Final Exam You will research a sociological issue or problem present in the United States You will create a Crash Course video to summarize and inform about your topic You will present your video during the final exam period You may work alone or in a group of 2 or 3

Research Topics Mass Media Sociology of Food Youth Cultures Sociology of Gender and Sexuality Social Movements Cults, Clans, and Communities Spirituality, Superstition, and Legends Consumerism Commodities Sociology of Healthcare Sociology of urban, suburban, and rural America Sociology of Sports Sociology of Education

Guidelines Video must be produced to a high academic and professional standard You will be graded for both your video production quality as well as your academic information 30% video production and relation to theme / 70% academic content Video Production Video will be 8-11 minutes long Use a smartphone to record your video and use free editing software such as Windows Movie Maker Only one person will appear on camera You must decorate a set and theme it to your topic Examples: White board drawings, cardboard cutouts, physical objects, etc… Include the following Into credits Thought Bubble: 1-3 animated minute segment Primary and secondary sources You must reference at least four primary sources At least two of these must include passages read in the video A short summary of findings Final credits listing everyone’s role

Social Inequality Social Stratification, Racial and Ethnic Relations, Gender, Age, and Health

Social Stratification

What are the social classes in the United States? What are the characteristics of people in different social classes? How can people move between classes? Do any laws dictate this?

Social Stratification Almost every human society on Earth has divided its people into different categories, ranks, or classes What are the qualities societies have used to divide? Ancestry Race Age Physical appearance Gender Wealth

Caste Systems Societal status and class is based upon ascribed status Almost always based upon your parents Indian Caste System Outlawed in 1950 Still widespread in rural areas Endogamy – Forced marriage inside one’s own cast

Is the United States a de facto caste system? Are people forced into positions based upon birth? Give two arguments why this is true Give two arguments why this is false

Why is There Social Stratification?

Marxist Interpretation Karl Marx argued that society is composed of two major groups The Bourgeoisie – Those who control the means of production The Proletariat – Those who control only their labor Max Weber expanded on this idea Social class consists of three factors Wealth Power Prestige

Pre-Revolutionary France Is this a caste system?

Wealth Distribution in the US

United States Social Inequality

How has income distribution changed in the last 35-45 years?

Dimensions of Social Stratification Sociologists define social class as groupings of people with similar Wealth Power Prestige

Wealth Wealth is made up of assets and income Estate Tax Assets: Everything a person owns Income: Money earned through salaries, investments, returns, and other capital gains Estate Tax An estate tax is a tax which is paid when a property over a certain value is inherited from a deceased relative Only applies to estates valued at over 5.45 million dollars Applies to only .2 percent of estates Is this tax fair? Should people be taxed for inheritance?

Power Ability to control the behavior of others with or without their consent Can be based on Force Possession of knowledge or special skills Social Status Personal characteristics Wealth Which do you think is most significant in America?

Prestige Respect, Honor, Recognition, or courtesy and individual receives Occupation is the largest component of prestige

Explaining Stratification Crash Course Sociology – Why is there stratification?

The American Social Class System Write down what you think the average salary and profession of each of the following classes is What percentage of people make up each class Upper Class Upper-Middle Class Lower-Middle Class Working Class Lower Class

Upper Class 1% of the population Controls a large amount of the nation’s wealth Old Money – Family money and wealth that has usually existed for centuries Kennedys, Rockefellers, Vanderbilts, Du Ponts’ Born into privilege, attend the best schools, travel New Money – Recently acquired wealth Less prestigious Usually earned Generally politically conservative Some see charity as a social obligation

Upper Middle Class 14% of the population High income business people and professionals Money comes from income not wealth Career oriented Enjoy many luxuries Power limited to the local level

Lower Middle Class 30% of the population White collar jobs Work hard Comfortable life Generally hold traditional values and are conservative

Working Class 30% of the population Mostly work in manual labor Might make as much as lower middle class workers but carry less prestige Low financial security

Working Poor 22% of the population Low paying jobs Temporary Seasonal Work hard for little pay or security Low education Politically apathetic

The Underclass 3% of the population Several generations of poverty and poor employment Chief source of income is public assistance Survive day to day Less than 50% of these children will rise in class

Social Mobility Horizontal Mobility – Moving inside of a social class Vertical Mobility – Moving between social classes Extensive studies have shown that mobility is mostly the result of structural changes and not individual effort

Upward Mobility Technological Change – Job opportunities change to match technology Automation can lead to downward mobility New sectors in tech can lead to upward mobility Merchandising Patterns – Growth in the credit industry, real estate, insurance, and personal services has led to an increase in white collar jobs Education – Education levels have increased over the last century

Downward Mobility Changes in the economy Economic downturns Changes in the job market Automation Economic downturns Young people suffer during recessions Highly qualified young individuals can not find jobs Personal circumstances Divorce Illness Retirement

Poverty 2015

Poverty Poverty is calculated by taking the cost of an adequate diet and multiplying it by three Poor people spend one third of their income on food

American Poverty Age – Children are most likely to be in poverty Sex – 57% of the poor are women Race and Ethnicity – African Americans and Hispanics are much more likely to be living in poverty than white and Asian Americans

Why is it so difficult to escape poverty? Poverty often runs in a cycle

It is difficult for the poor to save money

Effects of Poverty Shorter Life expectancy Poor health Poor Americans are more likely to be arrested Crimes occur more in poor neighborhoods

Crash Course Social Stratification in the US