Social Stratification A System that Ranks Categories of People in a Hierarchy Chapters 10, 11, & 12

Class System in the United States Class v. Caste in US

The Caste System Social stratification based on ascription Birth determines social position in four distinct ways Occupation Marriage within caste Social life is restricted to “own kind” Belief systems are often tied to religious dogma Caste system is illegal in the United States, but elements survive Slavery was once a caste system in the US

Class System Based on both birth and individual achievement Social mobility for people with education and skills All people gain equal standing before the law Work involves some personal choice

Caste versus Class Systems Social mobility: a change in position within a social hierarchy Caste: Closed System- No Social Mobility Class: Open System- Social Mobility is: Horizontal Vertical

Why people have social mobility… Meritocracy: social stratification idea based on personal merit- dependent upon a person’s ability and effort How much of your social position is based on merit and much is due to your parents? Status consistency: Why is the consistency of a person’s status in a class system lower than in a caste system?

Social Mobility Intragenerational mobility Intergenerational mobility Change in social position during one person’s lifetime Intergenerational mobility Upward or downward movement that takes place across generations within a family

Differences in Social Classes What makes us diverse?

Capitalism v. Communism Which is better for society? Capitalism-  economic system in which the means of production and distribution are privately owned and in a free market. Communism- economic system with collective ownership of property being ascribed and labor is for the common advantage of all members.

Survival of the Fittest Herbert Spencer Survival of the Fittest

Applying Herbert Spencer’s Theory: The Davis-Moore Thesis Social stratification has beneficial consequences for the operation of a society The greater the importance of a position, the more rewards a society attaches to it Egalitarian (Equal) societies offer little incentive for people to try their best- everyone is rewarded the same regardless of work. Why do teachers give grades A-F on assignments? Which type of society would they support- capitalism or communism?

Karl Marx Communist Societies

Karl Marx: Class and Conflict Most people have one of two relationships with the means of production Own productive property “bourgeoisie” Work for others “proletariat” Capitalism creates great inequality in power and wealth This oppression would drive the working majority to organize and overthrow the capitalism

Was Marx Right? Wealth still remains highly concentrated 40% of privately owned property in 1% of population Workers’ benefits came from struggle but… Conflict and distrust still remain as obstacles between management and workers Little has been won recently Law still protects private property of rich

Max Weber Class, Status, and Power

Max Weber: Class, Status, and Power Socioeconomic status (SES) Composite ranking based on various dimensions of social inequality: 1. Class position Viewed “classes” as a continuum from high to low 2. Status Income and wealth 3. Power Social Power, Prestige, Schooling

U.S. Stratification: Merit and Caste Ancestry Born to privilege or poverty makes a big difference Gender More poor families are headed by women Race and ethnicity Disparity still exist when comparing majority and minority groups on social and financial variables Religion Members of protestant denominations (Episcopalians and Presbyterians) are identified as the most affluent

Dimensions of Social Stratification Income Occupational wages and earnings from investments Wealth The total value of money and other assets, minus any debt Social power The ability to control, even in the face of resistance Occupational prestige Job-related status Schooling Key to better career opportunities

Distribution of Income and Wealth in the United States Income, and especially wealth, is divided unequally in U.S. society. Source: Income data from U.S. Census Bureau (2005); wealth data are author estimates based on Kelster (2000) and Russell & Mogelonsky (2000).

Social Classes The upper class The middle class The working class 5 % of the population The middle class 40-45% of the population The working class 33% of the population The lower class The remaining 20% of people *Median U.S. household income is $49,445

Upper Class The upper-uppers The lower-uppers Membership almost always based on ascription They have “old money” They are set apart by the amount of wealth their families control Much time devoted to community activities The lower-uppers The working rich people The “new rich” by “old money” standards Can still find themselves excluded from certain organizations and clubs

Middle Class More racial and ethnic diversity Upper-middles $80,000 to $170,000 yearly income Education is important High occupational prestige Involvement in local politics Average-middles Less prestige in occupation Few white collar, or high-skilled blue collar jobs Income provides modest security 50% kids attend state-sponsored colleges

Working Class Marxist “industrial proletariat” $25,000 to $40,000 annual income “Blue-collar” routine jobs with less satisfaction Half own their own homes Fewer children go to college (only one-third) Vulnerable to financial problems caused by unemployment or illness

Lower Class 46 million Americans classified as poor in 2010 Others are “working poor” minimum wage jobs Half complete high school, one in four attend college Own homes in less desirable inner city neighborhoods or rural south

Poverty in the United States Extremes in Social Class

The Difference a Class Makes Health Amount and type of health care Cultural values Vary with position Politics Conservative or liberal Degree of involvement Family and gender Type of parental involvement Socialization practices Relationships and responsibilities

Extent of Poverty Poverty Relative (in relation to others) Absolute (life threatening) Poverty threshold (line) Does the family earn three times the income needed to purchase a nutritionally adequate diet? Poverty line is approximately $11,170 for an individual Should be adjusted for family size and cost of living Extent of poverty in America Approximately 15% (46 million people) are classified impoverished

Per capita income across the United States Looking at the map, what patterns do you see in the distribution of wealth and poverty across the United States? What can you say about wealth and poverty in urban and rural areas?

Poverty across the United States This map shows that the poorest counties in the United States – where the poverty rate is more than twice the national average – are in Appalachia, spread across the Deep South, along the border with Mexico, near the Four Corners region of the Southwest, and in the Dakotas. Can you suggest some reasons for this pattern?

Demographics of Poverty Age In 2004, 17.8% of all children were poor, contributing to high infant mortality rate Race and ethnicity Two-thirds of all poor people are white In 2004, 24.3% of all African Americans and 21.9% of all Latinos lived in poverty, in relation to population numbers they are three times as likely to be poor Gender The feminization of poverty: 60% of poor are women Rise in households headed by single women

Survey Question: “Why are there people in this country who live in need?” Choose one of the following: A. Personal Laziness OR B. Social Injustice

Survey Question: “Why are there people in this country who live in need?”

Assessing the Causes of Poverty Survey Question: “Why are there people in this country who live in need?” In the United States (and also in Japan), more people explain poverty in terms of personal laziness than societal justice. In most high-income nations (including European countries) and in lower-income nations (such as Mexico), more people point to societal injustice rather than personal laziness as the cause of poverty. Source: Inglehart et al. (2000).

The Working Poor In 2004, 19% of heads of poor families worked at least 50 weeks of the year. Individual ability and personal initiative do play a role in poverty. However, society is the primary cause of poverty.

Explaining Poverty Blame the poor Blame society The poor are mostly responsible for their own poverty A culture of poverty: produces a self-perpetuating cycle of poverty… welfare systems make people lazy Blame society Little opportunity for work Proposed changes: Government should hire people (WPA) Improve schools, transportation, and daycare

Homeless No precise count Experts “guess-ti-mate” Causes How could there ever be? Experts “guess-ti-mate” 500,000 on any given night 3.5 million at some time during the course of the year Causes They are poor Personal traits One-third are substance abusers One-fourth suffer from mental illnesses Many homeless are entire families due to structural changes in economy “new homeless”