Roderick Graham

Social Stratification

Defined as: A system by which a society ranks and

categories of people in a hierarchy

Four Basic Principles

Social stratification is a trait of society, not simply a reflection of individual differences

Social stratification carries over from generation to generation Social Mobility

A change in position within the social hierarchy

Social stratification is universal but variable Social stratification involves not just inequality

but beliefs as well

Sociologists distinguish between Closed Systems – Caste Systems

Allow little change in social position

Open Systems – Class Systems Permit much more social mobility

The Caste System

Social stratification based on ascription, or birth Little or no social mobility

AN ILLUSTRATION: INDIA Four major casts or Varna

Sanskrit, Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya, Sudra Caste position determines life from birth Caste guides everyday life by keeping people in the

company of their “own kind”

The Class System

Social stratification based on both birth and individual achievement Schooling and skills lead to social mobility Work is no longer fixed at birth but involves some

personal choice

MERITOCRACY A concept that refers to social stratification based on

personal merit Includes knowledge, abilities, and effort Pure meritocracy has never existed

STRUCTURAL SOCIAL MOBILITY A shift in the social position of large numbers of

people due more to changes in society than to individual efforts

Ideology: the Power Behind Stratification

Ideology Cultural beliefs that justify particular social

arrangements, including patterns of inequality

Our cultural belief in a meritocracy allows us to ignore inequality between rich and poor

Meritocracy as Ideology

Meritocracy as Ideology

The Davis Moore Thesis - social stratification has beneficial consequences for the operation of society

The greater the functional importance of a position, the more rewards a society attaches to it

Positions a society considers crucial must offer enough rewards to draw talented people away from less important work

Micro-level analysis of social stratification People’s social standing affects their everyday

interaction People with different social standing keep their

distance from one another Conspicuous consumption

Buying and using products with an eye to the “statement” they make about social position

INCOME Earnings from work or investments

The richest 20% received 48.1% of all income Bottom 20% received only 4.0%

While a small number of people earn very high incomes, majority make do with far less

WEALTH The total value of money and other assets, minus

outstanding debts Wealth is distributed more unequally than income

POWER In the US, wealth is an important source of power Small proportion of families that control most of the

wealth also has the ability to shape the agenda of the entire society

Sociologists argue: Such concentrated wealth weakens democracy

The political system serves the interests of the rich

SCHOOLING Industrial societies have expanded opportunities

for schooling, but some receive much more than others

Affects occupation and income Most better-paying, white-collar jobs require a college

degree and other advanced study Blue-collar jobs

Require less schooling Bring lower income and less prestige

OCCUPATIONAL PRESTIGE Generates income and is an important source of

prestige High prestige given to occupations that require

extensive training and generate high income Less prestigious work pays less and requires less

ability and schooling In any society, high-prestige occupations go to

privileged categories Dominated by men Lowest prestige jobs commonly performed by people

of color

ANCESTRY, RACE, AND GENDER Nothing affects social standing as much as birth into a

particular family (Ancestry) Has strong bearing on future schooling, occupation, and

income (Race) is linked closely to social position in the U.S.

Social ranking also involves ethnicity Both men and women are found in families at every

social level (Gender) On average, women have less income, wealth, and

occupational prestige than men Single parent families headed by women are three times

more likely to be poor than those headed by men

Four general rankingsUpper classMiddle classWorking classLower class

The Upper Class Top 5% of the U.S. population General rule:

The more a family’s income comes from inherited wealth, the stronger the family’s claim to being upper-class

Richest 374 people in the U.S. “Capitalists”

The owners of the means of production and most of the nation’s wealth

Historically, composed of white Anglo-Saxon Protestants Less true today

UPPER-UPPERS Less than 1% of U.S. population Membership is by ascription (birth) Possess enormous wealth primarily inherited

“Old Money” Live in exclusive neighborhoods Children typically attend private schools with similar

others Complete formal education at prestigious universities and

colleges Volunteer at charitable organizations

Help community and build networks that broaden their power

LOWER-UPPERS Known as the “working rich” Get money by earning it rather than

inheritance 3 to 4% of U.S. population Live in expensive neighborhoods Vacation homes near water or in mountains Children attend private schools and good

colleges

Upper-Upper vs. Lower Upper

Upper-Upper Lower-Upper

The Middle Class

40 to 45% of U.S. population Tremendous influence on U.S. culture Commercial advertising directed at this group Contains far more ethnic and racial diversity

than upper-class

The Working Class

1/3rd of population sometimes called lower-middle class

Forms the core of the industrial proletariat Have little or no wealth

Vulnerable to financial problems Jobs provide little personal satisfaction Half own their own homes 1/3rd of children go to college

The Lower Class

Remaining 20% of U.S. population Low income makes their lives insecure and

difficult 37 million or 12.6% are classified as poor by

federal government Hold low prestige jobs ½ complete high school; 1 in 4 reaches college Society segregates lower class, especially if

minorities

HEALTH Children in poor families three times more likely to

die during first year of life On average, rich live seven years longer

VALUES AND ATTITUDES “Old Rich” have strong sense of family history Upper-uppers favor understated manners and

tastes Affluent people more tolerant of controversial

behavior Working-class grow up in an atmosphere of

supervision and discipline

POLITICS Higher Classes:

More liberal on social issues Likely to vote and join political organizations because

they are better served by the system

Lower Classes Economic liberals More conservative on social issues

FAMILY AND GENDER Higher social standing

Pass on a different “culture capital” to children Teach individuality and imagination

More egalitarian – sharing more activities and expressing greater intimacy

Friendships likely to share interests and leisure pursuits

Lower class families Families larger than middle class

Earlier marriage and less use of birth control Encourage children to conform to conventional norms and

respect authority Divide responsibilities according to gender roles Serve as sources of material assistance

Four general conclusions–Social Mobility1. Social mobility over the course of the past

century has been fairly high.2. The long-term trend in social mobility has

been upward.3. Within a single generation, social mobility is

usually small.4. Social mobility since the 1970s have been

uneven.

Mobility: Race, Ethnicity, and Gender Whites always in a more privileged position 1980s and 1990s

More African Americans became wealthy Overall income, however, has not changed in three

decades Latinos

Average income in 2005, 64% that of whites Women have less chances because of the type

of jobs they hold Earnings gap between men and women is narrowing

Mobility and Marriage Marriage has an important effect on social

standing Married people accumulate about twice as much

wealth compared to single and divorce

Compared to singles, married men and women work harder and save more

Divorce makes social standing go down Divorced couples support two households Men earn more than women Divorced women lose income and benefits

Relative Poverty The deprivation of some people in relation to

those who have more 12.6% or 37 million of U.S. population – are

classified as poor

Absolute Poverty A deprivation of resources that is life-threatening

Who Are The Poor?

AGE Burden of poverty falls most heavily on children 35% of the U.S. poor are children

RACE AND ETHNICITY 2/3rds of all poor are white 25% are African American

Three times likely as whites to be poor High rates of child poverty among people of color

34.5% African American children 28.3% Hispanic children 10.0% White children

Explaining Poverty

Two opposing explanations

One View: Blame the Poor The poor are primarily responsible for their own

poverty Culture of Poverty

A lower-class subculture that can destroy people’s ambition t improve their lives

Another View: Blame Society Society is primarily responsible for poverty

Primary cause is loss of jobs in inner cities Government should fund jobs and provide affordable

child care for low-income mothers and fathers