1. Social Stratification
Chapter Nine

2. Systems of Stratification
Section One

3. I. Description
Simply dividing society into categories, ranks, or classes based on ascribed statuses (ancestry, race, age, physical appearance, and gender) or achieved statuses (education and occupation)
Eventually leads to social inequality

4. II. Types of Stratification
Closed vs. Open Systems
Closed—movement is impossible
Open—movement is possible, but may be easy or very difficult

5. B. Caste Systems
Closed, based on ascribed statuses, caste is determined at birth based on parents’ statuses
Exogamy (marriage outside one’s caste) is forbidden
Were once very popular in South Asia
The Indian Caste System
Developed more than years ago

6. Indian Caste System—continued
Brahmans—priests and scholars
Kshatriyas—rulers, nobles, and soldiers
Vaisyas—merchants, bankers, and business people
Sudras—laborers and artisans
Harijans/Dalits—unclean, undesired

7. Indian Caste System—continued
Castes were subdivided into thousands of sub-castes
People avoided the Harijans and if they touched a higher-caste person, the person had to go through a special cleansing ritual to remove the “stain” of uncleanliness

8. Indian Caste System—continued
The Indian Constitution, 1950
Outlawed discrimination
Declared all Indians equal
Encouraged interaction between castes in schools and government jobs
Reality: lines are somewhat blurred in the cities, although there is still poverty; they remain intact in the country

9. Answer the following questions from your book:
Answer the question under Interpreting Visuals on page 206.
Answer the question under Interpreting Visuals on page 207.
Answer #1 under Thinking Critically on page 228.

10. Indian Caste System
Watch the video and answer the following questions.
Explain why members of the lower castes are seeking reform.
What are the demands of the lower caste reformers?
How would you like to live in this society?

11. C. Class Systems Based on achieved statuses
Given talent, effort, and opportunity, a person can move up the social-class ladder (or down with a lack of talent, effort, or opportunity)
Karl Marx—there is a struggle between the bourgeoisie (owners) vs. the proletariat (workers)
Max Weber—three factors effect social class mobility: property, prestige, and power

12. Occupational Prestige Survey
Complete the handout—rank the occupations on how much prestige (or respect) you feel each deserves. 1 is the lowest 100 is the highest

13. Compare Your Results From the National Opinion Research Center: Doctor82
Teacher 60
Plumber 41
Farmer
Author
Professor 78
Judge 76
Accountant 57
Dancer 38
Mechanic 37
Lawyer
Maid 14
Actor 55
Nurse 62
Janitor 16
Cab Driver 22
Architect 71
Police Officer 48
Electrician 49
Mail Carrier 42
Minister 70
Athlete 51
Engineer
Cashier 31
Dentist 74
From the National Opinion Research Center:

14. Social Stratification—continued
Power: the ability to control the behavior of others, with or without their consent
Prestige
Includes: respect, honor, recognition, or courtesy a person receives from others in society
May reflect: income, occupation, education, family background, residence, possessions, club memberships, etc.

15. IV. Explaining Stratification
Functionalist Theory
It’s a necessity; without certain rewards, some jobs would go unfilled
Ex: why would anyone spend the time and money to become a doctor without the benefits?
Conflict Theory
Competition causes social inequality; whoever “wins” maintains the rewards

16. Read through Applying Sociology on page 210
Read through Applying Sociology on page Answer the two questions in the blue box.
Answer #2 and #4b of the Section 1 Review on page 212.
Complete the reading on page Answer the two questions under Think About It.

17. The American Class System
Section Two

18. I. Introduction
The fewer the number of ascribed characteristics used to determine access to rewards, the more open the class system
The U.S. has laws forbidding discrimination based on ascribed characteristics

19. II. Determining Social Class
The Reputational Method: community members rank other members of their community
The Subjective Method: individuals rank themselves as upper, middle, or lower class; most people say middle class whether it’s true or not
The Objective Method: defines social class by income, occupation, and education

20. A. The Upper Class 1% of the population Old money vs. new money
Politically conservative
Attend prestigious universities
Business owners, top executives, investors

21. B. The Upper Middle Class
14% of the population
Politically and socially active, but limited to the local level
College degrees; career minded

22. C. The Lower Middle Class
30% of the population
Mostly white-collar jobs, but not all have college degrees
Politically conservative

23. D. The Working Class 30% of the population
Blue collar jobs requiring manual labor
Have few financial reserves
High school diplomas

24. E. The Working Poor 22% of the population
Hold the lowest paying jobs, often seasonal
Dropouts
Rarely make a living wage; rely on government support

25. F. The Underclass 3% of the population
Generations of poverty and unemployment
Rely on public assistance; only 50% of children reach a higher class

26. IV. Social Mobility
Definition: the movement between classes or within classes
Types
Horizontal: within a class; change jobs, but not classes
Vertical: move to a higher or lower class
Intergenerational mobility: when a child is able to change class from the one he/she was born into

27. Social Mobility—continued
Structural Causes of Upward Mobility
Individual effort
Changes in technology
Changes in merchandising patterns (credit and insurance increases)
Increases in levels of education
Structural Causes of Downward Mobility
Personal factors (illness, divorce, widowhood, retirement)
Changes in the economy

28. Budget Activity—how much do you need to live in Lorain County?

29. Poverty
Section Three

30. I. Poverty
Definition: a standard of living that is below the minimum level considered adequate by society
Relative: level can vary from society to society
Includes more than 31 million people—11% of the population

31. II. Defining Poverty in the U.S.
The Poverty Level
The minimum annual income needed by a family to survive
Calculated by determining the cost of an adequate diet, times three
Problems with the Level
Outdated—was developed in the 1960s
Excludes the price of clothing, housing, and other personal expenses

32. For each additional person, add $4,160.00
Poverty Rate for 2017
NUMBER IN HOUSEHOLD
POVERTY GUIDELINE 1
$11,880 2
$16,020 3
$20,160 4
$24,300 5
$28,440 6
$32,580 7
$36,730 8
$40,890
For each additional person, add $4,160.00

33. III. American Poverty Age—37% are children Gender—57% are women
Race and Ethnicity—most are African Americans and Hispanics
States with over 15% of their population living under the poverty level: New Mexico, Mississippi, Louisiana, New York, and West Virginia

34. IV. The Effects of Poverty
Life Chances: the likelihood a person has of sharing in the opportunities and benefits of society
The poor have lower health, housing, and levels of education
A lower life expectancy (number of years a person will live); 60% of infants are more likely to die
No money = less nutrition and poorer healthcare

35. Effects of Poverty—continued
Patterns of Behavior
Higher divorce rates
Higher arrest rates and prison terms

36. V. Government Responses to Poverty
First “War on Poverty” declared by LBJ in 1964; rate is the same as the early 1970s
Senior citizens are in better shape due to Social Security and Medicare

37. Government Responses—continued
Transfer Payments: takes tax money and redistributes it
SSI—Social Security Insurance
TANF—Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (formerly AFDC—Aid to Families with Dependent Children)
Subsidies: transfer goods and services; no cash
Food Stamps
Medicaid
School Lunches

38. Chapter 9 Review
Read the Case Study on page 224 and answer the questions in the purple box.
Answer the questions (start with #2) under Thinking Critically on page 228.
Complete Building Social Studies Skills on page 229.
What would be the best way the government could take care of poverty?