Ch. 4: Demographics and Social Stratification Demographics describe a population in terms of its size, distribution, and structure. Size: Distribution: Structure:

Social Standing/Class Socioeconomic factors Occupation Education Ownership Income Heritage Social Standing Upper class Middle class Working class Lower class Unique Behaviors Preferences Purchases Consumption Communication One’s position relative to others on one or more dimensions valued by society. 1) Bounded, 2) ordered, 3) mutually exclusive, 4) exhaustive, and 5) influential.

Not All Behaviors within a Social Class Are Unique Behaviors associated with a particular social class Behaviors shared with other social classes Behaviors not engaged in Excluded behaviors Unique Shared behaviors

Percent Distribution of Five-Category Social-Class Measure SOCIAL CLASSESPERCENTAGE Upper 4.3 Upper-middle 13.8 Middle 32.8 Working 32.3 Lower 16.8 Total percentage100.0

Social Class Groups Social Class General Consumer Behavior UPPER AMERICANS (UPPER-UPPER, LOWER-UPPER, UPPER-MIDDLE) (14 % of population)

Social Class General Consumer Behavior MIDDLE CLASS (32 % of population) Social Class Groups (cont.)

Social Class General Consumer Behavior WORKING CLASS (38 % of population) Social Class Groups (cont.)

Social Class General Consumer Behavior LOWER AMERICANS (16 % of population) Social Class Groups (cont.)

Measuring Social Status Single-Item Indexes –Education –Occupation (Socioeconomic Index: SEI) –Income Relative Occupational Class Income Subjective Discretionary Income Multi-Item Indexes –Hollingshead Index of Social Position –Warner’s Index of Status Characteristics –Census Bureau’s Index of Socioeconomic Status

Hollingshead Index of Social Position (ISP) Occupation Scale (Weight of 7) DescriptionScore Higher executives of large concerns, proprietors, and 1 major professionals Business managers, proprietors of medium-sized businesses, 2 and lesser professionals Administrative personnel, owners of small businesses, and 3 minor professionals Clerical and sales workers, technicians, and owners of little 4 businesses Skilled manual employees5 Machine operators and semiskilled employees6 Unskilled employees7

Hollingshead Index of Social Position (ISP) Education Scale (Weight of 4) DescriptionScore Professional (MA, MS, ME, MD, PhD, LLD, and the like)1 Four-year college graduate (BA, BS, BM)2 One to three years college (also business schools)3 High school graduate4 Ten to 11 years of school (part high school)5 Seven to nine years of school6 Less than seven years of school7

Hollingshead Index of Social Position (ISP) ISP score = (Occupation score X 7) + (Education score X 4) Classification System Range of DescriptionScores Upper Upper-middle Middle Lower-middle Lower 64-77

Warner’s Index of Status Characteristics (ISC) 1 Professionals and pro-InheritedExcellent Very high: Gold Coast, prietors of large businesses wealth houses North Shore, etc. 2 Semiprofessionals & Earned Very good High: better suburbs & officials of large businesseswealth apartment house areas 3 Clerks and kindred Profits & Good houses Above average: areas all residential, workers fees space around houses, apartments in good condition 4 Skilled workers Salary Average Average: residential neighborhoods, houses no deterioration 5 Proprietors of small Wages Fair houses Below average: area beginning to businesses deteriorate, business entering 6 Semiskilled workers Private relief Poor houses Low: considerably deteriorated, run down and semi-slum 7 Unskilled workers Public relief & Very poor Very low: slum nonrespectable houses income Characteristics Source ofHouse ScoreOccupationIncomeTypeDwelling Area

Upper-upper % Lower-upper Upper-middle Lower-middle Upper-lower Lower-lower Classification System Range ofPopulation Social StrataScores Breakdown Warner’s Index of Status Characteristics (ISC) ISC score = (Occupation X 4) + (Income source X 3) + (House type X 3) + (Dwelling area X 2)

Census Bureau Index of Socioeconomic Status (SES) Under $3,000 15Some grade school 10 Laborers 20 $3,000-$4, Grade school graduate 23 Students 33 $5,000-$7, Some high school 42 Service workers 34 $7,500-$9, High school graduate 67 Operators 58 $10,000-$14, Some college 86Craftsmen 58 $15,000-$19, College graduate 93 Clerical sales 71 $20,000-$29, Graduate school 98 Managers 81 $30,000 and over 100 Professionals 90 *Note: Income levels should be adjusted by consumer price index before using. Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, Methodology and Scores of the Socioeconomic Status, Working Paper No. 15 (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1963). IncomeEducation Occupation Category*ScoreCategory Score Category Score

Census Bureau Index of Socioeconomic Status (SES) (Income) + (Education) + (Occupation) SES score = 3 Upper % Upper-middle Middle Lower-middle *Note: Income levels should be adjusted by consumer price index before using. Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, Methodology and Scores of the Socioeconomic Status, Working Paper No. 15 (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1963). Classification System Range ofPopulation Social StrataScores Breakdown

Problem with the multi-item indexes A person with under seven years of school who started a small manufacturing firm which later grew into a medium sized firm of which he is now president. A person with an MA in English owns and operates a very small bookstore located near the university specializing in classical literature.

“Upward Pull” Strategy Targeted at Middle Class Middle classAspirations To belong to upper-middle class Prefer Products consumed by upper-middle class Positioning Upper-middle class symbolism for middle-class products

Positioning Within Social Class Working-class aristocrats Disdain Upper-middle class Prefer Working-class products and brands Positioning Working-class symbolism for working-class products