Social Stratification and Social Class
Social Stratification and Social Class
Humans have the tendency to form rank
Social Stratification is the creation of layers of people who possess unequal shares of resources
Social Classes
Social classes are the layers of stratification where members hold similar amounts of scarce resources and share norms, values and lifestyle
Developed countries:
Upper, middle, and lower class
Developing countries:
Upper and lower classes
Examine p. 243 “Poverty and Death” Infant mortality rates
The Economic Dimension
Karl Marx-economic foundations of social class
Marx’s theorized that capitalism would lead to two classes
Proletariat-working class
Bourgeoisie-class that owns production
Income and Wealth in the U.S.
Over a span of 22 years, the top fifth saw an increase of income of 43% while the bottom fifth saw a 9% decrease
The top 1%(3 Million people) hold 39% of the wealth while the bottom 80% (245 million) hold only 16%
Power Dimension
Max Weber believed power and prestige, not just money stratified society
* Power can come from money, knowledge, fame, social positions, charisma
Ex. Einstein, elected officials hold more power, mass media executives, Hitler
EXAMINE- p. 244-245 Income & Wealth Graphs
Prestige Dimension
Prestige is recognition, respect, and admiration connected to social positions
Defined by the culture you are in
Ex. Cowboys, athletes
Voluntarily given, not claimed
Ex. Nobel prize, Pulitzer, doctorates, awards
Similar prestige, similar lifestyles
Most important social positions are most prestigious
Ex. Doctors, professors, bankers
RERANK the occupations on p. 247 to your top 10
READ p. 249. “You are what you Wear”
Identifies clothing with social class
Explanations of Stratification
Ch. 8, Sec. 2, pp. 250-253
Functionalist View
Most qualified people fill most important positions
Some jobs are more important than other and require special skills
Money and prestige are reward for sacrifice
Conflict Theory View
Some people are willing to exploit others (Marx-exploiter & exploited)
Those in power are able to spread a belief system that legitimizes their position (Schools, media)
Lower class accepts these ideas and values-False Consciousness
Symbolic Interactionism and Stratification
People are socialized to accept existing structure
Lower class-lower self esteem
System tells them they are inferior
Upper class-higher self esteem
System tells them they are superior
EXAMINE-p. 252 “Focus on Theoretical Perspectives”
READ-p. 253 “Field Research: Who’s Popular, Who’s Not?”
Social Classes In America
Ch. 8, Sec. 3, pp. 254-257
INTRODUCTION- Split students into classes and have them describe themselves or act them out.
U.S. Social Classes
Six typical social classes
Unlike in India, U.S. citizens have never really developed class consciousness-identifying with a particular social class
Classes change and are full of exceptions
EXAMINE-graphic on p. 254
Upper Class
Includes 1% of population
Upper-Upper
Old-money families (Ford)
Based on blood not hard work
Ex. Heirs, not always the richest but have tradition
Lower-Upper Class
More often wealth is from achievement or earned, not inherited
Often excluded by upper-upper
Ex. Often better off financially than upper-upper, but don’t have the tradition
The Middle Class
40-50% of population
Upper Middle Class
14% of population
Professionals and entrepreneurs
Most are college-educated
High goals for children
Active in community
The Middle Class
Middle-middle class
30% of population
Small-business, farms, lower class professionals (teachers, firefighters)
Many have some college education
The Working Class (Lower Middle Class)
33% of population
Roofers, truck divers, sales people
Often lack same benefits of middle class (insurance, retirement)
Employment is unstable
Most have no college education
The Working Poor
13% of population
Working poor-consists of people employed in low skill jobs w/ low pay
Manual labor, service jobs
Lack steady employment and don’t earn enough to be above the poverty line ($17,050)
Many are HS students or HS dropouts
The Underclass
12% of Population
Underclass-people who are usually unemployed and come from families with histories of unemployment
Part-time menial jobs, state assistance
Lack of skills
Many paths in, few paths out
DISCUSS-Maslow’s Heirarchy of Needs
COMPLETE-G.O. 5
Poverty in America
Ch. 8, Sec. 4, pp. 259-263
Measuring Poverty
Absolute poverty-absence of enough money to secure life’s necessities
Relative poverty-comparing the bottom of society with the top
Ex. The poor in India, the poor in the U.S.
Identifying the Poor
70% of poor in America are white, only 6% of white population
African-Americans and Latinos make up 25% of to total population but 50% of poor
Feminization of Poverty- women and children make up larger portion of poor
50% of poor households headed by women
EXAMINE-Snapshot of America p. 261
Responses to Poverty
1964 War on Poverty
Help poor help themselves
JFK-self improvement not aid
Widespread abuse
DISCUSS-Welfare Myths p. 260
Welfare Reform
Hot debate issue
Restrictions to who is eligible and how long you can stay on Welfare
EXAMINE-Gov’t Spending p. 263
Social Mobility
Ch. 8, Sec. 5, pp. 265-268
DEMONSTRATION-use students to visualize mobility
Social Mobility
Social Mobility-movement between social classes
Horizontal-changing jobs in same social class
Vertical-job status or social class moves upward or downward
Intergenerational-social class change takes place over a generation, up or down
Caste System
Social status is inherited and mobility cannot occur
Statuses and jobs are assigned at birth
Can be based on race (Apartheid), job and religion (India)
How do these systems stay in place?
Open Class System
Social class is based on merit and individual effort
Movement is allowed and common
Not always the case in the U.S. because of built in disadvantages for minorities and lower classes
Up and Down Mobility
U.S. offers more opportunities than most countries to move up
Most still fail to move up
Boom of upward mobility after WWII
Today there is more downward mobility because people lack the college education necessary to gain high paying jobs
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