1. Chapter 8 Social Stratification

2. Social Stratification and Social Class social stratification is the creation of layers (or strata) of people who possess unequal shares of scarce resources, particularly income, wealth, power, and prestige Each layer in a stratification system is a social class Members of a social class have similar amounts of scarce resources and share a lifestyle with common values, norms, and social status

3. The Economic Dimension Marx identified several social classes in nineteenth-century industrial society laborers, servants, factory workers, craftspeople, proprietors of small businesses, and moneyed capitalists those who owned the means of production would be the rulers, called this class the bourgeoisie. Those who worked for wages—the proletariat—would be the ruled.

4. Income Versus Wealth Income is the amount of money received within a given time period by an individual or group Wealth refers to all the economic resources possessed by an individual or group According to the 2010 U.S. Census, approximately 46.2 million Americans are living in poverty federal government defines poverty as a family of four living on less than $22,314 3.1 million Americans are millionaires and around 400 are billionaires.

5. The top 1 percent alone has nearly 35 percent of the total wealth in the United States The next 9 percent own 39 percent of the wealth That leaves only about 27 percent of wealth for everyone else—90 percent of the population

6. Dimensions and Explanations of Stratification Power is the ability to control the behavior of others, even against their will Individuals or groups who possess power can use it to enhance their own interests, often at the expense of others Prestige recognition, respect, and admiration attached to social positions It is defined by your culture and society, and is given by others, not claimed by oneself Americans place a high value on the acquisition of wealth and power, they tend to assign higher prestige to the wealthy and powerful, prestige is often related to a person’s occupation.

7. Functionalist Theory of Stratification stratification ensures that the most qualified people fill the most important positions, perform their tasks competently, and are rewarded for their efforts inequality exists because certain jobs are more important than others and that these jobs often require special talent and training society attaches special monetary rewards and prestige to positions that require advanced, specialized education ex. Doctors Why do professional athletes or entertainers make far more money than physicians

8. Conflict Theory of Stratification stratification occurs as a result of the struggle for scarce resources inequality exists because some people are willing to exploit others, Stratification is based on force rather than agreement the powerful spread the idea that income and wealth are based on ability, hard work, and individual effort

9. Symbolic Interactionism and Stratification American children are taught that a person’s social class is the result of talent and effort those “on top” have worked hard and used their abilities, whereas those “on the bottom” lack the talent or the motivation to succeed view of stratification says that social class has an impact on an individual’s self-esteem, or feeling of personal worth people in the lower social classes or social strata tend to suffer from lower self-esteem those profiting most from the stratification structure tend to have higher self-esteem

10. The Social Classes The Upper Class The upper class includes only 1 percent of the population and may be divided into the upper-upper class and the lower-upper class Aristocracy: members represent the old-money families whose names appear in high society—Ford, Rockefeller, Vanderbilt, and du Pont membership in this most elite of clubs is heritage rather than accomplishments People are in the lower-upper class more often because of achievement and earned income than because of birth and inherited wealth

11. Members of this class may actually be better off financially than members of the upper-upper class they often are not accepted into the most exclusive social circles because they do not have the same family tradition The Middle Class Most Americans think of themselves as middle class, In reality, only less than half of Americans fit this description The upper-middle class (14 percent of the population) is composed of those who have been successful in business, the professions, politics, and the military Members of this class earn enough to live well and to save money, typically college educated, have high educational and career goals for their children

12. The middle-middle class (30 percent of the population) is a very mixed bag members include owners of small businesses and farms; independent professionals (small-town doctors and lawyers); members of the clergy, teachers, nurses, firefighters, social workers, and police officers, lower-level managers; and some sales and clerical workers Many have only a high school education, although many have some college, and some have college degrees The working class (often referred to as the lower-middle class) comprises almost one-third of the population roofers, delivery truck drivers, salespeople and clerical workers

13. some of these workers may earn more than some middle-class people, in general the economic resources of the working class are lower than those of the middle class working class have below-average income, and many have unstable employment, generally lack health insurance and retirement benefits The threat of unemployment or illness is real and haunting The working poor (13 percent of the population) consists of people employed in low-skill jobs with the lowest pay members are typically the lowest-level clerical workers, manual workers (laborers), and service workers (fast-food servers)

14. Lacking steady employment and receiving only low wages, the working poor do not earn enough to rise above the poverty line ($22,314 for a family of four) The underclass (12 percent of the population) is composed of people who are usually unemployed and who come from families with a history of unemployment for generations In addition to a lack of education and skills, many members of the underclass have other problems Physical or mental disabilities are common among this group, and many are single mothers with little or no income There are many routes into these classes—birth, old age, loss of a marriage partner, lack of education or training, drug addiction or alcoholism, or physical or mental disability. There are, however, very few paths out.

15. Poverty in the United States absolute poverty means the absence of enough money to secure life’s necessities—having enough food and a safe place to live relative poverty by comparing the economic condition of those at the bottom of a society with that of other members of that society the United States government has measured poverty in 2010 at figure of $22,314 for a family of four the poor make up 15 percent of the American population, or about 46 million people Minorities, people who live in female-headed households, children under 18 years of age, and people with disabilities make up the most disadvantaged groups

16. Gender, Age, Disability, and Poverty feminization of poverty, women and children began to make up a larger proportion of the poor woman earned only about $.81 for every dollar earned by a man. Women with children find it more difficult to find and keep regular, long-term employment the poverty rate for female-headed households is about 32 percent More children under 18 years of age live in female-headed households than live in male-headed households Children under 18 suffer a poverty rate of 22 percent, children living within a female-head household the rate is more than double the rate for all children—47 percent

17. The poverty rate for people with disabilities between the ages of 18 and 64 is almost 28 percent People with disabilities often face barriers to education and employment Americans over the age of 64, experience poverty at a rate of about 9 percent Studies have shown that health and poverty are connected: Poor people are less healthy People with fewer resources have less access to nutritious foods People with low incomes tend to suffer more chronic illness, disease, and disabilities and die younger than more affluent Americans.

18. Social Mobility mobility is most often used to refer to the movement of individuals, families, or groups within the layers of a stratified social structure Horizontal mobility involves changing from one occupation to another at the same social class level vertical mobility a person’s occupational status or social class moves upward or downward When the change takes place over a generation, it is called intergenerational mobility

19. Caste and Open-Class Systems In a caste system there is no social mobility because social status is inherited and cannot be changed statuses (including occupations) are ascribed, or assigned, at birth, Individuals cannot change their status through any efforts of their own In an open-class system, an individual’s social class is based on merit and individual effort move up and down the stratification structure as their abilities, education, and resources permit

20. Global Stratification High-Income Countries High-income nations have a GNI per capita of $12,276 or higher United States 2010 GNI per capita was $47,310 Middle-Income Countries more than half of the countries in the world (51 percent) are middle income divided into upper-middle income countries and lower-middle income countries

21. Upper-middle-income countries have a GNI per capita between $12,275 and $3,976 (Brazil,Mexico, Russian Federation) Lower-middle-income countries have a GNI per capita between $3,975 and $1,006 (El Salvador, India, Iraq, Mongolia, Pakistan, Nigeria, Ukraine, Vietnam) The global poverty line is defined as living on less than $1.25 per day India, with a population of 1.2 billion, accounts for one-third of the world’s poor Low-income countries have a GNI per capita of $1,005 or less As of 2012, 35 countries fell into this category (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Chad, Ethiopia, Haiti, Kenya, North Korea, Malawi, Myanmar (Burma), Nepal, Somalia, Tajikistan, Tanzania, and Uganda.)