Social Stratification Division of society into categories, ranks, or classes

Social Stratification Varies from one society to another Ascribed status (ancestry, race, age, gender) can be one way to classify Achieved status (education and occupation)

Social Inequality The unequal sharing of scarce resources and social rewards. Created by societies ranking talent and effort. Social competition also often leads to social inequality.

Stratification Spectrum To the right of the spectrum are the open systems with social mobility…called class systems. To the left are the closed systems with little or no advancement in social status… called caste systems.

Caste System Based on ascribed status A newborns lifelong status (caste) is given at birth by parents’ status Very little opportunity to get out Endogamy- marriage in one’s social class.

Class System Based on achieved status Has lots of social mobility Exogamy (marriage outside your social class) is possible Marx- named only two classes: Bourgeoisie and Proletariat

Dimensions of Social Stratification Wealth- made up of one’s assets Power- ability to control the behavior of others, with or without consent Prestige- respect, honor, recognition, or courtesy received from other members of society.

Prestige Ratings for Selected Occupations in the United States Occupation Rating Physician 86 Musician 47 Lawyer 75 Farmer 40 Clergy 69 Carpenter 39 Registered Nurse 66 Child-Care Worker 36 Public School Teacher 66 Hairdresser 36 Engineer 64 Automobile Mechanic 31 Police Officer 60 Truck Driver 30 Painter 52 Garbage Collector 28 Social Worker 52 Waiter/Waitress 28 Electrician 51 Household Laborer 23 Realtor 49 Janitor 22 Machinist 47 Shoe Shiner 9

Socioeconomic Status SES A rating that combines social factors such as educational level, occupational prestige, place of residence, and the economic factor of income.

American Class System Social Class Education Level Occupations % of Population Upper Prestigious Univ. Large business, heirs to fortunes, top executives 1 Upper Middle University Execs, Professionals 14 Lower Middle Some College; high school Low level managers, skilled workers, supervisors 30 Working High School Factory, clerical, low-level sales Working Poor Some High School Laborers, service workers 22 Underclass Low paying, low desirable jobs 3

American Social Class System Open Laws forbid ascribed status defining classes Opportunity for social mobility for most Equal opportunity, but no guarantees

Determining Social Class in USA Reputational Method Subjective Method Objective Method These are the three ways sociologist rank individuals according to social class.

Reputational Method Individuals in the community are asked to rank other community members based on what they know of their character and lifestyle Suitable when studying small communities

Subjective Method Individuals are asked to determine their own social rank. Most people place themselves in middle ranges of social class. This is why middle is divided into many different categories.

Objective Method Social class is defined by income, occupation, and education. Based on statistics and is the least biased. Problems only exist when determining measurement of categories.

Social Mobility The movement between or within social classes or strata. Important feature of open class system. Horizontal mobility- movement within a social class or stratum. Vertical mobility- movement between social classes. Intergenerational mobility- status differences between generations in the same family. Is what most parents want!

Poverty Family Size Poverty level (in dollars) 1 person 8,794 Under 65 years 8,959 Over 65 years 8,259 2 persons 11,239 Householder under 65 11,590 Householder over 65 10,419 3 persons 13,738 4 persons 17,603 5 persons 20,819 6 persons 23,528

Percentage of Population Below Poverty; 2000 Age Range All Races White African Am. Hispanic Total Pop 13.3 11 26.5 27.1 Under 18 19.9 16.1 37.2 36.8 18-24 17.5 15.5 28 25.8 25-34 12.1 10.5 20.9 21.9 35-44 9.6 8 19.3 21.5 45-54 7.2 6.3 15.8 55-59 9 7.4 22.2 20.5 60-64 11.2 9.9 22.1 22.9 65 and older 26 23.8