Social Stratification
a system in which groups of people are divided into layers according to their socio-economic factors
3 aspects of social stratification
wealth, power and prestige
Wealth
refers to the individual assets one poses: cash, savings, investments in stock, bonds, real estate properties.
Power
the ability to control others' behavior, even against their will
Prestige
subjective, it depends on how an individual is perceived by others
Upper Class
5% of families
Middle Class
20% of families
Working Class
20% of families
Lower Class
15% of families
Lower Middle Class
40% of families
Social class
category of people with same amount of income, power, and prestige
Reputational model
asking people to rank others.
Subjective model
asking people to rank themselves
Objective method
identifying classes through analysis of income, occupation, and education
Egalitarian Societies
Still not totally free of inequalities but there is not much opportunity to accumulate wealth (EX. South Africa, Malaysia, Central Australia)
Master-Slave System
an extreme form of inequality, some deprived of all rights; some excluded from political positions & the military; some are held in servitude on someone else's property and, the less fortunate spent their days in hard labor
Stratification Systems
Egalitarian System, Master-Slave System, The Feudal System, The Caste System, The Class System
Debt bondage
some families are forced to work in fruitless efforts to repay debts
The Feudal System
Less extreme in practicing inequality. Agriculture produced more wealth and, thus, an increase in stratification. Social stratification resemble a pyramid: many people at the bottom and a smaller number of people toward the top
The Caste System
A rigid system in which position is bestowed for life at birth, ascribed & fixed, rather than achieved through personal accomplishment
The Class System
An open system in which people's positions are achieved and interchangeable. There are fluid boundaries between classes. Economic development affects social inequality. Class is economically based.
socially mobile
The 'life chances' opportunities a person has for achieving economic prosperity. Achieved through skills, occupation and education
Inequality in the United States
The distribution of wealth & income, and power are still highly unequal. Globalization caused sharp increases at the top while working families saw a drop in income
Rich get richer, Poor get Poorer
Since 1980, the income of the richest fifth of the U.S. population has risen by 15%. The income of the poorest fifth has fallen by 18%.
Social Mobility
movement of individuals from one social standing to another as a result of changes in wealth, income, power and prestige
Intragenerational Mobility
how far one moves up or down the socioeconomic scale over the course of working life
Intergenerational Mobility
how children rate on the scale compared to parents or grandparents.
Structural mobility
people can move up or down the social ladder depending on changes in society (e.g. declining manufacturing base, globalization, immigration).
Individual mobility
social mobility dependent on a person's personal achievement. Race, gender, access to education, and individual opportunities play a part
Social factors
are most influential in determining an individual's status in society but the key factor is educational attainment
Education
is influenced by the family's social status, that affects child's social position
Family background & educational attainment
take place because parents, teachers and friends influenced children's aspirations in life. In this process, the transmission of cultural advantages as well as cultural capital that parents provide their children with, are the most important ones.
Mobility Chances
Educational attainment seems to be the key variable for upward mobility in United States. However, the effect of education on mobility opportunities has declined recently due to: Globalization, The spread of new technologies., and More competition for top-paying jobs as more people acquire degrees
Downward Mobility
does not happen as often, Recently caused by corporate restructuring due to takeovers, Women are more likely to experience it because of childcare responsibilities, especially when combined with divorce or separation
Absolute poverty
the lack of minimum food & shelter necessary for maintaining life
Relative poverty
those who earn less than half of the nation's median income are poor
Feminization of poverty
a huge number of women living in poverty as single mothers
Poverty effects mainly
minorities, families headed by single mothers, and persons lacking education
Blame-the-Poor Theories
Poor are believed to have failed to grab opportunities by not working hard
Oscar Lewis
used "culture of poverty" to explain how the poor had debilitating values and attitudes that are passed from generation to generation.
Charles Murray
used "dependency culture" poor people who rely on welfare rather than entering the labor market
Blame the system theories
Structural forces within society shape the way resources are distributed. The lack of ambition among the poor is a consequence of their constrained situation, not a cause
Global Stratification
some nations are in higher or lower classes. The consequences are poverty, inequality, child exploitation, and slavery. The disparity between rich and poor countries is extreme
Inequality among Countries
constituting about 20% of the world's population, richer countries have over 85% of global income
Dependency Theory
rich nations exploit poor ones for power and commercial gain.
Jeffrey Sachs
claims that 1.1 billion people in the world are extremely poor, struggling to survive with an income of less than $1 a day
Race
a group with inherited physical characteristics that distinguishes it from other groups.
Sociologists definition of Race
a social rather than a biological phenomenon, race is a group of people who are perceived by society to be physically different from others
Racial distinctions
do more than describe human differences; they affect the reproduction of patterns of power & inequality within society
Ethnicity
cultural practices of a given community that have emerged historically & set people apart
Ethnic Group
people who identify with one another on the basis of common ancestry and cultural or religious heritage, language & history. They share a "feeling" that they are a distinct people
Situational Ethnicity
ethnic & racial identification is socially constructed.
Symbolic Ethnicity
a member of an ethnic group assimilates to the larger culture, an ethically diverse culture.
Minority Groups
people who are subjected to prejudice and discrimination. Not necessarily a small percentage of the population
Dominant Groups
have the greatest power, most privileges, and highest social status, e.g. people of English descent in the U.S.
Ethnic Relations
Historically, from the fifteenth century on, Europeans ventured into unexplored places of the world. They established exploitative relations with conquered peoples. Opposition between the colors of white and black as cultural symbols is deeply rooted in European culture. Since then, the concept of race has been invented and diffused
Discrimination
Genocide, Ethnic cleansing, Segregation
Ethnic Diversity
Each group has distinctive cultural characteristics.
Some of the most important groups are African-Americans, Native Americans, Puerto Rican-Americans, Cubans-Americans, Mexican-Americas, Chinese-Americans, and Japanese-Americans
% of Whites in the US
72.10%
% of Asians in the US
3.60%
% of Native Americans in the US
0.90%
% of African Americans in the US
11.30%
% of Hispanic in the US
12.10%
Native Americans
two centuries ago numbered 10 million. Today, they number about 4.4 million. About one-third live on reservations. have revived their traditions and gained more self-determination but still have a long way to go to overcome two centuries of oppression
African Americans
After centuries of oppression and slavery, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibited segregation and discrimination in virtually all areas of social life.
Progress has been significant in education and politics but not in housing and economic conditions.
Hispanic Americans
largest minority group in the U.S. Mexican Americans form the largest group. The Spanish language and Roman Catholic religion are unifying forces. worse off than whites and blacks in educational attainment, and they primarily work in low-pay jobs
Asian Americans
the fastest growing minority in the U.S. Have faced terrible discrimination in the past. Compared with whites, they more likely to graduate from college and have higher family income. Often stereotyped as the model minority
Jewish Americans
the most successful minority. Perceived as hard-working, family-oriented, and friendly. In danger of losing identity due to inter-faith marriages and falling birth rates.
European Americans
mostly white; dominate U.S. society.
Racism
prejudice based on socially significant physical distinctions
Racists
believe they are superior to others based on physical characteristics
Antiracism
refers to thoughts or actions taken to eradicate racism
Institutionalized Discrimination
The long history & persistence of policies promoted by social institutions that favor the white supremacy structure of social relations; not recognized as discrimination
Prejudice
a negative attitude or opinion towards a certain group of people. Preconceived views
Discrimination
an unfavorable action or behavior taken against an individual because they are of a certain group of people. Exclusion of 'the other' or restricting opportunities
Causes of Prejudice and Discrimination
Scapegoating, Socialization, Economic, Political
Scapegoating
prejudice is the result of frustration, and scapegoats become targets of blame.
Socialization
if our parents, teachers, and media are prejudiced we are likely to follow their lead.
Economic
racism created a huge supply of cheap labor bringing profits to the dominant group.
Political
involves maintaining power for the dominant group
Consequences of Prejudice and Discrimination
Minorities generally have a lower quality of life than the dominant group. Black lower class has grown larger and more desperate. Young victims tend to develop a negative self-image
Unprejudiced-Nondiscriminator
not prejudice and does not discriminate, whatever the social pressure may be (all-weather liberal)
Prejudiced-Nondicriminator
is prejudice but because of social pressure does not discriminate (fair-weather illiberal)
Unprejudiced-Discriminator
not predjudice but because of social pressure, does discriminate (fair-weather liberal)
Prejudiced-Discriminator
prejudiced and discriminates, whatever teh social pressure may be (all-weather illiberal)
Affirmative Action
Requires employers to make special efforts to recruit qualified minorities. Has been successful for African Americans, & other minorities. Some see it as reverse discrimination