Chapter 10—Social Class Jon Witt

Understanding Stratification Marx, Weber, and Durkheim highlighted significance of class differences and sought to understand both their causes and consequences Du Bois and Addams worked to ameliorate excesses of social stratification In U.S., social class is a touchy subject Understanding Stratification

Understanding Stratification Systems of Stratification Social Inequality Condition in which members of society have different amounts of wealth, prestige, or power Stratification Structured ranking of entire groups of people that perpetuates unequal economic rewards and power in a society Slavery Caste Estate Class Understanding Stratification

Understanding Stratification Systems of Stratification Ascribed Status Social position assigned to a person without regard for that his or her unique talents or characteristics Achieved Status Social position attained by person largely through his or her own efforts Understanding Stratification

Understanding Stratification Systems of Stratification Slavery Most extreme form of legalized social inequality Caste Hereditary rank, usually religiously dictated, that tends to be fixed and immobile Estate System Peasants required to work land leased to them by nobles in exchange for military protection and other services Class System Social ranking based primarily on economic position Understanding Stratification

Understanding Stratification Social Classes Five-class model used to describe U.S. class system: Upper class Upper-middle class Lower-middle class Working class Lower class Understanding Stratification

Understanding Stratification Social Mobility Movement of individuals or groups from one position in a society’s stratification system to another Open Versus Closed Stratification Systems Open System position of each individual influenced by his or her achieved status Closed System There is little or no possibility of individual social mobility Understanding Stratification

Understanding Stratification Types of Social Mobility Horizontal Mobility Movement from one social position to another of the same rank Vertical Mobility Movement from one social position to another of a different rank Intergenerational Mobility Changes in social position of children relative to their parents Intragenerational Mobility Changes in social position within a person’s adult life Understanding Stratification

Understanding Stratification Sociological Perspectives on Stratification Marx on Class Social relations depend on who controls the primary mode of production Capitalism Economic system in which private individuals control the means of production and the main incentive for economic activity is the accumulation of profits Bourgeoisie Capitalist class; owns the means of production Proletariat Working class; lack ownership of the means of production Understanding Stratification

Understanding Stratification Marx on Class Class Consciousness subjective awareness of common vested interests and the need for collective political action to bring about change Believed class consciousness would lead to the overthrow of capitalism False Consciousness Attitude held by members of a class that does not accurately reflect their objective position Dominant Ideology Set of cultural beliefs and practices that helps maintain status quo Understanding Stratification

Understanding Stratification Weber’s Multidimensional Model Class does not totally define a person’s position within the stratification system Class Group of people who have similar level of wealth and income Status Group People who have the same prestige or lifestyle Party Capacity to organize to accomplish some particular goal Understanding Stratification

Understanding Stratification Bourdieu and Cultural Capital Cultural Capital Our tastes, knowledge, language, and ways of thinking that we exchange in interaction with others Because culture is hierarchically valued, it is a form of power People in different classes possess different types of cultural capital Can be used as a form of exclusion Passed down the same way as material capital Understanding Stratification

Understanding Stratification Material, Social, and Cultural Resources Material resources are economic resources we own or control Social resources are prestige based on position we occupy and social network connections Cultural resources are our tastes, language, and way of looking at the world Understanding Stratification

Social Class in the United States Cultural Capital We see class even if we don’t usually identify it as such Clothes Housing Vacations We seldom take seriously the source of such preferences or their effect on the choices we make and the doors that these choices may open or close to us Social Class in the United States

Social Class in the United States Status and Prestige Occupational prestige Prestige Respect and admiration that an occupation holds in society Esteem Reputation that a specific person has earned within an occupation Social Class in the United States

Social Class in the United States Status and Prestige Socioeconomic Status (SES) Measure of social class based on income, education, occupation, and related variables Society often undervalues work (such as women’s unpaid work) that is essential for our individual and collective survival Social Class in the United States

Social Class in the United States Income and Wealth Income Wages and salaries measured over some period, such as per hour or per year Wealth Total of a person’s material assets, including savings, land, stocks, and other types of property, minus his or her debts at a single point in time Social Class in the United States

Social Class in the United States Income Income inequality basic characteristic of a class system In U.S. top 5% earns a significantly greater percent of total income than the bottom 40% combined Income inequality in the U.S. increased steadily since 1970 Americans do not seem to seriously concerned about income and wealth inequality Social Class in the United States

Source: U.S. Census Bureau 2009i:Table H-3.

Social Class in the United States Wealth Distributed more unevenly than income Top 1% owns 33.8% of all wealth Bottom 50% owns just 2.5% Top 1% owns more than bottom 90% combined Social Class in the United States

Social Class in the United States Middle Class Struggles Middle incomes have remained steady or even fallen over the past 40 years Disappearing opportunities for those with little education Global competition and rapid advances in technology Growing dependence on the temporary workforce The rise of new-growth industries and nonunion workplaces Social Class in the United States

Social Class in the United States Poverty In 2008, 39.8 million people in U.S.—13.2% of the population—lived in poverty Social Class in the United States

Social Class in the United States Defining Poverty Absolute Poverty Minimum level of subsistence that no family should be expected to live below Common measure is federal government’s poverty line Relative Poverty Floating standard of deprivation by which people at the bottom of a society are judged as being disadvantaged in comparison with the nation as a whole Social Class in the United States

Social Class in the United States Who Are the Poor? Stereotypes about poverty are flawed Likelihood of being in poverty shaped by factors such as age, race, ethnicity, and family type increasing proportion of poor in U.S. have been women In 2008, 43% of poor people in the U.S. were living in big cities Underclass Long-term poor who lack training and skills Overall composition of poor changes continually Social Class in the United States

Source: OECD 2009:Table EQ3.2.

Note: Age and race/ethnicity percents are based on total persons Note: Age and race/ethnicity percents are based on total persons. Families percents are based on total families. Source: DeNavas-Walt et al. 2009c.

Social Class in the United States Social Mobility Occupational Mobility Common among males Most mobility is minor Income and Wealth Mobility occurs, but most do not move very far Likelihood of ending up in same position as one’s parents has been rising since 1980 Social Class in the United States

Social Class in the United States Social Mobility Education Impact of formal schooling is greater than family background Important means of intergenerational mobility Critical factor in development of cultural capital Social Class in the United States

Social Class in the United States Social Mobility Race and Ethnicity Class system more rigid for African Americans than for other racial groups Typical Hispanic has less than 10% of the wealth that a White person has Gender Mobility studies have traditionally ignored gender Women especially likely to be trapped in poverty Social Class in the United States

Source: U.S. Census Bureau 2009f:Part 28.

Max Weber saw class as being closely related to people’s life chances Life Chances Opportunities people have to provide themselves with material goods, positive living conditions, and favorable life experiences In times of danger, affluent and powerful have a better chance of surviving Digital Divide Relative lack of access to latest technologies among low-income groups, minorities, rural residents, and citizens of developing countries Life Chances