C HAPTER 8 Social Stratification

Chapter Outline  Dimensions of Stratification  Explanations of Stratification  Stratification in American Society  Poverty in America  Consequences of Stratification  Social Mobility  Global Stratification

Questions for Consideration  What are the major social classes in the U.S.?  For which class is inherited wealth most important?  How are one’s education and occupation related to one’s social class?  In what ways does television shape our ideas about social class?

Dimensions of Stratification  Social Stratification – layers created within the population that ranks individuals by unequal shares of scarce desirables: wealth, prestige, and power.  A stratification structure is composed of:  Social classes – segments of a population whose members hold a similar share of resources.

Economic Dimension  Marx believed the economic factor was an independent variable explaining the existence of social classes.  Weber saw the economic dimension as a dependent variable; more concerned with the economic consequences of stratification.

Economic Dimension - Marx  Marx predicted that capitalist societies would ultimately be reduced to two social classes:  Bourgeoisie – the rulers  Proletariat – those who are ruled  All of capitalist society was a superstructure resting on an economic foundation; the economy determined the nature of the society.

Economic Dimension - Weber  Weber envisioned several social classes and examined the consequences (life chances) of people’s relationships to the economic institution.  Distinguished income (amount of money received) from wealth (all economic resources possessed by an individual or group).

Questions for Consideration  What are the life chances identified in this video?  How do life chances change for the Guerry family?  In what ways do their life chances impact their income and wealth?  What are the pros and cons of self- employment?

Economic Inequality in America  For the past 30 years income inequality has been increasing.  The top 1% of the population has accumulated over 70% of all earnings growth.  The U.S. is now the most economically polarized and unequal of the major Western countries.

Change in Average Real After- Tax Income

Shares of Wealth Shares of Aggregate Income by Percentile Distribution of Wealth in the United States

Power Dimension - Marx  Power – the ability to control the behavior of others, even against their will.  Marx: people in a society who own and control capital have the power.

Power Dimension - Weber  Weber: economic success and power do not necessarily overlap.  money can be used to exert power, but not necessarily  money and ownership of the means of production are not the only resources for power

Prestige Dimension - Weber  Prestige – recognition, respect, and admiration attached to social positions. It is defined by one’s culture and society.  Favorable social evaluation is based on norms and values within a group.  Prestige is voluntarily given, not claimed.  Those accorded similar levels share identifiable lifestyles.

Occupational Prestige  Occupational prestige scores vary according to:  compensation  education  skills  ability required  power associated  importance to society  nature of work

Explanations of Stratification  Functionalist Theory of Stratification  Functionalist theory views inequality as rendering a service.  The most qualified people fill the most important positions and perform their tasks competently.  Society attaches special monetary rewards and prestige to these positions in order to encourage people to fill these jobs of prestige.

Weaknesses of Functionalist Theory 1. There are many people who have power, prestige and wealth whose contributions to society do not seem very important (e.g., top athletes, film stars). 2. Ignores barriers to competition faced the poor, women, the aged, African Americans, etc.

Weaknesses of Functionalist Theory 3. Overlooks the inheritance of social class level. 4. Has an ethnocentric basis. It assumes that all people in all societies will be motivated to compete for a greater portion of the scarce desirables.

Conflict Theory of Stratification  Inequality exists because some people are willing to exploit others.  Stratification is then based on force rather than consent. Those with wealth, power, and prestige are able to maintain their share of desirables in society.

Symbolic Interactionism and Stratification  Social stratification persists only as long as its legitimacy is accepted.  Symbols explain the existence of stratification to the young and the reasons for people being located in particular strata.  Views of legitimacy are incorporated into an individual’s self-concept as well.

Stratification in American Society  Class consciousness – a sense of identification with the goals and interests of the members of one’s own social class.

Theoretical Perspectives: Social Stratification

Identification of Social Classes  Social classes are fluid and abstract.  American class structure:  Upper Class (about 1% of population)  Upper Middle Class (about 14%)  Middle Class (about 30%)  Working Class (about 30%)  Lower Class (about 25%)

American Class Structure

Questions for Consideration  Are members of the upper class all alike?  What is the composition of the middle class?  What is unique about the working class?  What is the most common shared characteristic of the lower class?

Poverty in America  Measuring Poverty  Absolute poverty – absence of enough money to secure life’s necessities.  Relative poverty – measured by comparing economic condition of those at the bottom with that of other strata

The Poverty Line  Poverty line – an annual income level below which people are considered poor.  The poor, as measured by this standard in the U.S., comprises over 14% of the population (2009).

Identifying the Poor  Nearly 43% of the poor in America are non-Latino white.  Poverty Rates (2006)  White = 12.3%  African American & Latino = 25% +

Percentage of the U.S. Population in Poverty

The Distribution of Poverty in the United States

Questions for Consideration  What other conclusions can you make from the figure?  In what ways do you think gender and/or age are related to poverty?

Feminization of Poverty  ½ of poor households are female-headed  17.4% of children are living in poverty  Feminization of poverty – women and children make up a larger proportion of the poor than other groups.

Ideology of Individualism 1. Each individual should work hard to succeed in competition with others. 2. Those who work hard should be rewarded with success. 3. Because of widespread and equal opportunity, those who work hard will be rewarded with success. 4. Economic failure is an individual’s own fault and reveals lack of effort.

Perceived Reasons for Poverty in the United States

Questions for Consideration  Do you agree with any of the perceptions/reasons listed?  What factors do you think impact individuals’ perception of the poor?  Does race influence attitudes toward the poor?  Does gender influence attitudes toward the poor?

Responses to the Problem of Poverty  In 1964, President Lyndon Johnson marshaled the forces of the federal government to begin a War on Poverty.  Prior to this time fighting poverty was not a major goal of the federal government.  Aid to Families with Dependent Children and Social Security did not reach the lowest levels of needy citizens.

Goals of War on Poverty  President John F. Kennedy believed the chains of poverty were to be broken through self-improvement, not temporary relief.  Overall goal was to help poor people help themselves.

Welfare Reform  Prior to 1996 the main source of welfare assistance was Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC).  In 1996, AFDC was replaced with Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF).

Three Elements to Welfare Reform Legislation 1. Reduces welfare spending. 2. Increases state and local power to oversee welfare rules. 3. Adds new restrictions on welfare eligibility.  lifetime limit of 5 years

Is welfare reform working?  According to the Administration of Children and Families, welfare rolls have decreased substantially since TANF was enacted.  Only a small number have been removed due to new time limits.  Most of the people who left the rolls could find only low-wage jobs in industries such as food service, home health care, and retail sales.  Wages grew more slowly or fell since  Many of those who left the welfare rolls continue to life in or near poverty. YesNo

Consequences of Stratification  Life Chances – the likelihood of possessing the good things in life: health, happiness, education, wealth, legal production, and even life itself.  Power, prestige, and economic (and education) rewards increase with social class level.  Lifestyle – social class differences in lifestyle can be observed in many areas of American life, including education, material and family relations, child rearing, political attitudes and behavior, and religious affiliation.

Social Mobility  Social mobility – the movement of individuals or groups within a stratification structure.  Intragenerational mobility – social class movement within the career of an individual.  Intergenerational mobility – social class movement from one generation to the next.

Social Mobility  Social mobility – the movement of individuals or groups within a stratification structure.  Horizontal mobility – change from one occupation to another at same status.  Vertical mobility – occupational or social class moves upward or downward.

Questions for Consideration  What type of mobility can be used to described Elaine Bell Kaplan’s mobility? What level did she rise to?  What was the major factor that made her mobility possible?  What are some indicators of her socio- economic status as a child and today?

Caste Stratification System  In a caste system  there is no social mobility  social status is inherited  statuses are ascribed or assigned at birth.  Example – India

Open Class Stratification System  In an open class system  an individual’s social status is based on merit and individual effort  individuals move up and down the stratification structure as their abilities, education, resources, and commitment to work permit  inequality is based on differences in monetary worth and personal accomplishment.  Example – United States

Global Inequality  The United States has greater income inequality than most developed countries.  The gross domestic product (GDP) is a good indicator of classifying a nation’s economic category (high, upper-middle, lower-middle, low).

Social Classes in World Perspectives

Questions for Consideration  Where are the high-income economies?  What pattern of global poverty do you see demonstrated on this map?

Global Poverty  One quarter of the Earth’s population remains in extreme poverty.  More than one half of the world’s population (3.3 billion) lives below the internationally established poverty line of less than $2.50/day.

Global Poverty  Consequences of Global Poverty  inadequate access to water, basic sanitation, disease, poor immunization, malnourishment  Causes of Global Poverty  traditionalism  dependency theory

Questions for Consideration  How would a functional theorist and then conflict theorist explain the reality of wage differences and those countries where there are people living on less than $1/day?  How can you analyze the social mobility that has occurred in your family across as many generations as you can?