Social Stratification Lecture 8 Social Stratification

Social Stratification An attribute of society Doesn't reflect individual differences, but society’s structure Persists over generations Social mobility happens slowly Involves not just inequality, but beliefs Ideologies justify existence of social stratification

The Caste System Birth determines social position in four ways: Occupation Marriage within caste Social life is restricted to “own kind” Belief systems are often tied to religious dogma © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Class Systems Social mobility for people with education and skills All people gain equal standing before the law Work involves some personal choice Meritocracy: Based on personal merit The greater mobility of class systems produces less status consistency © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Caste and Class Systems Aristocratic England: Caste-like system of aristocracy First estate: Church leaders Second estate: Aristocracy Third estate: Commoners The United Kingdom Today Caste elements still evident Commoners control the government © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

The Davis-Moore Thesis The greater the importance of a position, the more rewards a society attaches to it Democratic societies offer little incentive for people to try their best A society considered more important must reward enough to draw talented people © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Karl Marx: Class and Conflict Most people have one of two relationships with the means of production Bourgeoisie own productive property The proletariat works for the bourgeoisie Capitalism creates great inequality in power and wealth Oppression would drive working majority to organize and overthrow capitalism © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Stratification and Interaction Differences in social class position can affect interaction People interact primarily with others of similar social standing Conspicuous consumption Buying & using products because of the "statement" they make © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Stratification and Technology: A Global Perspective Hunting and gathering societies Horticultural, pastoral, & agrarian societies Industrial societies The Kuznets curve Greater technological sophistication generally Is accompanied by more pronounced social stratification © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Income Inequality in Global Perspective © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Stratification and Technology: A Global Perspective Inequality in the United States Income, Wealth, and Power Occupational Prestige Schooling Ancestry, Race, and Gender © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

© 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Social Classes in the United States The Upper Class Upper-Uppers Lower-Uppers The Middle Class Upper-Middles Average-Middles The Working Class About 1/3 of the population (sometimes called Lower-middle class) The Lower Class 20% of our population © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Median Annual Income, U.S. Families, 1950–2010 Average family income in the United States grew rapidly between 1950 and 1970. Since then, however, the increase has been smaller. Source: U.S. Census Bureau (2011). © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Mean Annual Income, U.S. Families, 1980–2010 (in 2010 dollars, adjusted for inflation) Source: U.S. Census Bureau (2011). © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Social Mobility The American Dream: Still a Reality? For many workers, earnings have stalled More jobs offer little income Young people are remaining at home © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Sources Conley, Dalton. 2011. May Ask Yourself: An Introduction to Thinking Like a Sociologist (Second Edition). New York: W. W. Norton & Company. Macionis, John J. 2012. Society: The Basics (Twelfth Edition). Boston, MA: Pearson