8 Social Stratification This multimedia product and its contents are protected under copyright law. The following are prohibited by law: - Any public performance or display, including transmission of any image over a network; - Preparation of any derivative work, including the extraction, in whole or in part, of any images; - Any rental, lease or lending of the program.

Social Stratification How does the fate of those aboard the Titanic illustrate how social inequality affects the way people live – and sometimes whether they live at all? Look at the event with a sociological eye.

I. What is social stratification A. Defining Social Stratification B. Four Basic principles of social Stratification

I. What is social stratification Defining Social Stratification A. Social Stratification: A system by which a society ranks and categorizes people in a hierarchy

I. What is social stratification Four Basic Principles 1. Social stratification is a trait of society, not simply a reflection of individual differences Do you think of social standing in terms of personal talent and effort? 2.Social stratification carries over from generation to generation Do you plan to live a different life than your parents presented you with? Social mobility - A change in position within the social hierarchy

I. What is social stratification Four Basic Principles cont,,,,, 3. Social stratification is universal but variable Do you believe that a company executive is more worthy of pay than a secretary? Why or why not? 4. Social stratification involves not just inequality but beliefs as well Do you believe that Kennedy’s are deserving of all the money that they have?

II. Caste and Class Systems Closed an and Open Caste System Defining Cast System Three major characteristics of a Caste System Defining Class System Defining Meritocracy Defining Status Consistency Explaining and defining Ideology

II. Caste and Class Systems defining Caste and Class Systems Sociologists distinguish between Closed Systems – Caste Systems Allows little change in position Open Systems – Class Systems Permit much more social mobility

II. Caste and Class Systems Caste System Cast System: Social stratification based on ascription or birth Little or no social mobility Caste position determines life from birth The caste guides everyday life by keeping people in the company of their “own kind” Typically agrarian because agriculture demands a lifelong routine of work

II. Caste and Class Systems class System Social stratification based on both birth and individual achievement Schooling and skills lead to social mobility Work is no longer fixed at birth but involves some personal choice

II. Caste and Class Systems MERITOCRACY A concept that refers to social stratification based on personal merit Includes knowledge, abilities, and effort Question: Why do modern, industrial societies keep some elements of caste – such as letting wealth pass from generation to generation – rather than becoming complete meritocracies?

II. Caste and Class Systems STATUS CONSISTENCY The degree of consistency in a person’s social standing across various dimensions of social inequality Low status consistency means that classes are harder to define than castes

II. Caste and Class Systems Ideology: the Power Behind Stratification Cultural beliefs that justify particular social arrangements, including patterns of inequality Every culture considers some type of inequality fair Ideology changes with a society’s economy and technology

III. Functions of social Stratification Explain Davis-Moore Thesis Structural Functional Approach

III. Functions of social Stratification The Davis-Moore Thesis Social stratification has beneficial consequences for the operation of society The greater the functional importance of a position, the more rewards a society attaches to it Any society can be egalitarian, but only to the extent that people are willing to let anyone perform any job

III. Functions of social Stratification Structural Functional Approach Social stratification plays a vital part in the operation of society

IV. Stratification and Conflict Social Conflict Analysis and Social Stratification Defining Capitalism according to Karl Marx Defining Proletarians according to Karl Marx Defining Alienation according to Karl Marx Max Weber: Class Status, Power

IV. Stratification and Conflict Social Conflict Analysis and Social Stratification Social stratification is rooted in people’s relationship to the means of production Social-conflict Analysis ; Argues that stratification provides some people with advantages over others Capitalists (Karl Marx) People who own and operate factories and other businesses in pursuit of profit Proletariat (Karl Marx) Working people who sell their labor for wages

IV. Stratification and Conflict Karl Marx: Class Conflict Alienation: The experience of isolation and misery resulting from powerlessness Question? Have you ever had a job that caused you to experience the alienation that concerned Karl Marx? Explain your experience.

IV. Stratification and Conflict Max Weber: Class, Status, and Power Viewed social stratification as involving three dimensions of inequality Class position – economic inequality Status – social prestige Power Micro-level analysis of social stratification Social standing affects everyday interaction People with different social standing keep their distance from one another Conspicuous consumption Buying and using products with an eye to the “statement” they make about social position

V. Stratification and Interaction How social class standing effects social interaction Defining conspicuous consumption

V. Stratification and Interaction Micro-level analysis of social stratification Conspicuous consumption Micro-level analysis of social stratification Social standing affects everyday interaction People with different social standing keep their distance from one another Conspicuous consumption Buying and using products with an eye to the “statement” they make about social position

VI. Stratification and Technology A. Global Perspective B. Kuznets Curve

VI. Stratification and Technology: A Global Perspective? Hunting and Gathering Societies No categories of people better off than others Horticultural, Pastoral, and Agrarian Societies Social inequality increases with rise of nobility Industrial Societies Pushes inequality downward prompted by development of meritocracy

VI. Stratification and Technology: A Global Perspective? The Kuznets Curve Technological advances first increase, then moderate the intensity of social stratification Greater inequality is functional for agrarian societies Industrial societies benefit from less inequality

VI. What Stratification and Technology: A Global Perspective? The Kuznets Curve (continued) Social inequality around the world generally confirms the Kuznets curve Income inequality reflects not just technological development but also a society’s political and economic priorities U.S. society now experiencing greater economic inequality suggests that the long-term trend might differ from Kuznets' observation half a century ago

Image Bank FIGURE 8–2 Social Stratification and Technological Development: The Kuznets Curve The Kuznets curve shows that greater technological sophistication generally is accompanied by more pronounced social stratification. The trend reverses itself as industrial societies relax rigid, castelike distinctions in favor of greater opportunity and equality under the law. Political rights are more widely extended, and there is even some leveling of economic differences. However, the emergence of postindustrial society has brought an upturn in economic inequality, as indicated by the broken line added by the author. Sources: Drawn by the author based on Kuznets (1955) and Lenski (1966).

VII. Inequality in the United states Defining Wealth, Income, and Power Variables that impact social stratification in the United States

VII. Inequality in the United states Income Earnings from work or investments The richest 20% received 47.8% of all income Bottom 20% received only 4.0% A small number of people earn very high incomes, but the majority make do with far less

VII. Inequality in the United states Wealth The total value of money and other assets, minus outstanding debts Wealth is distributed more unequally than income

Distribution of income and wealth in the united states FIGURE 8–3 Distribution of Income and Wealth in the United States Income, and especially wealth, is divided unequally in U.S. society. Sources: Income data from U.S. Census Bureau (2009); wealth data based on Bucks et al. (2009), Wolff (2009), and author estimates.

Why do you think that so many people view the U. S Why do you think that so many people view the U.S. as a middle-class society in which most people have more or less equal social standing? FIGURE 8–3 Distribution of Income and Wealth in the United States Income, and especially wealth, is divided unequally in U.S. society. Sources: Income data from U.S. Census Bureau (2009); wealth data based on Bucks et al. (2009), Wolff (2009), and author estimates.

VII. Inequality in the United states Power In the U.S., wealth is an important source of power Small proportion of families that control most of the wealth also has the ability to shape the agenda of the entire society Sociologists argue: Such concentrated wealth weakens democracy The political system serves the interests of the rich

VII. Inequality in the United states Power Power (continued) People of all social classes have the same right to vote. But can you think of ways in which the rich have more power to shape U.S. society? Do you thing that such concentrated wealth undermines democracy?

VII. Inequality in the United states Variables that impact social stratification in the United States Occupational Prestige Generates income and is an important source of prestige High prestige given to occupations that require extensive training and generate high income Less prestigious work pays less and requires less ability and schooling

VII. Inequality in the United states Variables that impact social stratification in the United States Occupational Prestige (continued) In any society, high-prestige occupations go to privileged categories Dominated by men Lowest prestige jobs commonly performed by people of color

Image Bank

VII. Inequality in the United states Variables that impact social stratification in the United States Schooling Industrial societies have expanded opportunities for schooling, but some receive much more than others Affects occupation and income Most better-paying, white-collar jobs require a college degree and other advanced study Blue-collar jobs Require less schooling Bring lower income and less prestige

VII. Inequality in the United states Variables that impact social stratification in the United States Ancestry, Race, and Gender Nothing affects social standing as does birth into a particular family (ancestry) Has strong bearing on schooling, occupation, and income (Race) is linked closely to social position in the U.S. Social ranking also involves ethnicity

VII. Inequality in the United states Variables that impact social stratification in the United States Ancestry, Race, and Gender (continued) Both men and women are found in families at every social level (gender) However, on average, women have less income, wealth, and occupational prestige than men Single-parent families headed by women are three times more likely to be poor than those headed by men

Viii. Social Classes in the united states Upper Class Middle Class Working Class Lower Class

Viii. Social Classes in the united states Upper Class Top 5% of the U.S. population General rule: The more a family’s income comes from inherited wealth, the stronger the family’s claim to being upper-class Richest 400 people in the U.S. “Capitalists” The owners of the means of production and most of the nation’s wealth

Viii. Social Classes in the united states Upper Class Historically, composed of white Anglo-Saxon Protestants Less true today When you think of the “American Dream,” you imagine rising to which part of the upper class?

Viii. Social Classes in the united states Upper Class 1. Upper-uppers “Blue bloods” or “society” Less than 1% of U.S. population Membership is by ascription (birth) Possess enormous wealth primarily inherited “Old money” Live in exclusive neighborhoods

Viii. Social Classes in the united states Upper Class Upper-uppers (continued) Children typically attend private schools with similar others Complete formal education at prestigious universities and colleges Volunteer at charitable organizations Help community and build networks that broaden their power

Viii. Social Classes in the united states Upper Class Lower-uppers Most of the people in this group Known as the “working rich” Get money by earning it rather than inheritance 3 to 4% of U.S. population Lives in expensive neighborhoods Vacation homes near water or in mountains Children attend private schools and “good” colleges Most do not gain entry into the clubs and associations of “old money” families

Viii. Social Classes in the united states Middle Class 40-45% of U.S. population Has tremendous influences on our culture U.S. Commercial advertising directed at this group Contains far more ethnic and racial diversity than upper-class

Viii. Social Classes in the united states Middle Class Upper-middles Average income of $113,000 to $200,000 Two-thirds of children attend college Postgraduate degrees are common Many have high-prestige occupations Lack power to influence national or international events Often play an important role in local politics

Viii. Social Classes in the united states Middle Class Average-Middles Less prestigious white-collar occupations. Wealth in form of a house and retirement. Likely to be high school graduates. Less expensive, state supported college. Fifty-fifty odds that they will complete a college degree.

Viii. Social Classes in the united states Working Class Almost a third of the population; sometimes called lower-middle class Forms the core of the industrial proletariat; blue collar jobs yield an income of between 25,000 and 45,000 a year. Have little or no wealth Jobs provide little personal satisfaction Half own their own homes Third of children go to college

Viii. Social Classes in the united states Lower Class Remaining 20% of U.S. population Low income makes their lives insecure and difficult 40 million or 13.2% are classified as poor by federal government Hold low prestige jobs Half complete high school; 1 in 4 reaches college Society segregates lower class, especially if minorities Question: Why does college attendance and success drop with the lowering of social classes? Describe some possible contributing factors.

xi. The Difference class makes A. Affects of Social Stratification on our lives.

xi. The Difference Class Makes Affects of Social Stratification on our lives. Max Weber Social stratification affects people’s life chances Social standing linked to: Health Values Politics Family Life

XI. The Difference Class Makes Affects of Social Stratification on our lives. Health How is a person’s health influenced by their social class position in society? Should everyone have access to the same level of health care?

XI. The Difference Class Makes Affects of Social Stratification on our lives. Values and Attitudes Are the following statements True or False? “Old rich” have strong sense of family history Upper-uppers favor understated manners and tastes Affluent people more tolerant of controversial behavior Working-class grow up in an atmosphere of supervision and discipline Less likely to attend college and less tolerant

XI. The Difference Class Makes Affects of Social Stratification on our lives POLITICS Well-off people Protection of wealth leads to Conservative approach to economic issues More liberal on social issues Likely to vote and join political organizations because they are better served by the system Lower social standing Economic liberals More conservative on social issues

XI. The Difference Class Makes Affects of Social Stratification on our lives FAMILY AND GENDER Lower-class families Families larger than middle class Earlier marriage and less use of birth control Encourage children to conform to conventional norms and respect authority Divide responsibilities according to gender roles Serve as sources of material assistance

XI. The Difference Class Makes Affects of Social Stratification on our lives FAMILY AND GENDER (continued) Higher social standing Pass on a different “culture capital” to children Teach individuality and imagination More egalitarian–sharing more activities and expressing greater intimacy Friendships likely to share interests and leisure pursuits

x. Social Mobility Describing upward social mobility Describing downward social mobility Defining Intergenerational social mobility Defining Intergenerational social mobility Four general conclusion concerning social mobility in the United States

x. Social Mobility Upward, Downward, social Intragenerational , Intergenerational, and Horizontal Social Mobility Upward Social Mobility Downward Social Mobility Intragenerational Social Mobility A change in social position occurring during a person’s lifetime Intergenerational Social Mobility Upward or downward social mobility of children in relation to their parents Horizontal Social Mobility Changing jobs at the same class level

FIGURE 8–4 Median Annual Income, U.S. Families, 1950–2008 Average U.S. family income grew rapidly between 1950 and 1970. Since then, however, the increase has been smaller. Source: U.S. Census Bureau (2009).

x. Social Mobility Myth versus Reality Four general conclusions–Social Mobility Social mobility over the course of the past century has been fairly high The long-term trend in social mobility has been upward Within a single generation, social mobility is usually small Social mobility since the 1970s has been uneven

Image Bank FIGURE 8–5 Mean Annual Income, U.S. Families, 1980–2008 (in 2008 dollars, adjusted for inflation) The gap between high-income and low-income families is wider today than it was in 1980. Source: U.S. Census Bureau (2009).

xi. Poverty in the United States Defining Relative Poverty Defining Absolute Poverty The Extent of Poverty

xi. Poverty in the United States Relative and Absolute Poverty Relative Poverty The deprivation of some people in relation to those who have more Absolute Poverty A life-threatening deprivation of resources Did you know that one person in five are at risk of absolute poverty in this world? How does this make you feel? What can be done?

xi. Poverty in the United States The Extent of Poverty Relative poverty Families with income below official poverty line Family of four - $22,025 Poverty line is three times what the government estimates a family will spend on food Average poor family income is just 59% of the above amount

xi. Poverty in the United States The Extent of Poverty Do you think it would be difficult for a family to get by on less than $13,000 a year?