Social Stratification Chapter 8 Social Stratification

Social Stratification and Social Class Social Stratification: ranking of people or groups according to their unequal access to scarce resources

Social Class: segment of society whose members hold similar amounts of resources and share values, norms, and an identifiable lifestyle

The Economic Dimension Bourgeoisie: class that owns the means of production

Proletariat: class that labors without owning the means of production

Income: amount of money received by an individual or group over a specific time period

Wealth: total economic resources held by a person or group

Power: the ability to control the behavior of others, even against their will

Prestige: recognition, respect, and admiration attached to social positions

Social Classes in America

Class Consciousness: identification with the goals and interests of a social class

Upper Class Upper-Upper Class Lower-Upper Class Casey Johnson (Johnson & Johnson) 50 Cent

The Middle Classes Upper Middle Class- Doctors, Lawyers, Upper-level Managers Middle Class – Lower-level managers, clerical, small business owners, police officers, teachers

The Working Class Working Class – truck drivers, salespeople, machine operators

The Working Poor Working Poor- Manual Laborers, Service Workers

2011 HHS Poverty Guidelines Persons in Family 48 Contiguous States and D.C. Alaska Hawaii 1 $10,890 $13,600 $12,540 2  14,710  18,380  16,930 3  18,530  23,160  21,320 4  22,350  27,940  25,710 5  26,170  32,720  30,100 6  29,990  37,500  34,490 7  33,810  42,280  38,880 8  37,630  47,060  43,270 For each additional person, add    3,820    4,780    4,390

The Underclass Underclass – work part-time menial jobs or are on public assistance

Poverty in America Absolute Poverty – the absence of enough money to secure life’s necessities

Relative Poverty: A measure of poverty based on the economic disparity between those at the bottom of a society and the rest of the society

Identifying the Poor

Distribution of Poverty in the U.S.

Feminization of Poverty: a trend in U. S Feminization of Poverty: a trend in U.S. society in which women and children make up an increasing proportion of the poor

Welfare Reform

Types of Social Mobility Social Mobility: the movement of individuals or groups between classes

Horizontal Mobility: a change in occupation within the same social class

Vertical Mobility: A change upward or downward in occupational status or social class M.C. Hammer came from nothing, gained fame and 33 million dollars and then went bankrupt Intergenerational Mobility: A change in status or class from one generation to the next

Caste System: A stratification structure that does not allow for social mobility in India

Open-class system: a system in which social class is based on merit and individual effort; movement is allowed between classes