Chapter 8 Social Stratification Social Categories “Open” and “Closed” Stratification Systems Theories of Stratification Analyses of Social Class

Social Categories Every society classifies its’ people into categories. Ascribed characteristics: skin color, sex, hair color, national origin, religious affiliation. Achieved characteristics: occupation, marital status, level of education and income.

Characteristics That Distinguish a Caste System From a Class System 1. Rigidity - how difficult it is for people to change their category. 2. Relative importance of ascribed and achieved characteristics in determining life chances. 3. Extent to which restrictions are placed on social interaction between people in different categories.

Why the U.S. Seems a Model of Equality We can find examples of people from all racial, ethnic, sex, and age groups who achieve rewards. No obvious laws govern ascribed characteristics and life chances. We believe that anyone can transcend his or her environment through hard work.

Functionalist Theory of Stratification Social inequality ensured that important occupations are filled by the best people. Indicators of an occupation's importance. 1. Degree to which the occupation is functionally unique. 2. Degree to which other occupations depend on the one in question.

Karl Marx and Social Class Conflict between two distinct classes propels us from one historical epoch to another. Viewed social claass in terms of source of income.

Max Weber and Social Class A person’s status in society is based on his or her relationship to the means of production and sources of income. People’s class standing depends on their marketable abilities, access to goods and services, control over production and ability to invest in property or other sources of income.