1. The federal minimum wage is $7. 25 an hour
The federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour. Assuming full-time, year-round employment, how much would a parent have to earn to rent a modest, two-bedroom apartment at a fair market rent without spending more than 30% of their income on housing (the conventional standard for affordable housing)?
$7.25/hour or $15,080/year
$10.78/hour or $22.422/year
$15.22/hour or $31,657/year
$18.44/hour or $38,360/year

2. More than 40 million people received food stamp or SNAP benefits in what was the average daily benefit per household in 2009?
$30
$21
$15 $9

3. How many children live in households struggling with hunger?

4. 2012 Poverty Guidelines for the 48 Contiguous States and the District of Columbia
Persons in Household
Poverty Guideline 1
$11,170 2
$15,130 3
$19,090 4
$23,050 5
$27,010 6
$30,970 7
$34,930 8
$38,890
For families/households with more than 8 persons, add $3,960 for each additional person.

5. Social Inequalities
Income and Race

6. Dimensions of Stratification
Social class – segment of society whose members hold similar amounts of resources and share values, norms, and an identifiable lifestyle
Income – amount of money received over a specific time period
Wealth – total economic resources held

7. Power and Prestige
Power – ability to control others, even against their will
Prestige – recognition, respect and admiration attached to social positions

8. Prestige Rankings of Selected Jobs
Occupation
Score
Physician 86
Registered nurse 66
Police officer 60
Lawyer 75
High school teacher
Actor/director 58
College prof 74
Accountant 65
Librarian 54
Architect 73
Athlete
Firefighter 53
Airline pilot
Elem school teacher 64
Social worker 52
Dentist 72
Banker 63
Dental hygienist
Psychologist 69
Veterinarian 62
Electrician 51
Clergy
Legislator 61
Pharmacist 68
Pilot

9. Prestige Rankings of Selected Jobs
Occupation
Score
Funeral director 49
Receptionist 39
Garbage collector 28
Farm manager 48
Carpenter
Waiter/ress
Mail carrier 47
Barber 36
Bartender 25
Secretary 46
Child care worker
Bill collector 24
Insurance agent 45
Hotel clerk 32
Farm worker 23
Bank teller 43
Bus driver
Janitor 22
Nurse’s aide 42
Auto body repair 31
Maid 20
Farmer 40
Truck driver 30
Newspaper vendor 19
Correctional officer
Salesworker (shoes)
Car washer

10. Social Class in America
American social classes
Upper class = 1% of population
Middle class = 40-50% of population
Usually work in white collar jobs – educated or skilled labor
Working class = 30% of population
Work in blue collar jobs – involve manual labor
Working poor = 13%
Underclass = 12%
Underclass – people typically unemployed who come from families that have been poor for generations

11. Hidden unemployment – unemployment that includes people not counted in the traditional unemployment categories
Someone who has stopped looking for a job
Underemployed - employed only part-time when one needs full-time employment or not making full use of skills

12. Poverty in America
Absolute poverty – absence of enough money to secure life’s necessities
Relative poverty – measure of poverty based on the economic disparity between those at the bottom of society and the rest of society
Feminization of poverty – trend in US society in which women and children make up an increasing proportion of the poor

13. Social Mobility
Social mobility – movement of people between social classes
Types of social mobility
Horizontal mobility – change in occupation w/in the same social class
Restaurant waiter becomes a taxi driver
Vertical mobility – change upward or downward in occupational status or social class
Auto worker becomes a manager
Intergenerational mobility – change in status or class from one generation to the next
Daughter of a hairdresser becomes a college professor

14. Caste system – stratification structure that doesn’t allow for social mobility
Open-class system – social class is based on merit and individual effort

15. Proportional tax: percentage of income paid in taxes is the same for all income levels
Ex: everyone pays 10%
Progressive tax: percentage of income paid increases as income increases
Ex: $50,000 income pays 15%, $500,000 pays 25%
Regressive tax: percentage of income paid in taxes decreases as income increases
Ex: sales tax takes a higher percentage of lower income person’s $

16. Minority, Race and Ethnicity
Minority – group of people w/physical or cultural traits different from those of the dominant group in the society
Have distinct physical/cultural characteristics
Dominated by the majority
Majority views minority traits to be inferior
Majority decides who belongs to the minority

17. Race – people sharing certain inherited physical characteristics that are considered important w/in a society
Ethnic minority – group identified by cultural, religious, or national characteristics

18. Black, African American or Negro American Indian or Alaskan Native
US RACE CATEGORIES:
Year
Race Categories
1790
Free white males
Free white females
All other free persons
Slaves
1990
White
Black or Negro
American Indian
Eskimo
Asian or Pacific Islander, Chinese, Filipino, Hawaiian, Korean, Vietnamese, Japanese, Asian Indian, Samoan, Guamanian, other Asian or Pacific Islander
Other race
1890
Black
Mulatto
Chinese
Indian
2010
Black, African American or Negro
American Indian or Alaskan Native
Asian: Asian Indian, Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Other Asian
1940
Negro
Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, Hindu, Korean
Other

19. Racial and Ethnic Relations
Assimilation – blending of minority groups into the dominant society
Anglo-conformity – maintains traditional American institutions
Least egalitarian
Melting pot – ethnic and racial groups voluntarily blend together
Cultural pluralism – desire of a group to keep some sense of identity separate from the dominant group
Accommodation – minority keeps its own way of life

20. Patterns of conflict
Genocide – systematic effort to destroy an entire population
Subjugation – process by which a minority group is denied equal access to the benefits of society
De jure segregation – denial of equal access based on the law
School segregation
De facto segregation – denial of equal access based on everyday practice
Neighborhoods not selling homes to a certain race

21. Theories of Prejudice and Discrimination
Prejudice – widely held negative attitudes toward a group and its individual members
Racism – extreme form of prejudice that assumes superiority of one group over others
Discrimination – treating people differently based on ethnicity, race, religion or culture
Hate crime – criminal act motivated by prejudice
Stereotype – distorted, exaggerated or oversimplified image applied to a category of people

22. Institutionalized discrimination – unfair practices that grow out of common behaviors and attitudes and are a part of the structure of society
Discrimination is an accepted part of society
Racial segregation after the Civil War

23. Flynn 40 44 57 Lakeshore 50 64 Locust Lane 48 59 Longfellow 69 77 82
Percentage of students qualifying for free/reduced-price meals in ECASD
School
Jan ’04
Sept ’08
Sept ’11
Flynn 40 44 57
Lakeshore 50 64
Locust Lane 48 59
Longfellow 69 77 82
Manz 28 31
Meadowview 16 24 33
Northwoods 37
Putnam Heights 27 35
Robbins 12 20
Roosevelt 36 46
Sam Davey 41
Sherman 42 45
Montesorri 9 18

24. Percentage qualifying for free/reduced-price meals –cont-
School
Jan ’04
Sept ’08
Sept ’11
Delong 40 39 47
Northstar 30 32 43
South 19 24
Memorial 13 20
North 29