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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