Social Stratification Vocabulary

Social Stratification A system by which a society ranks categories of people in a social hierarchy

Social Stratification It is a trait of society—it does not reflect individual differences, but society’s structure It persists over generations—social mobility happens slowly It is universal—while existing in every society, it varies in type It involves a justifying belief system—ideologies justify the existence of stratification

Status The degree of honor or prestige attached to one’s position in society

Ascribed Status A position that is neither earned nor chosen; assigned Daughter, son, mother, father

Achieved Status A position that is earned or chosen Teacher, coach, doctor, husband, wife

Status Set All of the statuses that a person occupies at any particular time Student and daughter and sales clerk and soccer player and friend and sister and aunt

Class System System (in theory) based on individual achievement (merit—not ascribed status) Characteristics: Inequality exists as in a caste system, but to a lesser degree Social mobility is possible (though becoming less probable) Access to education, job opportunities, an “even playing field” Meritocracy (idea of you get what you deserve) Open System Example: United States (???)

Vertical Mobility Movement from one social class to another, upward or downward Example: from bank teller to bank president

Horizontal Mobility Movement within the same social class Example: from policeman to firefighter

Intergenerational Mobility Social class movement between generations, upward or downward Example: your father was construction worker, you become an architect

Endogamy vs. Exogamy Endogamy: marriage within one’s social class Exogamy: marriage outside of one’s social class

Bifurcation Idea that America is splitting into 2 classes only—rich and poor Middle and working classes shrinking

Greed Video Fill in movie guide as we watch.

Bell Ringer

Levels of Classism Individual Classism: (example) A middle class person calls second-hand clothes “tacky” Institutional Classism: (example) A hospital keeps a Medicaid patient for fewer days than a privately insured patient with the same condition because the amount paid to the hospital is less Cultural Classism: (example) The commercial for peanut butter, “Choosy moms choose Jiff,” implies that if you buy a store/generic brand you care less about your kids

Classism set of practices and beliefs that assign different values to people according to their socioeconomic class

Karl Marx: Two Social Classes Bourgeoisie vs. Proletariat Bourgeoisie: those who own the means of production Proletariat: those who work for wages Theory that capitalism would be overthrown during revolution by proletariat.

Caste System Social Stratification based on ascribed status (social position based on birth) Birth determines social position in 4 ways: Occupations limited Endogamy (marriage within same social class) is practiced Social life restricted Lack of social mobility (Closed system) Example: India

Class Indicator A factor that reflects an individual’s class

Class Identity One’s predominant class experience for example: working class

Ruling Class The level (stratum) of people who hold positions of power in society

Owning Class/Rich The level of families who own income-producing assets to the extent that paid employment is not necessary

Upper-Middle Class The portion of the middle class with higher incomes due to professional jobs and/or investment income

Middle Class The level of families for whom the main earners’ higher education and/or specialized skills brings higher income and more security than working-class people have

Lower-Middle Class The portion of the middle class with lower and less stable incomes due to lower-skilled or unstable employment

Working Class The level of families whose income depends on hourly wages for labor, or on other work that does not require higher education

Poverty Class The level of families with incomes persistently insufficient to meet basic human needs

Old money vs. New money Old money: money AND social status is passed down through generations New money: called “nouveau riche” Example: winning the lottery

People Like Us Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nU5MtVM_zFs&list=PLC6D871A2A8C3C8EF&index=1

Comparison of Poverty Poverty in Calcutta, India

Comparison of Poverty Poverty in Detroit, Michigan

Cultural Capital The forms of knowledge, skill, education, and any advantages a person has that give her or him higher status in society

How much does money/capital influence social class?

Social Capital Resources based on group membership, relationships, networks of influence and support

Internalized Classism Internalized Subordination Acceptance and justification of classism by working-class and poor people For example: feelings of inferiority to higher-class people or hostility toward other poor people Internalized Dominance Feelings of superiority to people lower on the class spectrum For example: a sense of entitlement

Class Privilege Tangible or intangible unearned advantages of higher-class status For example: good childhood health care, inherited money

Gentrification The change in an urban area associated with the movement of more affluent individuals into a lower-class area

Redlining Discriminatory practice When banks and/or insurance companies refuse or limit loans/insurance within certain geographic areas (i.e. inner-city neighborhoods)

Social Structure The underlying patterns of relationships in a group

Reference Group Group used for self-evaluation and the formation of attitudes, values, beliefs, and norms

Class Consciousness Identification with the goals and interests of a social class

False Consciousness Adoption of the ideas of the dominant class by the less powerful class Example: working class family buying designer clothing

Affluence Richness, abundant wealth

Four Determinants of Class: Power: the degree to which a person can control others Prestige: degree of respect or importance of an individual usually associated with occupation Income Money received for goods and services (usually in one pay period) Wealth: objects or symbols owned by people which have value attached to them amount and source Total assets accumulated

Other Factors . . . Personal Performance: Education Occupation Awards and Achievements

Social Orientation Interactions Class Consciousness Value Orientation

Class Structure in the US Two Upper Classes Upper Upper (old money) Lower Upper (new money/nouveau riche)

Three Middle Classes Upper Middle (professional) Middle Class (white collar & entrepreneurs) Working Class (blue collar)

Two Lower Classes Upper Lower (unskilled laborers) Lower Lower (socially and economically disadvantaged)

Poverty Stations PPT

US Poverty Article Will make questions

Inequality in the US Wealth still remains highly concentrated in the upper class—a very small percentage of the population still controls over half of the corporate stock The law favors the rich—the “average” American cannot use the legal system to the same extent as the rich

Poverty—figured by taking what it costs to feed a family and multiplying that times a factor of three: $18,850 today for a family of four

Groups hit hardest by poverty Children and the elderly—over 25% of America’s children go to bed hungry, live in poor housing, and suffer more from disease Elderly women—hardest hit, fastest growing group of poor: “Feminization of poverty” Racial and ethnic minorities—1/3 of blacks and Hispanics live in poverty

Statistics: Wealth & Poverty in US Median household income $40, 816

Definition of middle class in terms of income $32, 653 - $48, 979

Percentage of children living in poverty 20%

Percentage of adults who live in poverty 12%

Percentage of single mothers living in poverty 37.4%

Median hourly wage of a former welfare recipient $6.61

Bill Gates’ average hourly wage $650,000 per hour

Statistics: Education and Wealth & Poverty Mean Verbal SAT score Children in households with incomes below $10,000 – 427 Children in households with incomes above $100,000 – 559

Mean Math SAT score Children in households with incomes below $10,000 – 446 Children in households with incomes above $100,000 – 572

Statistics: Class, Race, & Gender Median net worth of a white American: $81,700 Median net worth of an African American: $10,000

Number of white people living in poverty: 21,922,000 Number of black people living in poverty: 8,630,000

Percentage of men earning poverty level hourly wage: 19.5% Percentage of women earning poverty level hourly wage: 31.1%

Males: White Collar: average hourly wage = $22.20 Service: $10.92 Blue Collar: $13.71

Females: White Collar: $14.90 Service: $8.17 Blue Collar: $9.94

Median Income by Household Married Couples: $56,827 Female householder, no husband: $26,164 Male householder, no wife: $41,838

Attitudes & Class 36% of people who earn $15,000 a year call themselves middle class 49% who earn between $35,000 and $49,999 consider themselves middle class

71% of people who earn more than $75,000 a year consider themselves middle class

Interesting . . . Percentage of death row inmates who could not afford to hire a lawyer: 90%

Nickel and Dimed Read and Answer questions