STRATIFICATION AND CLASS The Measurable Division of Society

Two Primary Questions to Address: Why does stratification occur? How does stratification occur?

SOCIO-HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE Slavery Caste Estate System Social Class System

ECONOMICALLY BASED SOCIAL CLASS POSITION WITHIN THE SOCIAL CLASS SYSTEM IS: FLUID ACHIEVED ECONOMICALLY BASED LARGE SCALE AND IMPERSONAL

THE REALITY OF SOCIAL CLASS CLASS DIVISIONS ARE REAL, ARE POWERFUL IN THEIR SOCIAL IMPACT, AND ARE MEASURED BY: 1.INCOME 2.PERSONAL WEALTH

DIVISION BY INCOME INCOME CHANGE SINCE 1999: 1.WEALTHIEST 1% SAW INCOME RISE AVG. OF 9% 2.BOTTOM 20% SAW INCOME DECLINE 2.5% 3.MIDDLE 20% SAW INCOME RISE 1.3%

DIVISION BY INCOME INCOME GAP SINCE 1999: 1.TOP 20% EARNED 7x THAT OF POOREST 20% 2.WEALTHIEST EXPERIENCING INCOME GROWTH AT DOUBLE THAT OF THE MIDDLE CLASS

DIVISION BY INCOME 1.TOP 1% EARNED 21.2% OF INCOME (1/100 EARNED 1/5 OF INCOME) 2.TOP 10% EARNED 46.44% OF INCOME 3.BOTTOM 50% EARNED 12.83% OF INCOME

DIVISION OF WEALTH DATA TAKEN FROM FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD CONCENTRATION OF WEALTH AMONG A SMALL NUMBER OF FAMILIES

SOCIAL MOBILITY 1.VERTICAL MOVEMENT IS ANTICIPATED AND EXPECTED 2.INTRAGENERATIONAL 3.INTERGENERATIONAL MOVEMENT IS BASED ON STRUCTURE AND EXCHANGE

THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES ON SOCIAL STRATIFICATION Conflict Theory – Economically Based; Class System Dominates Based on Control Systems Functional Theory – Based on Social Imbalance, beginning with Industrialization Symbolic Interaction Theory – Based on and Perpetuated by Perceivable Differences; Weber introduces concept of Status as Mitigator of Power of Social Class