1. Social Stratification
Chapter 8
Social Stratification

2. Basic Principles A trait of society Persists over generations
Doesn’t reflect individual differences, but society’s structure
Persists over generations
Social mobility happens slowly
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3. Basic Principles Universal but variable
While universal, it varies in type
Involves not just inequality, but beliefs
Ideologies justify existence of social stratification
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4. The Caste System Birth determines social position in four ways:
Occupation
Marriage within caste
Social life is restricted to “own kind”
Belief systems are often tied to religious dogma
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5. Class Systems Social mobility for people with education and skills
All people gain equal standing before the law
Work involves some personal choice
Meritocracy: Based on personal merit
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6. Class Systems
Status consistency–Degree of uniformity in a person's social standing across various
Dimensions of social inequality
A caste system has limited social mobility and high status consistency
The greater mobility of class systems produces less status consistency
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7. Caste and Class Systems
Aristocratic England: Caste-like system of aristocracy
First estate: Church leaders
Second estate: Aristocracy
Third estate: Commoners
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8. Caste and Class Systems
The United Kingdom Today
Caste elements still evident
Commoners control the government
Mixed caste elements and meritocracy
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9. The Caste System Many of the world’s societies are caste systems
Caste system is illegal, but elements survive
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10. Classless Societies? Former Soviet Union China The Russian Revolution
The Modern Russian Federation
China
Economic change
A new class system
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11. Ideology Plato Marx Historical Patterns of Ideology
Every culture considers some type of inequality just
Marx
Capitalist society keep wealth & power for few
Historical Patterns of Ideology
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12. The Davis-Moore Thesis
The greater the importance of a position, the more rewards a society attaches to it
Egalitarian societies offer little incentive for people to try their best
A society considered more important must reward enough to draw talented people
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13. Economic Inequality in Selected Countries, 2010
Many low- and middle-income countries are marked by greater economic inequality than the United States. But the United States has more economic inequality than most high-income nations.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (2011) and World Bank (2011).
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14. Karl Marx: Class and Conflict
Most people have one of two relationships with the means of production
Bourgeoisie own productive property
The proletariat works for the bourgeoisie
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15. Karl Marx: Class and Conflict
Capitalism creates great inequality in power and wealth
Oppression would drive working majority to organize and overthrow capitalism
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16. Why No Marxist Revolution?
Fragmentation of the capitalist class
Higher standard of living
More worker organizations
More extensive legal protections
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17. Was Marx Right? Wealth remains highly concentrated.
White-collar jobs offer no more income,
Security, or satisfaction than factory work did a century ago
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18. Was Marx Right? Current workers’ benefits came from struggle
Workers have lost benefits recently
Ordinary people still face disadvantages that the law cannot overcome
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19. Max Weber: Class, Status, and Power
Socioeconomic status (SES)
Composite ranking based on various dimensions of social inequality
Status
Power
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20. Max Weber: Class, Status, and Power
Inequality in history
Class position
Viewed classes as a continuum from high to low
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21. Stratification and Interaction
Differences in social class position can affect interaction
People interact primarily with others of similar social standing
Conspicuous consumption
Buying & using products because of the "statement" they make
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23. Stratification and Technology: A Global Perspective
Hunting and gathering societies
Horticultural, pastoral, & agrarian societies
Industrial societies
The Kuznets curve
Greater technological sophistication generally
Is accompanied by more pronounced social stratification
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24. Social Stratification and Technological Development: The Kuznets Curve
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25. Income Inequality in Global Perspective
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26. Stratification and Technology: A Global Perspective
Inequality in the United States
Income, Wealth, and Power
Occupational Prestige
Schooling
Ancestry, Race, and Gender
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27. Distribution of Income and Wealth in the United States, 2010
Income, and especially wealth, are divided unequally in U.S. society.
Sources: Income data from U.S. Census Bureau (2011); wealth data based on Keister (2000), Bucks et al. (2009), Wolff (2010), and author estimates.
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29. Social Classes in the United States
The Upper Class
Upper-Uppers
Lower-Uppers
The Middle Class
Upper-Middles
Average-Middles
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30. Social Classes in the United States
The Working Class
About 1/3 of the population (sometimes called Lower-middle class)
The Lower Class
20% of our population
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31. The Difference Class Makes
Health
Values and Attitudes
Politics
Family and Gender
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32. Social Mobility Intergenerational social mobility
Intragenerational social mobility
Research on Mobility
Social mobility over the past century has been fairly high
Within a single generation, social mobility is usually small
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33. Social Mobility The long-term trend in social mobility has been upward
Since the 1970s, social mobility has been uneven
Mobility by Income Level
Mobility: Race, Ethnicity, and Gender
Mobility and Marriage
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34. Median Annual Income, U.S. Families, 1950–2010
Average family income in the United States grew rapidly between 1950 and Since then, however, the increase has been smaller.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau (2011).
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35. Mean Annual Income, U.S. Families, 1980–2010
(in 2010 dollars, adjusted for inflation)
Source: U.S. Census Bureau (2011).
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36. Social Mobility The American Dream: Still a Reality?
For many workers, earnings have stalled
More jobs offer little income
Young people are remaining at home
The Global Economy and the U.S. Class Structure
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37. Poverty in the United States
The Extent of Poverty
Who Are the Poor?
Age
Race and Ethnicity
Gender and Family Patterns
Urban and Rural Poverty
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38. Poverty across the United States, 2010
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39. Poverty in the United States
Explaining Poverty
One View: Blame the Poor
Another View: Blame Society
The Working Poor
Homelessness
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40. Increasing Inequality, Increasing Controversy
Are the Very Rich Worth the Money?
People doubt that the highest paid individuals are really worth what they are receiving
Can the Rest of Us Get Ahead?
Average people who work hard have been struggling to hang on to what they have
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41. Share of All Income Earned by the
Richest
1 Percent,
1913–2009
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