Chapter 8 Social Stratification

Learning Objectives

Explain the relationship between stratification and social class Stratification- ranking of people or groups according to their unequal access to resources Social Class- segment of society whose members hold similar amounts of resources and share values, norms, lifestyle

Each layer in a stratification system is a social class. American stratification includes: upper, middle, and lower classes

Compare/Contrast the three dimensions of stratification 1. Economic - who has the money/who does not have the money –Wealth: having an abundance of resources (food, clothing) –Income: How much money one has 2. Power - ability to control others’ behavior 3. Prestige – recognition, respect, and admiration attached to positions (celebrities)

3 Different Theories Functionalist –Most qualified people fit the positions –Teachers, bankers, doctors Conflict –Differences exist because some people are willing to use other people (capitalists and workers) Symbolic Interactionist –Social class is a result of talent and effort

Characteristics of American Social Classes 1.Upper Class 2.Middle Class 3.Working Class 4.Working Poor 5.Underclass

Upper Class 1% of population –Upper upper class: old money families (Ford, Rockefeller, duPont) Marry inside their class –Lower upper class: income but not friends Molly Brown on Titanic

Middle Class 40-50% of population –Upper middle class Live well, save money College degree and high career goals –Middle middle class High school education

Working Class 33% of population –Lower middle class Manual labor- truck drivers, factory workers Unstable employment No health insurance No opportunity to move up at work

Working Poor 13% of population –Laborers and fast-food workers –Cannot earn enough money to save it

Underclass 12% of population –Stay unemployed –Come from poor unemployed families –No education or skills –Physical and mental disabilities are common –Single parent families (moms)

Measuring Poverty in the US Absolute Poverty- Not enough money for necessities of life (food, shelter) Relative Poverty- Not enough money for extra materials of life (Playstation) Government income for poverty in 2008 is $22,200 for a family of 4

Who are the Poor in the US? Minorities Females with children Children under 18 Elderly Disabled People who live alone

Poverty Programs in the US 1960s President Johnson –War on Poverty –Welfare programs 1998 government spent 3% of budget on welfare

Social Mobility in the US Social mobility: movement of individuals between social classes Types of mobility –Horizontal: change within same social class Teacher to banker –Vertical: moving up or down Normal to movie star –Intergenerational: change in status from one generation to the next I become a movie star so my children are automatically famous too

How can you escape poverty? Sweet Home Alabama –Social Mobility Poverty Project