1. CHAPTER 9 Social Stratification
Sociology
4/15/2017
CHAPTER 9 Social Stratification
Section 1: Systems of Stratification
Section 2: The American Class System
Section 3: Poverty
Chapter 9

2. Identify the characteristics of caste systems and class systems.
Section 1: Systems of Stratification
Objectives:
Identify the characteristics of caste systems and class systems.
Contrast the major theories of social stratification.

3. Characteristics of Caste and Class Systems
Section 1: Systems of Stratification
Characteristics of Caste and Class Systems
social stratification – division of society into categories, ranks, or classes
can be based on either achieved or ascribed status
can be open or closed
social inequality – the unequal sharing of scarce resources and social rewards

4. Characteristics of Caste and Class Systems
Section 1: Systems of Stratification
Characteristics of Caste and Class Systems
Caste System:
Closed and lifelong
Immobility and inherited status
Based on specific occupations
Ascribed status
exogamy, endogamy
Class System:
Open and mobile
Reward is determined by achieved status
Property, prestige, and power are important (Weber)
bourgeoisie, proletariat

5. Dimensions of Social Stratification
Section 1: Systems of Stratification
Dimensions of Social Stratification
social class – grouping of people with similar levels of wealth, power, and prestige
wealth – made up of assets (value of everything one owns) and income (money earned through salaries, investments, or capital gains
in the U.S. the richest 1% of the population controls more than 1/3 of the wealth
chart page 208

6. Dimensions of Social Stratification
Section 1: Systems of Stratification
Dimensions of Social Stratification
power – the ability to control the behavior of others, with or without their consent
based on force, possession of special skills, knowledge, social status, personal characteristics, custom/tradition
prestige – respect, honor, recognition, or courtesy an individual receives from other members of society
based on income, occupation , education, family, residences, possessions, club memberships
chart page 209
socioeconomic status – SES, rating that combines social factors such as educational level, occupational prestige, residence, income, used to determine an individual’s relative position in the stratification system

7. Major Theories of Social Stratification
Section 1: Systems of Stratification
Major Theories of Social Stratification
Functionalist Theorists – view stratification as a necessary feature of the social structure and argue that the more important a role and the more skill needed to perform it, the higher the reward, without varying rewards may jobs would not be filled and society could not function
fails to recognize not everyone has equal access to resources, ignores the talented in lower classes that because of stratification may not be able to contribute to society, cannot explain why rewards sometimes do not reflect the social value of a role

8. Major Theories of Social Stratification
Section 1: Systems of Stratification
Major Theories of Social Stratification
Conflict Theorists – view stratification as a result of conflict over scarce resources and argue that groups gain power then use that power to maintain it, based on Marx
fails to recognize that unequal rewards are based on differences in talent, skill, and desire

9. Identify the characteristics of the American class system.
Section 2: The American Class System
Objectives:
Identify the characteristics of the American class system.
Explain how different motivations and cultural values influence the American class system.

10. The American Class System
Section 2: The American Class System
The American Class System
open system
law forbids discrimination based on ascribed characteristics such as race or gender
in theory, all have equal access to resources
rate of social mobility is not equal for all segments of society

11. Determining Social Class
Section 2: The American Class System
Determining Social Class
reputational method – individuals are asked to rank other community members based on what they know of their character and lifestyle
subjective method – individuals are asked to determine their own social rank
objective method – sociologists define social class by income, occupation, and education

12. Social Classes in the United States
Section 2: The American Class System
Social Classes in the United States
1% upper class
14% upper-middle class
30% lower-middle class
30% working class
22% working poor
3% underclass
major difference in classes is income, lifestyle, beliefs
chart page 214

13. The American Class System
Section 2: The American Class System
The American Class System
Upper Class – attend prestigious universities; owners of large businesses, investors, heirs to family fortunes, top business executives; 1 percent of population
Upper Middle Class – attend college or university, business executives, professionals; 14 percent of population
Lower Middle Class – high school, some college; lower-level managers skilled craftworkers, supervisors; 30 percent of population

14. The American Class System
Section 2: The American Class System
The American Class System
Working Class – high school education; factory workers, clerical workers, lower level salespeople, some craft-workers; 30 percent of population
Working Poor – some high school; laborers, service workers; 22 percent of population
Underclass – some high school; undesirable, low-paying jobs, unemployed, on welfare; 3 percent of population

15. Social Mobility Section 2: The American Class System
social mobility – the movement between or within social classes or strata
horizontal mobility – movement within a social class
vertical mobility – movement between social classes, upward or downward
intergenerational mobility – status differences between generations in the same family (parent’s social class vs. their own current class)
structural factors that affect upward mobility include advances in technology, changes in merchandising patterns, and increase in education

16. Motivations and Cultural Values Influence the American Class System
Section 2: The American Class System
Motivations and Cultural Values Influence the American Class System
Values influence Americans to try to do better financially than their parents and to help their children do the same
Most Americans remain in the same social class as their parents

17. Identify the groups of Americans that are affected by poverty.
Section 3: Poverty
Objectives:
Identify the groups of Americans that are affected by poverty.
Describe the steps that have been taken by the federal government to lessen the effects of poverty.

18. Defining Poverty Section 3: Poverty
More than 31 million people (11% of the population) live below the poverty level.
poverty – a standard of living that is below the minimum level considered adequate by society, a relative measure
poverty level – defined by the U.S. Bureau of Census, the minimum annual income needed by a family to survive

19. Defining Poverty Section 3: Poverty Poverty Level:
determined by calculating the cost of providing an adequate diet, based on the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture’s minimum nutritional standards
this number is then multiplied by three (research has indicated that poor people spend 1/3 of their income on food)
adjusted each year to reflect the cost of living
usually stated for a family of 4
chart page 221
reconsiderations based on changes in spending habits since the 1960s

20. Groups Affected By Poverty
Section 3: Poverty
Groups Affected By Poverty
Age – children are the largest group (37%); three times more African American and Hispanic children are poor than whites
Gender – women are the largest segment (57%); female-headed households account for about half of all poor families
Race and Ethnicity – African Americans and Hispanics are far more likely than white Americans to be poor

21. The Effects of Poverty Section 3: Poverty
Poor and wealthy members of society differ in the range of their life chances and behavior patterns.
life chances – the likelihood that individuals have of sharing in the opportunities and benefits of society
health, life expectancy, housing, education
the lower the social class, the less opportunity to share in the benefit of society
life expectancy – the average number of years a person born in a particular year can expect to live
inadequate nutrition and less access to medial care

22. The Effects of Poverty Section 3: Poverty patterns of behavior
higher divorce rate
committing crime
people living in poverty are more likely to commit crimes that police pursue more aggressively
victims of crime

23. Government Responses To Poverty
Section 3: Poverty
Government Responses To Poverty
Government attempts to reduce inequality through various social-welfare programs using two approaches:
Transfer Payments – redistribution of money among various segments of society; taking a percentage of the money collected through taxes and funneling it to groups that need public assistance (poor, unemployed, elderly, disabled
Supplemental Security Income (SSI): provides income support for people age 65 and older, the blind, and disabled with children
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF): cash payments to families with children

24. Government Responses To Poverty
Section 3: Poverty
Government Responses To Poverty
Subsidies - transfer goods and services rather than cash
Food Stamp Program: people receive coupons or cards that can be used to buy food
housing, school lunches
Medicaid: health insurance program for the poor
Medicare: government-sponsored health insurance program for people 65 and older