1. Objectives: 1.Understand stratification within the US 2.Be able to analyze the stratification within our society and around the world POVERTY IN AMERICA

2. Stephan asks: Looking at the fifteen percent of Americans living beneath the poverty line from global perspective, those Americans are still better off than what percentage of the world population? A.) 22 percent of the world population B.) 50 percent of the world population C.) Two-thirds of the world population D.) 80 percent of the world population STEPHAN RICHTER, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF OF THEGLOBALIST.COM

3. Stephan asks: Looking at the fifteen percent of Americans living beneath the poverty line from global perspective, those Americans are still better off than what percentage of the world population? A.) 22 percent of the world population B.) 50 percent of the world population C.) Two-thirds of the world population D.) 80 percent of the world population Globalist Quiz STEPHAN RICHTER, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF OF THEGLOBALIST.COM

4.  The official poverty rate was 15.0%  There were 46.2 million people in poverty  Poverty rates were lower in 2011 than in 2010 for 6 groups:  Hispanics, males, the foreign-born, noncitizens, people living in the South, and people living inside metropolitan statistical areas but outside principal cities  The poverty rate for kids under 18 was 21.9%  The poverty rate for people 18 - 64 was 13.7%  The rate for people aged 65 and older was 8.7% 2011 STATISTICS HTTP://WWW.CENSUS.GOV/

5.  In 2011, 28% of workers earned poverty level wages ($11.06 or less per hour which would be enough for a family of four to reach but not exceed the poverty threshold). In 2002, 23.1% of workers earned poverty level wages.  The average wage among poverty level wage earners was just $8.66 per hour. POVERTY QUICK FACTS HTTP://WWW.LAW.UNC.EDU

6.  32% of women earned poverty level wages or less in 2011 compared to 24.3% of men.  The median wage of high school-educated workers in 2011 was:  $18.80 for white men  $14.42 for white women  $14.61 for black men  $12.69 for black women  $15.31 for Hispanic men  $12.79 for Hispanic women POVERTY QUICK FACTS

10.  City Data City Data UNEMPLOYMENT AND INCOME RATES FOR INDIANOLA, IA

11.  The number of low-income working families in the United States increased to 10.4 million in 2011, up from 10.2 million in 2010.  The total number of people in low-income working families now stands at 47.5 million.  In 2011,there were 23.5 million children in low- income working families ACCORDING TO THE WORKING POOR FAMILIES PROJECT:

12.  The richest 20 percent of working families took home nearly half (48 percent) of all income, while those in the bottom 20 percent received less than 5 percent of the economic pie.  The total number of people in low-income working families now stands at 47.5 million and could reach 50 million in the next few years. That’s roughly equivalent to the total number of people living in California, Oregon, and Washington combined. ACCORDING TO THE WORKING POOR FAMILIES PROJECT:

13. Number of low-income working families Number of working families Percent of working families that are low income Rank Iowa943292917 WORKING FAMILIES BELOW 200 PERCENT OF POVERTY, BY STATE, 2011  Although many people are returning to work, they are often taking jobs with lower wages and less job security, compared with the middle-class jobs they held before the economic downturn. These low-wage jobs typically offer limited opportunities for advancement, few (if any) benefits, and create challenges for parents trying to balance work and family responsibilities

14.  Tavis Smiley Presents a discussion focused on poverty in America with Jeffrey Sachs, Newt Gingrich, Cornel West, Jonathan Kozol, Mariana Chilton, RoseAnn DeMoro, Marcia Fudge, and John Graham  CSPAN Presents Poverty in America CSPAN Presents Poverty in America CSPAN DEBATE

15.  The most qualified people fill the most important positions  These people are rewarded for their efforts  Society attaches monetary rewards and prestige to these positions to encourage people to make sacrifices to fill these positions  Functionalists recognize that inequalities exist because certain jobs are more important than others and these jobs often involve special skills, training, or tasks  Example: Doctors make more money, have more prestige, and have more training than bus drivers FUNCTIONALIST THEORY OF STRATIFICATION

16.  Inequality exists because some people are willing to exploit others  Stratification is based on force, not volunteers  Marx: struggle between the powerful and the powerless, the exploiters and the exploited  Capitalism controls workers due to basic beliefs  Example: the powerful argue that income and wealth are based on ability, hard work, and individual effort; the powerful spread their beliefs through schools, media, church, etc.  Stratification occurs through the struggle for scarce resources  Example: Hurricane Katrina CONFLICT THEORY OF STRATIFICATION

17.  Looks at how people are socialized to accept the existing stratification structure  Example: American children are taught that a person’s social class is the result of talent and effort  Link between social class and self-esteem  People in lower classes tend to suffer from lower self- esteem  People in upper tend to have higher self-esteem because they benefit the structure SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONISM AND STRATIFICATION

18.  How are race and ethnicity related to poverty?  How are gender and age related to poverty?  How is the education system in America stratified?  How is social class used to stratify people?  How are countries around the world stratified? WRITING PROMPTS: BE PREPARED TO EXPLAIN THESE IN YOUR ESSAY EXAM

19.  2.1 Understand the components of social structure and how social structure affects the individual in society  2.2 Understand society practices social control through the use of norms and sanctions  2.5 Understand that people might ignore evidence that challenges their beliefs and more readily accept evidence that supports them  4.3 Understand that conflict between people or groups may arise from competition over ideas, resources, power, and status IOWA CORE STANDARDS

20.  4.4 Understand that personal values influence the types of conclusions make  5.1 Understand the concept of stratification  5.2 Understand gender, age, health, and socioeconomic status affect social inequalities  5.3 Understand changes in social and political institutions reflect and affect individuals’ values and behaviors IOWA CORE STANDARDS