SOCIAL STRATIFICATION

What is Social Stratification? For tens of thousands of years, humans lived in small hunting and gathering societies. Stratification based on Gender & Age As societies became more complex, major changes came about. Changes elevated certain categories of the population by giving them more power, money, and prestige.

SOCIAL STRATIFICATION Structured inequality of access to rewards, resources, and privileges that are scarce and desirable within a society. Inequality of an entire category of people, who have different access to social rewards as a result of their status in a social hierarchy.

Social stratification is a trait of society, not simply a reflection of individual differences. Children born into wealthy families are more likely than children born in poverty to experience good healthy, achieve academically, succeed in life’s work and live a long life. Titanic lower strata did not die because of personal failing

Social stratification persists over generations. In all societies, parents pass their social position on to their children. Social stratification is universal but variable. In some societies, inequality is mostly a matter of prestige; in others, wealth or power is the key dimension of difference. More importantly some societies display more inequality than others. Social stratification involves not just inequality but beliefs. Any system of inequality gives some people more than others and the society also defines the arrangements as fair.

Social Inequality Social Inequality  condition in which members of a society have different amounts of wealth, prestige, and power Wealth: All of a persons material assets (land, auto, home, jewelry) ** Which is the cause and which is the effect?** Inequality or stratification

Slavery Caste Estate Social Class ALL SOCIETIES HAVE SOME STRATIFICATION FOUR GENERAL SYSTEMS OF STRATIFICATION Slavery Caste Estate Social Class

Slavery Ownership of some people by others (due to debt, crime, war). Examples Ancient times- Greece and Rome captives of war. USA and Latin America- Workforce in 1800s. Present Day- Outsourcing??

CASTE SYSTEM Status is determined by birth and is life long (ascribed). A pure caste system is closed because birth alone determines one’s destiny, with little or no opportunity for social mobility based on effort.

CASTE SYSTEM Hereditary systems of rank- usually with religious justification/significance. Fixed and immobile. Traditional caste groups have specific occupations Generations of a family perform the same type of work Maintaining a rigid social hierarchy depends on people marrying within their own categories; “mixed” marriages would blur the ranking of children Endogamy- marriage between people of the same social category- marry within caste. Born into caste, stay the same as parents (same occupation). Caste norms guide people to stay in the company of ‘their own kind’ Caste systems rest on powerful cultural beliefs

CASTE SYSTEM: VARNAS Brahmins (priests) Kshatriyas (warriors & nobles) Vaishyas (merchants) Shudras (common laborers) Dalits (untouchables) Members of three highest varnas are called ‘twice born’ because they have gone through a ceremony entailing spiritual rebirth

Practice of caste-climbing has led to the spread of a uniform value system throughout India. Widespread agreement concerning values and criteria for distinguishing a low caste from a high caste.

CASTE IN CONTEMPORARY INDIA Impossible to maintain the caste system unaltered in contemporary India. Introduction of new professions Wageworkers are hired on the basis of qualifications (achieved status) rather then caste Authorities actively try to level out differences between castes through quotas for various castes in the public sector. Urbanization makes it difficult to classify the people one meets. Moving to city where no one knows you, one can escape stigma of caste

Estates System European society- Feudalism and Middle Ages Peasants work land leased to them from Nobles. In return the Peasants get military and other services (use of farming tools). Wealth and power came from business not just land and agriculture. Estates system grew into Class System.

CLASS SYSTEM Open system based on money or material possessions (achieved).

Social Mobility Movement from one strata to another (can be up or down). Movement between classes is easier than in other systems but there is still inequality within social classes. Status consistency- the degree of consistency in a person’s social standing across various dimensions of social inequality.

SOCIAL MOBILITY – A CHANGE IN ONE’S POSITION Ascribed vs Achieved status Caste system – position at birth determines (or mostly so) “Class” system like ours, there is considerable mobility - one can achieve status, $, power Are we a true meritocracy? Meritocracy - Social stratification based solely on merit

2 kinds of Social Mobility Structural Mobility – when % of higher status positions increases, upward mobility inevitable Industrialization did this (Marx did not anticipate structural mobility) Exchange Mobility – without structural changes, for every person who moved up, one would need to move down

WHAT HAS CAUSED US TO HAVE SOCIAL CLASSES TODAY IN THE US? Both Karl Marx and Max Weber had explanations.

KARL MARX EXPLAINED THAT IT IS ECONOMICS (& PROPERTY) THAT CAUSES THE CLASS SYSTEM. - WHO OWES OR CONTROLS WHAT.

MARX PREDICTED: The rich would get richer… The workers would develop a class conscious and become aware of the rich taking advantage of them. The workers would over come ‘false class consciousness.’ Revolution would ensue and communism would replace capitalism.

MARX EXPLAINED: “The proletarians of the world have nothing to lose but their chains. They have a world to gain. Workers of the world, unite!” Exploitation: …the utilization of a subordinate group, by a group in a superordinate position for its own economic or other advantage (surplus of wealth)

KARL MARX’S VIEW OF CAPITALISM:

KARL MARX’S VIEW OF COMMUNISM: “From each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs.”

MARX’S THEORY Marx explained through the family, opportunity and wealth are passed down from generation to generation. The legal system defends private property and inheritance. Elite children mix at exclusive schools, forging social ties that will benefit them throughout their lives. Capitalist society reproduces the class structure in each new generation.

HOW WAS MARX “WRONG?” $ not the only way societies stratified 2 great classes did not emerge Industrialization initially produced great inequality, but eventually produced a middle class Revolution did not occur as he predicted (US most industrialized of all) Classless society impossible

Why No Marxist Revolution? The fragmentation of the capitalist class. Day-to-day operations of large corporations are now in the hands of a managerial class, whose members may or may not be major stockholders. A higher standard of living. A century ago most workers were in factories or on farms performing blue- collar occupations, lower-prestige work that involves mostly manual labor. Today, most workers hold white-collar occupations, higher-prestige work that involves mostly mental activity. Most of today’s white-collar workers do not think of themselves as an “industrial proletariat.”

More worker organizations. Workers today have organizational clout that they lacked a century ago. Worker management disputes are settled without threatening the capitalist system. More extensive legal protections. During the twentieth century, the government passed laws to make the workplace safer and developed programs such as unemployment insurance, disability protection, and Social Security.

Max Weber: Wealth, Status, and Power Weber saw Marx’s two-class model simplistic. - Observed that stratification was more then $$$ - “Life Chances” determined by more then just $$$ - Ex.  Clergy might have status and power, but little money

MAX WEBER Believed that social class is more than just differences in material wealth. Other defining characteristics: Power – ability to achieve one’s goals and control others, even against the will of others Political Status Prestige Power – degree of respect, favorable regard, or importance according to an individual by members of a society Social Status Wealth (Property) – accumulated economic resources Economic Status

Weber’s view of social stratification in industrial societies as a multidimensional ranking rather than a hierarchy of clearly defined classes. Socioeconomic status (SES) - a composite ranking based on various dimensions of social inequality. Social stratification according to Weber is variable and complex.

Inequalities in History: Weber points out that each of his three dimensions of social inequality stands out at different points in the evolution of human societies. Agrarian societies emphasize status or social prestige, typically in the form of honor.

DO WE NEED TO HAVE STRATIFICATION?

HOW DO FUNCTIONALISTS VIEW SOCIAL STRATIFICATION? Society’s positions must be filled. Some positions are more important than others. The more important positions are filled by qualified people.

HOW DO CONFLICT THEORISTS VIEW SOCIAL STRATIFICATION? No society can exist unless it is organized. Leadership means inequalities of power. Human nature is self-centered so there are injustices in how the power is divided and used.

Great quote: Functionalism can explain why doctors (or… fill in the blank) make more than orderlies, but it requires conflict theory to explain why the gap is as large as it is.

MODERN SOCIETY AND CONFLICT Limited amount of resources in society. Not evenly distributed. Conflict Theory addresses how those with resources attempt to hold onto them and how those with limited resources try to obtain them.

MARX DID NOT BELIEVE THE PEOPLE IN POWER ARE THERE BECAUSE OF SUPERIOR TRAITS. Do you agree or disagree?

HOW DO ELITES MAINTAIN STRATIFICATION? By force – least effective. Politically – use laws and regulations (dictators) Controlling information Control the media Selectively releasing or withholding information (ex: “in the interest of national security”) Using new technologies Controlling ideas The divine right of kings – king’s authority comes directly from God.

HOW DO THOSE NOT IN POWER FIGHT BACK? Politically – if in a democratic country Judicial System Terrorism Using new technologies

HOW HAVE NATIONS BEEN STRATIFIED? Colonialism Theory Process by which one nation took over another nation Dependency Theory Stresses how the least industrialized nations grew dependent upon most industrialized Culture of Poverty Some nations are crippled by a way of life that perpetuates poverty

WHY DO SOME COUNTRIES REMAIN POOR OVER TIME? Neocolonialism Economic and political dominance over the least industrialized nations by the most industrialized nations Multinational Corporations Help to maintain global dominance

Social Class in the United States

DIMENSIONS OF SOCIAL INEQUALITY Income- wages or salary from work and earnings from investments. Wealth- the total value of money and other assets, minus outstanding debts. Wealth includes stocks, bonds, and real estate— is distributed even less equally than income. Occupational Prestige In addition to being a source of income, work also provides social prestige. We commonly evaluate each other according to the kind of work we do, respecting some and looking down on others.

RULE OF CUMULATION If someone is economically wealthy, he or she probably also has a good education, good health, and secure employment.

Schooling Industrial societies make schooling widely available to prepare workers for specialized tasks. Schooling affects both occupation and income A college degree or other advanced study is needed for most (but not all) of the better-paying white-collar jobs. Most blue-collar jobs, which bring lower income and social prestige, require less schooling.

Ancestry Family is our point of entry into the social system and has a strong bearing in schooling, occupation, and income. Research suggests that at least half of our country’s richest individuals—those worth hundreds of millions of dollars or more –derived their fortunes mostly from inheritance.

SOCIAL CLASSES IN THE US UPPER CLASS The Upper Class 5% of the population Upper-Uppers People who have inherited wealth are known as Blue Bloods or “society”  Old Money Includes less than 1 percent of society. Lower-Uppers Appear to be just as privileged but have newly acquired wealth, the main difference is that these people are the “working rich.”  New Money

Middle Class The Upper Middle Class (Professional) Middle Class 40-45% of the population Upper-Middles $80,000 to $160,000 a year Middle Class White Collar and Entrepreneurs $40,000- $80,000 a year Typically work in less prestigious white-collar occupations: middle management, high-school teachers, and sales clerks, or in highly skilled blue-collar jobs, such as a building contractor.

The Working Class Blue Collar $25,000- $40,000 a year 1/3 of the population This population is somewhat below the national average, and they have little or no wealth.

Lower Class Upper Lower Lower Lower Unskilled Laborers Low income makes this population unstable and insecure. Lower Lower Socially and Economically Disadvantaged In 2000, the federal government classified 31.1 million people as poor.

Middle Class Attitudes 36% of those earning $15,000 a year call themselves middle class 49% of those with incomes between $35,000 and $49,999 call themselves middle class 71% of those with incomes above $75,000 call themselves middle class

SOCIAL CLASS IN THE US

Housing Number of families or primary individuals who live in mobile homes or trailers: 6.8 million Percentage change in the number of Americans living in mobile homes between 1980 and 1990: +52% Number of US households earning less than $10,000/year: 7.6 million Number of affordable housing units available: 4.4 million Number of gated communities in America: approx. 20,000 (housing approximately 8.4 million people) Number of gated communities in 1950: 2,500 Interesting Fact: In 1995, homeowners earning more than $100,000 a year received a total of $28.9 billion dollars in federal income tax deductions on mortgage interest payments. The entire 1996 budget of the US Department of Housing and Urban Development was only $19 billion

The Difference Class Makes Health Children born into poor families are three times more likely to die from disease, neglect, accidents, or violence during their first years of life than children born to rich families.

Values Affluent people with more college education and financial security are more tolerant of controversial behaviors such as homosexuality. Working class people, who are use to greater supervision and discipline in their formative years and have less education, tend to be less tolerant.

Politics In general, the more privileged people support the Republican Party and the people with fewer advantages support the Democrats. A desire to protect their wealth prompts well-off people to be more conservative in economic issues, favoring lower taxes. But on social issues such as abortion and feminist concerns, the more educated and affluent are more liberal. People of lower social standing favor expanding government social programs, but support a more conservative social agenda.

Family and Gender Most lower-class families are somewhat larger than middle class families because of earlier marriage and less use of birth control.

POVERTY IN THE US

The Extent of U.S. Poverty The line of poverty is described as-the income needed “to purchase a nutritionally adequate diet on the assumption that no more than a third of the family income is used for food.” 38.1 million Americans as of 2008 Below $18,000 a year for a three person family

Working poor are common Federal Minimum Wage = $7.25 (since 2008) In tipping industry, wage is $2.13 with tips equaling &7.25 Do the math… 7.25 x 8hrs x 5 days x 52 weeks

Wealth and Poverty US Median Household Income  $ 40, 816 (as of 1999) Average Household Net Worth of Top 1% of Wage Earners  $10,204,000 Average New Worth of Bottom 40% of Wage Earners  $1900

Definition of Middle Class in Terms of Income  $32,653 to $48,979 (as of 1999) Percentage of US Children Who Live in Poverty  20% Percentage of US Adults Who Live in Poverty  12% Percentage of Single Mothers Who Live in Poverty  37.4 % Rank of the US among the seventeen leading industrial nation with the largest percentage of their populations in poverty  1 Portion of US stock owned by the wealthiest 10% of Americans  9/10 Minimum Wage  $7.25 Bill Gates hourly wage  $650,000 / hr (1999, average since 1986)

Explaining Poverty People counted among the officially poor in the United States are far better off than the poor in other countries. Millions of people in the United States have too little income to lead healthy lives. Almost 42 % straddle the fence Both government and individuals share this responsibility.

Whose to Blame? Blame the Poor This view sees society offering plenty of opportunity to anyone able and willing to take advantage of it. Thus, anyone who is poor either cannot or will not work. Blame Society Another position holds that society is primarily responsible for poverty. Weighing the Evidence Many people are idle not because they are avoiding work but because there are not enough jobs.

The Working Poor The working poor command the sympathy and support of people on both sides of the poverty debate. 20% of poor heads of households worked at least fifty weeks of the year and yet could not escape poverty.

GLOBAL STRATIFICATION An Overview The Extent of Poverty Modernization Theory Dependency Theory

High-Income Countries About three-fourths of the people in high- income countries live in or near cities. Production in rich nations is capital-intensive; that is, it is based on factories, big machinery, and advanced technology.

Middle-Income Countries Two-thirds of people live in cities, and industrial jobs are common. The remaining one-third of the people live in rural areas, where most are poor and lack access to schools, medical care, adequate housing, and even safe drinking water.

LOW-INCOME COUNTRIES Low-income countries, where most people are very poor, are largely agrarian societies with some industry. Most of the sixty nations are in African and southern Asia. Low-income countries cover 28 percent of the planet’s land. Population density is high although it is greatest in Asian countries than in central African nations.

Severity of Poverty Poverty in poor countries is more severe than it is in rich countries.

RELATIVE VERSUS ABSOLUTE POVERTY People living in rich countries generally focus on relative poverty, some people lack resources that others take for granted. Relative poverty cuts across every society, rich or poor. Absolute poverty, a lack of resources that is life threatening. Human beings in absolute poverty lack the nutrition necessary for health and long-term survival.