

Two Types of Poverty Absolute Poverty  Level of poverty at which minimum standards of living (food, health, shelter) cannot be met  Most earn less than $1 a day Relative Poverty Poverty that is based on a low standard of living compared to the rest of society Lack access to many goods, services, or opportunities Leads to social exclusion Definition of poverty can vary

Poverty Levels – 2013

© 2009 The McGraw Hill Companies22 People Below Poverty Level Source: 2006 census data presented in Bureau of the Census 2007d: Tables R1701, 1901.

© 2009 The McGraw Hill Companies23 Who Are the Poor in the United States? Note: Data for 2006, as reported by the Bureau of the Census in Source: DeNavas-Walt et al

Aspects that Affect Poverty Race/Ethnicity Fact: poverty rate is higher for Blacks/Hispanics Clip: The House We Live In (6 min) Gender Fact: female-headed households contain higher rates of poverty therefore causing child poverty Fact: Women earn less and find it harder to find long-term employment Age Fact: the elderly have a higher level of poverty when compared to rest Disabled Fact: poverty rate is higher than non-disabled

© 2006 Alan S. Berger26 Education Pays: Full-Time, Year-Round Workers, Ages 25–64, 2006 Source: U.S. Census 2007f.

© 2009 The McGraw Hill Companies27 –In times of danger, affluent and powerful have a better chance of surviving than people of ordinary means –Digital divide is recent aspect of social inequality Life Chances Max Weber saw class as being closely related to people’s life chances: their opportunities to provide themselves with material goods, positive living conditions, and favorable life experiences

What is Social Mobility? Definition: Movement from one class —or more usually status group—to another

Horizontal Mobility Movement from one position to another within the same social level Ex: Changing jobs without altering occupational status Moving between social groups having the same social status.

Real World Example: A used car salesman at the local Ford dealership quits and gains a new job as a used car salesman at the local Chevy dealership. Create Your Own Example:

Vertical Mobility  Movement from one social level to a higher one (upward mobility) or a lower one (downward mobility)  Ex: Changing Jobs or Marrying  Cultural diffusion from one social level to another  Adoption by one economic class of the current fashions or formerly current in a higher class

Real World Example: A local mayor runs for governor and wins election. Create Your Own Example:

Social Mobility in the USA Social mobility over the course of the last century has been fairly high. The long-term trend in social mobility has been upward. Within a single generation, social mobility is usually small. Social mobility since the 1970s has been uneven. Mobility varies by income level. Mobility varies by race, ethnicity and gender

© 2009 The McGraw Hill Companies34 Social Mobility  Race and Ethnicity Class system more rigid for African Americans than for other racial groups Typical Hispanic has less than 10 percent of the wealth that a White person has  Gender Traditional mobility studies have ignored gender Women especially likely to be trapped in poverty

What is the message?  On social mobility by age?  On social mobility trends by generation?

How many houses… is too many?  John McCain:  What does his answer imply about his social class?  How could this have affected his political campaign?

Does Wealth Make You Happy?  glum-inequality-happiness-world/7075/

© 2006 Alan S. Berger38. The "American Dream:" Still a reality? –For many workers, earnings have stalled. –Multiple job-holding is up. –More jobs offer little income. –Young people are remaining at home.

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