Stratification(or how you can do better than your parents

did)

StratificationSystems of stratificationSociological perspectives on stratificationIs stratification universal?Stratification by social class?Social mobilityThe global divide

Systems of StratificationSocial inequality: condition in which

members of society have different amounts of wealth, prestige, or power

Stratification: structured ranking of entire groups of people that perpetuates unequal economic rewards and power in a societyIncome: salaries and wagesWealth: encompasses all of a person’s material

assetsInequality is heavily linked to achieved and

ascribed status

Systems of StratificationSlavery: individuals owned by other people who treat them as

propertyCastes: hereditary ranks usually religiously dictated and tend to

be fixed and immobileEstate system (feudalism): required peasants to work land leased

to them in exchange for military protection and other servicesClass system: social ranking based primarily on economic

position in which achieved characteristics can influence social mobility Upper class Upper-middle class Lower-middle class Working class Lower class

Karl Marx and Class DifferentiationSocial relations depend on who controls

the primary mode of productionCapitalism: means of production held

largely in private hands and main incentive for economic activity is accumulation of profits

Bourgeoisie: capitalist class; owns the means of production

Proletariat: working class

Karl Marx and Class DifferentiationClass consciousness: subjective

awareness of common vested interests and the need for collective political action to bring about change

False consciousness: attitude held by members of class that does not accurately reflect their objective positionMost Americans when asked will say they

belong in the middle class

Max Weber and StratificationNo single dimestion totally defines a society’s

stratification systemClass: group of people who have similar level

of wealth and incomeStatus group: people who have the same

prestige or lifestyle Power: ability to exercise one’s will over others

Interactionist PerspectiveInteractionists interested in importance of

social class in shaping person’s lifestyleThorsten Veblen: those at top of social

hierarchy typically convert part of wealth into conspicuous consumption or leisure

Stratification also influences peer groups an individual is exposed toArgot

Is Stratification Universal?Functionalist view: social inequality necessary so

people will be motivated to fill functionally important positionsDoes not explain extreme inequality

Conflict view: human beings are prone to conflict over scarce resources as wealth, status, and powerStratification major source of societal tensionLeads to instability and social change

Lenski’s view: as a society advances technologically, it becomes capable of producing surplus of goods, thus expands the possibilities for inequality in status, influence, and power

Measuring Social ClassObjective Method

Class largely viewed as a statistical category Education Occupation Income Place of residence

Prestige: respect and admiration an occupation holds in society

Esteem: reputation specific person has earned within an occupation

Measuring Social ClassMultiple Measures

Statistical methods and computer technology have multiplied that factors used to define class under the objective method

Socioeconomic status (SES) Income Education Occupation

Wealth is unevenly distributed in the US, even more than income

Distribution of Wealth in the US

PovertyAbsolute poverty: Minimum level of

subsistence that no family should live belowPoverty line

Relative poverty: Floating standard by which people at the bottom of a society are judged as being disadvantaged in comparison to the nation as a whole

PovertyWho are the poor?

Feminization of poverty: trend since World War II of women constituting increasing proportion of poor people of U.S.

About half of all women in the United States who are living in poverty are “in transition”

Drastic changes to the poverty numbers since 2008

Who are the poor in the US

Explaining PovertyHerbert Gans (1995) argues that various segments of

society benefit from the existence of the poor through social, economic, and political functionsSociety’s dirty work such as dirty, dangerous, or dirty

jobs are performedPoverty creates jobs professions that service the poor

Punishment of the poor as deviants uphold the legitimacy of conventional social norms and mainstream values regarding hard work, thrift, and honesty

Existence of poor people guarantees the higher status of the affluent

Because of lack of political power, the poor often absorb the costs of social change

Social MobilitySocial mobility: movement or individuals or groups

from one position in a society’s stratification system to another

Life chances: Opportunities people have to provide themselves with material goods, positive living conditions, and favorable life experiencesHousing, education, and health

Open system: implies the position of each individual is influenced by his achieved statusEncourages competition among members of a society

Closed system: allows little or no possibility of moving upSlavery, caste, and estate systems

Types of Social MobilityHorizontal mobility: movement within same

range of prestigeVertical mobility: movement from one

position to another of a different rankIntergenerational mobility: social position

changes of children relative to their parentsIntragenerational mobility: social position

changes within person’s adult lifeMobility is influenced by race, class, gender,

and education

The Global DivideDivides in global wealth emerged as result of

Industrial Revolution and rising agricultural productivitySharp divides between industrial and developing nations

Legacy of colonialismColonialism: foreign power maintains political, social,

economic, and cultural domination for an extended period

Neocolonialism: continued dependence on more industrialized nations for managerial and technical expertise by former colonies

Wallerstein’s World-Systems AnalysisUnequal economic and political

relationships in which certain industrialized nations and their global corporations dominate core of the world’s economic system

Dependency theory: even as developing countries make economic advances, they remain weak and subservient to core nations and corporations

Globalization: worldwide integration of government policies, cultures, social movements, and financial markets through trade and exchange of ideas

Multinational CorporationsMultinational corporations: commercial

organizations headquartered in one country but doing business throughout the worldRevenues of many multinational business are

equivalent to the total value of goods and services exchanged in entire nations

Functionalist view: multinational corporations help developing nations of the world

Conflict view: Multinational corporations exploit local workers to maximize profits

ModernizationModernization: process through which

developing nations move from traditional or less developed institutions to those characteristic of more developed society

Modernization theory: functionalist view that modernization and development will gradually improve lives of people in developing nations