social stratification
the division of society into groups arranged in a social hierarchy
social inequality
the unequal distribution of wealth, power, or presitge among memebers of a society
slavery
the most extreme form of social stratification, based on the legal ownership of people
caste system
a form of social stratification in which status is determined by one's family history and background and cannot be changed
apartheid
the system of segregation of racial and ethnic groups that was legal in South Africa between 1948 and 1991
social class
a system of stratification based on access to such resources as wealth, property, power, and prestige
socioeconomic status (SES)
a measure of an individual's place within a social class system; often used interchangeably with "class
upper class
a largely self-sustaining group of the wealthiest people in a class system; in the United States, they constitute about 1% of the population and possess most of the wealth of the country
upper-middle class
mostly professionals and managers who enjoy considerable finanacial stability, they constitute about 14% of the US population
middle class
composed primarily of "white collar" workers with a broad range of incomes
white collar
a description characterizing workers and skilled laborers in technical and lower-management jobs
working class or lower-middle class
mostly "blue collar" or service industry workers who are less likely to have a college degree; they constitute 30% of the US population
blue collar
a description characterizing workers who perform manual labor
working poor
poorly educated workers who work full-time but remain below the poverty line; they constitute about 20% of the US population
underclass
the poorest Amercians who are chronically unemployed and may depend on public or private assistance; they constitute about 5% of the US population
status inconsistency
a situation in which there are serious differences between elements of an individual's socioeconomic status
feudal system
a system of social stratificationbased on a hereditary nobility who were responsible for and served a lower stratum of forced laborers called serfs
wealth
a measure of net worth that includes income, property, and other assets
prestige
the social honor people are given because of their membership in well-regarded social groups
social reproduction
the tendency of social classes to remain relatively stable as social class status is passed down from one generation to the next
cultural capital
the tastes, habits, expectations, skills, knowledge, and other cultural dispositions that help us gain advantages in society
social mobility
the movement of individuals or groups within the hierarchal system of social classes
closed system
a social system with very little opportunities to move from one class to another
open system
a social system with ample opportunities to move from one class to another
intragenerational mobility
movement between social classes that occurs during the course of an individual's lifetime
intergenerational mobility
movement between social classes that occurs from one generation to the next
horizontal social mobility
the occupational movement of individuals or groups within a social class
vertical social mobility
the movement between different classes statuses, often called either upward mobility or downward mobility
structural mobility
changes in the social status of large numbers of people due to structural changes in society
relative deprivation
a relative measure of poverty based on the standard of living in a particular society
absolute deprivation
an objective measure of poverty, defined by the inability to meet minimal standards for food, shelter, clothing, or health care
homogamy
choosing romantic partners who are similar to us in terms of class, race, education, religion, and other social group membership
heterogamy
choosing romantic partners who are dissimilar to us in terms of class, race, education, religion, and other social group membership
hypergamy
marrying "up" in the social class hierarchy
hypogamy
marrying "down" in the social class hierarchy
digital divide
the experience of unequal access to computer and internet technology, both globally and within the United States
culture of poverty
entrenched attitudes that can develop among poor communications and lead the poor to accept their fate rather than attempt to improve their lot
just-world hypothesis
argues that people have a deep need to see the world as orderly, predictable, and fair, which creates a tendency to view victims of social injustice as deserving of their fates
disenfranchisement
the removal of the rights of citizenship through economic, political, or legal means
meritocracy
a system in which rewards are distributed based on merit
simplicity movement
a loosely knit movement that opposes consumerism and ecourages people to work less, earn less, and spend less, in accordance with nonmaterialistic values
everyday class consciousness
awareness of one's own social status and that of others
residential segregation
the geographical separation of the poor from the rest of the population