1. Social Stratification
A System that Ranks Categories of People in a Hierarchy
Chapters 10, 11, & 12

2. Class System in the United States
Class v. Caste in US

3. The Caste System Social stratification based on ascription
Birth determines social position in four
distinct ways
Occupation
Marriage within caste
Social life is restricted to “own kind”
Belief systems are often tied to religious
dogma
Caste system is illegal in the United States,
but elements survive
Slavery was once a caste system in the US

4. Class System Based on both birth and individual achievement
Social mobility for people with education and skills
All people gain equal standing before the law
Work involves some personal choice

5. Caste versus Class Systems
Social mobility:
a change in position within a social hierarchy
Caste: Closed System- No Social Mobility
Class: Open System- Social Mobility is:
Horizontal
Vertical

6. Why people have social mobility…
Meritocracy:
social stratification idea based on personal merit- dependent upon a person’s ability and effort
How much of your social position is based on merit and much is due to your parents?
Status consistency:
Why is the consistency of a person’s status in a class system lower than in a caste system?

7. Social Mobility Intragenerational mobility Intergenerational mobility
Change in social position during one person’s lifetime
Intergenerational mobility
Upward or downward movement that takes place across generations within a family

8. Differences in Social Classes
What makes us diverse?

9. Capitalism v. Communism Which is better for society?
Capitalism-  economic system in which the means of production and distribution are privately owned and in a free market.
Communism- economic system with collective ownership of property being ascribed and labor is for the common advantage of all members.

10. Survival of the Fittest
Herbert Spencer
Survival of the Fittest

11. Applying Herbert Spencer’s Theory: The Davis-Moore Thesis
Social stratification has beneficial consequences for the operation of a society
The greater the importance of a position, the more rewards a society attaches to it
Egalitarian (Equal) societies offer little incentive for people to try their best- everyone is rewarded the same regardless of work.
Why do teachers give grades A-F on assignments?
Which type of society would they support- capitalism or communism?

12. Karl Marx
Communist Societies

13. Karl Marx: Class and Conflict
Most people have one of two relationships
with the means of production
Own productive property “bourgeoisie”
Work for others “proletariat”
Capitalism creates great inequality in power
and wealth
This oppression would drive the working
majority to organize and overthrow the
capitalism

14. Was Marx Right? Wealth still remains highly concentrated
40% of privately owned property in 1% of population
Workers’ benefits came from struggle but…
Conflict and distrust still remain as obstacles between management and workers
Little has been won recently
Law still protects private property of rich

15. Max Weber
Class, Status, and Power

16. Max Weber: Class, Status, and Power
Socioeconomic status (SES)
Composite ranking based on various dimensions of social inequality:
1. Class position
Viewed “classes” as a continuum from high to low
2. Status
Income and wealth
3. Power
Social Power, Prestige, Schooling

17. U.S. Stratification: Merit and Caste
Ancestry
Born to privilege or poverty makes a big difference
Gender
More poor families are headed by women
Race and ethnicity
Disparity still exist when comparing majority and
minority groups on social and financial variables
Religion
Members of protestant denominations (Episcopalians
and Presbyterians) are identified as the most affluent

18. Dimensions of Social Stratification
Income
Occupational wages and earnings from investments
Wealth
The total value of money and other assets, minus any debt
Social power
The ability to control, even in the face of resistance
Occupational prestige
Job-related status
Schooling
Key to better career opportunities

19. Distribution of Income and Wealth in the United States Income, and especially wealth, is divided unequally in U.S. society. Source: Income data from U.S. Census Bureau (2005); wealth data are author estimates based on Kelster (2000) and Russell & Mogelonsky (2000).

20. Social Classes The upper class The middle class The working class
5 % of the population
The middle class
40-45% of the population
The working class
33% of the population
The lower class
The remaining 20% of people
*Median U.S. household income is $49,445

21. Upper Class The upper-uppers The lower-uppers
Membership almost always based on ascription
They have “old money”
They are set apart by the amount of wealth their families control
Much time devoted to community activities
The lower-uppers
The working rich people
The “new rich” by “old money” standards
Can still find themselves excluded from certain organizations and clubs

22. Middle Class More racial and ethnic diversity Upper-middles
$80,000 to $170,000 yearly income
Education is important
High occupational prestige
Involvement in local politics
Average-middles
Less prestige in occupation
Few white collar, or high-skilled blue collar jobs
Income provides modest security
50% kids attend state-sponsored colleges

23. Working Class Marxist “industrial proletariat”
$25,000 to $40,000 annual income
“Blue-collar” routine jobs with less satisfaction
Half own their own homes
Fewer children go to college (only one-third)
Vulnerable to financial problems caused by unemployment or illness

24. Lower Class 46 million Americans classified as poor in 2010
Others are “working poor” minimum wage jobs
Half complete high school, one in four attend college
Own homes in less desirable inner city neighborhoods or rural south

25. Poverty in the United States
Extremes in Social Class

26. The Difference a Class Makes
Health
Amount and type of health care
Cultural values
Vary with position
Politics
Conservative or liberal
Degree of involvement
Family and gender
Type of parental involvement
Socialization practices
Relationships and responsibilities

27. Extent of Poverty Poverty Relative (in relation to others)
Absolute (life threatening)
Poverty threshold (line)
Does the family earn three times the income needed to purchase a nutritionally adequate diet?
Poverty line is approximately $11,170 for an individual
Should be adjusted for family size and cost of living
Extent of poverty in America
Approximately 15% (46 million people) are classified impoverished

28. Per capita income across the United States Looking at the map, what patterns do you see in the distribution of wealth and poverty across the United States? What can you say about wealth and poverty in urban and rural areas?

29. Poverty across the United States This map shows that the poorest counties in the United States – where the poverty rate is more than twice the national average – are in Appalachia, spread across the Deep South, along the border with Mexico, near the Four Corners region of the Southwest, and in the Dakotas. Can you suggest some reasons for this pattern?

30. Demographics of Poverty
Age
In 2004, 17.8% of all children were poor, contributing to
high infant mortality rate
Race and ethnicity
Two-thirds of all poor people are white
In 2004, 24.3% of all African Americans and 21.9% of all
Latinos lived in poverty, in relation to population numbers
they are three times as likely to be poor
Gender
The feminization of poverty:
60% of poor are women
Rise in households headed by single women

31. Survey Question: “Why are there people in this country who live in need?”
Choose one of the following:
A. Personal Laziness OR B. Social Injustice

32. Survey Question: “Why are there people in this country who live in need?”

33. Assessing the Causes of Poverty
Survey Question: “Why are there people in this country who live in need?” In the United States (and also in Japan), more people explain poverty in terms of personal laziness than societal justice. In most high-income nations (including European countries) and in lower-income nations (such as Mexico), more people point to societal injustice rather than personal laziness as the cause of poverty. Source: Inglehart et al. (2000).

34. The Working Poor
In 2004, 19% of heads of poor families worked at least 50 weeks of the year.
Individual ability and personal initiative do play a role in poverty.
However, society is the primary cause of poverty.

35. Explaining Poverty Blame the poor Blame society
The poor are mostly responsible for their own
poverty
A culture of poverty: produces a self-perpetuating
cycle of poverty… welfare systems make people lazy
Blame society
Little opportunity for work
Proposed changes:
Government should hire people (WPA)
Improve schools, transportation, and daycare

36. Homeless No precise count Experts “guess-ti-mate” Causes
How could there ever be?
Experts “guess-ti-mate”
500,000 on any given night
3.5 million at some time during the course of the year
Causes
They are poor
Personal traits
One-third are substance abusers
One-fourth suffer from mental illnesses
Many homeless are entire families due to structural
changes in economy “new homeless”