a system by which society ranks categories of people in a hierarchy
social stratification
closed system; based on ascribed status; traditional society; little change in position
caste system
open system; industrial/modern society ; permits more change in social mobility
class system
cultural beliefs that justify particular social arrangements, including patterns of inequality
ideology
a concept that refers to social stratification based on personal merit
meritocracy
social stratification is rooted in people's relationship to the means of production
'Naked Self Intrest'
Karl Marx
social stratification has beneficial consequences for the operation of society
Davis-Moore Thesis
1. status (prestige)
2. class (economic)
3. power (political)
Max weber
a shift in the social position of large numbers of people due more to changes in society than to individual efforts
structural social mobility
the deprivation of some people in relation to those who have more
relative poverty
the inability to obtain basic necessities ( food, shelter, clothing)
absolute poverty
began in the 1970's
increasing the number of women and children in poverty
feminization of poverty
the poor are responsible for their own poverty
blame the poor
society is primarily responsible for poverty
blame society
a lower-class subculture that can destroy people's ambition to improve their lives
culture of poverty
biological identity of male or female
sex
personal traits and social positions that members of a society attach to being female or male
gender
studied 3 societies in New Guinea
1. arapesh
2. mundugumor
3. Tchambuli
margaret mead
a form of social organization in which females dominate males
rarely documented
matriarchy
a form of social organization in which males dominate females
patterns found almost everywhere in the world
patriarchy
women must strive to achieve unattainable standards of beauty
beauty myth
jobs that women occupy largely due to socialization
retail, childcare, hair stylist, waitress, nurse, etc.
pink collar jobs
barrier to advancement; structural obstacle
glass ceiling
complementary roles"
gender roles that are functional to society
Talcott Parsons
gender and class"
importance of roles (historically)
Friedrich Engles
socially constructed category of people who share biologically transmitted traits that members of society consider important
race
a shared cultural heritage
ethnicity
simplified description applied to every person in some category
sterotypes
any category of people distinguished by physical or cultural difference that a society sets apart and subordinates
minority
a rigid and unfair generalization about an entire category of people; refers to attitudes
prejudice
unequal treatment of various categories of people; matter of action
discrimination
prejudice springs from frustration among people who are themselves disadvantaged
scapegoat theory
extreme prejudice is a personality trait of certain indivduals
authoritarian personality theory
claims that some prejudice is found in everyone because it is rooted in culture
culture theory
proposes that prejudice is used as a tool by powerful people to oppress others
conflict theory
bias built into the operation of society's insitutions
institutional discrimnation
refers to how closely people are willing to interact with members of some category
social distance