1. Social Stratification
Chapter 8
Social Stratification

2. Social Stratification and Social Class
Social Stratification: ranking of people or groups according to their unequal access to scarce resources

3. Social Class: segment of society whose members hold similar amounts of resources and share values, norms, and an identifiable lifestyle

4. The Economic Dimension
Bourgeoisie: class that owns the means of production

5. Proletariat: class that labors without owning the means of production

6. Income: amount of money received by an individual or group over a specific time period

7. Wealth: total economic resources held by a person or group

10. Power: the ability to control the behavior of others, even against their will

11. Prestige: recognition, respect, and admiration attached to social positions

12. Social Classes in America

13. Class Consciousness: identification with the goals and interests of a social class

14. Upper Class Upper-Upper Class Lower-Upper Class
Casey Johnson (Johnson & Johnson)
50 Cent

15. The Middle Classes
Upper Middle Class- Doctors, Lawyers, Upper-level Managers
Middle Class – Lower-level managers, clerical, small business owners, police officers, teachers

16. The Working Class
Working Class – truck drivers, salespeople, machine operators

17. The Working Poor
Working Poor- Manual Laborers, Service Workers

18. 2011 HHS Poverty Guidelines
Persons in Family
48 Contiguous States and D.C.
Alaska
Hawaii 1
$10,890
$13,600
$12,540 2
 14,710
 18,380
 16,930 3
 18,530
 23,160
 21,320 4
 22,350
 27,940
 25,710 5
 26,170
 32,720
 30,100 6
 29,990
 37,500
 34,490 7
 33,810
 42,280
 38,880 8
 37,630
 47,060
 43,270
For each additional person, add
   3,820
   4,780
   4,390

19. The Underclass
Underclass – work part-time menial jobs or are on public assistance

20. Poverty in America
Absolute Poverty – the absence of enough money to secure life’s necessities

21. Relative Poverty: A measure of poverty based on the economic disparity between those at the bottom of a society and the rest of the society

22. Identifying the Poor

23. Distribution of Poverty in the U.S.

25. Feminization of Poverty: a trend in U. S
Feminization of Poverty: a trend in U.S. society in which women and children make up an increasing proportion of the poor

26. Welfare Reform

27. Types of Social Mobility
Social Mobility: the movement of individuals or groups between classes

28. Horizontal Mobility: a change in occupation within the same social class

29. Vertical Mobility: A change upward or downward in occupational status or social class
M.C. Hammer came from nothing, gained fame and 33 million dollars and then went bankrupt
Intergenerational Mobility: A change in status or class from one generation to the next

30. Caste System: A stratification structure that does not allow for social mobility
in India

31. Open-class system: a system in which social class is based on merit and individual effort; movement is allowed between classes