Social Stratification, Social Class, and Ethnicity

Social Stratification

A system by which a society ranks categories of people in a hierarchy based on their access to scarce resources.

Four Basic Principles of Social Stratification:

• It is a characteristic of society, not simply a reflection of individual differences.

• It persists over generations.

• It is universal but variable.

• It involves not just inequality but beliefs.

Cultural beliefs serve to justify social stratification.

Types of Stratification Systems

• Caste System- social stratification based on ascribed status.

• India and South Africa

• Class System- social stratification based on achieved status.

Interpretations of Stratification

• Functionalist

–Meritocracy • Value attached to achievement

• Social Conflict (Marx)

• Max Weber

–Wealth, Prestige, Power

– Socioeconomic status- An individual’s comparative status in a society based on factors (education, income and occupation).

People in the US are stratified based on the following:

Income

Prestige

Wealth

Education

Power

Wealth

• Total value of money and other assets, minus outstanding debts.

• Distribution of Wealth in the US

• Top 5th 80%

•Next 5th 15%

• Third 5th 5%

• Fourth 5th less than 1%

•Bottom 5th less than 1%

Financial Inequality

Religions of the US

Ancestry

Education Level

EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT

Population 25 years and over 182,211,639 100.0

Less than 9th grade 13,755,477 7.5

9th to 12th grade, no diploma 21,960,148 12.1

High school graduate (includes equivalency)

52,168,981 28.6

Some college, no degree 38,351,595 21.0

Associate degree 11,512,833 6.3 Bachelor's degree 28,317,792 15.5 Graduate or professional degree

16,144,813 8.9

Percent high school graduate or higher

80.4 (X)

Percent bachelor's degree or higher

24.4 (X)

Marital Status

MARITAL STATUS

Population 15 years and over

221,148,671 100.0

Never married 59,913,370 27.1

Now married, except separated

120,231,273 54.4

Separated 4,769,220 2.2

Widowed 14,674,500 6.6

Female 11,975,325 5.4

Divorced 21,560,308 9.7

Female 12,305,294 5.6

Language Spoken at Home

LANGUAGE SPOKEN AT HOME

Population 5 years and over 262,375,152 100.0

English only 215,423,557 82.1

Language other than English 46,951,595 17.9

Speak English less than 'very well 21,320,407 8.1

Spanish 28,101,052 10.7

Speak English less than "very well" 13,751,256 5.2

Other Indo-European languages 10,017,989 3.8

Speak English less than "very well" 3,390,301 1.3

Asian and Pacific Island languages 6,960,065 2.7

Speak English less than "very well" 3,590,024 1.4

Education by country

Korea, South 97.9% 99.2% 96.6% age 15 and over can read and write (2002)

United States 99% 99% 99%

age 15 and over can read and write (2003 est.)

China 92.2% 96% 88.5%

age 15 and over can read and write (2007)

Brazil 88.6% 88.4% 88.8%

age 15 and over can read and write (2004 est.)

Pakistan 54.9% 68.6% 40.3%

age 15 and over can read and write (2009 est.)