Social Stratification
A “Basic” Example of Stratification Upper Class –Small percentage, but own most of the money/wealth. Middle Class – white collar occupations. Largest in number and most often used as symbol of American culture (along with upper class). These are the people you see in sitcoms ! Lower “Underclass” – Low or no income.
What is social stratification? “A system by which a society ranks categories of people in a hierarchy” 1. A trait of society, not of individuals. 2. Carries over from generation to generation. 3. Universal (seen in all societies) but changes from society to society. 4. Not only a system of material inequality, but also a system of beliefs.
What is social stratification? Caste System (closed) Class System (open) Based on ascription/birth (remember the difference between ascribed and achieved status) People can easily differentiate castes No social mobility You interact and marry with people of the same position Based on both birth and achievement (both ascribed and achieved status) People can move up (or sometimes down) in social position based upon merit
What is social stratification? Caste System (closed) Class System (open) Cultural beliefs justify the system, and people do not question their position Found in farming/agricultural systems Waste human potential…why? Very orderly…why? Cultural beliefs = meritocracy Found in industrialized societies Increases human potential…why? Weakens families and other social groups…why?
What is social stratification? India is the most well-known example of a caste system Most societies are a mixture of class and caste systems The United Kingdom is a class system…but because of its history there are still strong elements of a caste system. Royal familes control large amounts of money “blue-bloods”. America is a mixture of class and caste (we saw the upper class in the Born Rich documentary…they form a caste in the sense that they will never move down and they intermat
Why do people accept stratification? Stratified societies can be seen as unfair…but people accept it? Why? ideology Ideology Every society has an ideology that reinforces the system. Ideology is the cultural beliefs that justify particular social arrangements, including patterns of inequality. Who knows the history of this man (his educational background and how he made his money)?
Why do people accept stratification? In class systems, there is an ideology that the rich deserve what they have gotten through hard work…and the poor have not worked hard enough to succeed in life. In caste systems, religion (another form of ideology) justifies people being born into caste and not another
Why do people accept stratification? “The Davis Moore Thesis” - Social stratification has beneficial consequences for society. A “structural functional” approach to stratification 1. The more important a job is for society, the more rewards (money, prestige) society offers for that job. 2. Because more rewards are offered, more people will compete for these jobs 3. The most talented people end up in the most important jobs
Why do people accept stratification? Do you agree or disagree with the Davis-Moore Thesis? Why or why not? [in-class discussion…looking at salaries and making a relationship between salary and importance of the job]
How do we describe inequality in the United States? Upper Class – Top 5%. Families earn at least $185,000 a year. Own most of the countries private wealth. Middle Class – 40% – 45% of population. More ethnically and racially diverse. Earn between $45,000 – $185,000. Working Class – 33% of population. Low wage jobs. $25,000 - $45,000. Lower “Underclass” – 20% of population. Less than $25,000.
How do we describe inequality in the United States? The Upper Class Earn at least $185,000 The upper class can be divided into the upper-uppers (the people we saw in the video) and lower-uppers. Lower uppers generally did not inherit their money and are currently working for their money…
How do we describe inequality in the United States? The Middle Class Are most of the population (45%) Separated into upper middles ($100,000 to $185,000) and average middles ($45,000 to $100,000) Are the “symbolic” class of the United States…all politicians talk about the middle class Generally white collar workers Build wealth over time Ethnically and racially diverse
How do we describe inequality in the United States? The Working Class Make between $25,000 and $45,000 Have little or no wealth Sudden unemployment and illness is disastrous Jobs for the working class offer few benefits
How do we describe inequality in the United States? The Lower Class 20% of the population Low education Society segregates the lower class (especially minorities)…through housing in trailor parks and urban ghettos Lower class families live in inner cities and in the rural south
Why does inequality (class) matter? First, people political opinions, values, and norms are related to their class position Second, depending upon the class you were born into, you have a greater or lesser chance of succeeding in life. This is a problem, because US society highly values equality and the “pursuit of happiness”. For many years, America was seen as a place where there was high social mobility Currently in US, there is still upward mobility, but because the middle class is shrinking, there is a lot of downward mobility