Chapter 8 Section 2 American Class System

Determining Social Class** Reputational Method: individuals are asked to rank other community members based on what they know of their lifestyles and characters (only suitable in small communities where everyone know each other) Subjective Method: individuals are asked to determine their own social rank. (Most people place themselves in middle class and are uncomfortable identifying as upper or lower class) Objective Method: sociologists define social class by income, occupation, and education level. This makes it the least biased. (However, there is the problem that different combinations lead to slightly different social- class membership results.)

Social Classes of the U.S. Upper Class (about 1% of U.S.) Old money vs. New Money ◦ Old money means the family has been wealthy for generations ◦ New money refers to the newly rich who acquired their wealth through their own efforts and not inheritance Upper Middle Class Primarily high-income business people and professionals such as doctors and lawyers. Most have a college education and an advanced degree

Social Classes of the U.S. Lower Middle Class White-collar jobs, which do not involve manual labor. These jobs require less education and provide less income than those of the upper middle class. Ex. Nurses, middle management, sales, and owners of small businesses Working Class Jobs that typically require manual labor such as factory workers, tradespeople, less skilled workers, and some service workers. These jobs are often referred to as “blue-collar.” Some fo these jobs have a higher income but less prestige than those of the lower middle class

Social Classes of the U.S. Working Poor These are often the lowest- paying jobs. These jobs might be temporary or seasonal such as housekeeping, migrant farm work, and day laboring. Even though they are working, these people often do not make a living wage, many are high-school dropouts, and rely on government assistance. Underclass Families that have experiences unemployment and poverty over several generations are considered part of the underclass. Chief source of income is usually public assistance. Only 50% of children from the underclass make it to another class in their lifetime.

Social Mobility** In an open class system, like the U.S., social mobility is the movement between or within social classes There are two types: vertical and horizontal Horizontal mobility is movement within one’s class or stratum. ◦ When an individual moves from one job to another of equal social ranking, that is horizontal mobility ◦ If there is no major change in wealth, power, or prestige, it is horizontal mobility

Social Mobility** Vertical mobility is movement between social classes ◦ The monetary and social rewards of promotion from secretary to a management position may move an individual from working class to lower middle class. There are two kinds of Vertical mobility: intragenerational mobility and intergenerational mobility

Social Mobility** Intragenerational mobility is changes in social position during a person’s life Intergenerational mobility is changes in status between different generations of the same family ◦ For example the son of a mechanic becoming a doctor is intergenerational mobility

Social Mobility** Structural causes of Upward mobility ◦ Change in technology ◦ Change in merchandising patterns ◦ Change in general level of education Structural causes of Downward mobility ◦ Personal factors (divorce, illness, retirement) ◦ Change in technology ◦ Economic factors (rate of unemployment, economic growth)

Homework Pg. 196 #1-5