SOC 2213 1st EditionExam # 3 Study Guide Lectures: 17-25Lecture 17&18 Cover Chapter 8: Social Stratification (February 23&25)I. What Is Social Stratification?Social stratification refers to a system by which a society ranks categories of people in a hierarchy. There are four basic principles of stratification:A. Social Stratification is a trait of society, not a reflection of individual differencesB .Social Stratification carries over from generation to generation.C. Social Stratification is universal but variableD. Social Stratification involves not just inequality but beliefs as well. II. Caste and Class SystemsA. A caste system is social stratification based on ascription or birth.A pure caste system is closes because birth alone determines a person’s entire futurewith little or no social mobility.B. In a class system, social stratification is based on both birth and individual achievement. Class systems are more open than caste systems. People who gain schooling and skills may experience social mobility. Class distinction becomes blurred and blood relatives may have different social standings.1. Meritocracy- in a class system, where you get and what you get, by your own merit, talents, skills, knowledge, ability, efforts.2. Status Consistency- the degree of uniformity in a person’s social standing across various dimensions of social inequality.3. Class Consciousness- belief that there is a shared structure among the classes. ( usually among classes, there is a set of beliefs and are conscious of their own class)4. False Consciousness- the belief that some people in society are unable to see things such as exploitation, oppression, or social relations as they really are. C. Classless Society- the Soviet Union (USSR), everything was fair for everybody and anybody. Actually it was not fair. Check point Charlie East Berlin (shopping area for Americans to go through because they wanted our money). Obvious to sociologist that there was no such thing as a classless society. Different items offered to different people.Structural Social Mobility- a shift in the social position of large numbers of people due more to changes in society itself than to individual efforts.Ideology- Cultural beliefs that justify particular social arrangements including patterns of inequality.III. Explaining Stratification By the Theories: A. Structural-Functional TheoryThe Davis-Moore thesis is the assertion that social stratification has beneficial consequences for the operations of a societyB. Social-Conflict Theory- Marx’s view of inequality. The means of production. Class conflict. Max Weber agrees with Marx but thinks there is more to it. Three things we need to add 1. Class 2. Party 3. Power. Weber says that if we look at these three different things, we are going to see that they make a difference in the person. We have stratification built in. Capitalists- people who own and operate factories and other businesses in pursuit of profit.Proletarians- people who sell their labor for wages.Alienation- the experience of isolation and misery resulting from powerlessness.C. Symbolic-Interaction Theory- micro-level. Stratification is a factor that guides people’s interactions in everyday life. The products we consume all say something about social position. Unequal rewards maybe unfair. People may or may not define inequality as fair. People may view their social position as a measure of self-worth, justifying inequality in terms of personal differences. VI. Stratification and Technology: A Global PerspectiveConspicuous Consumption- buying and using products because of the “statement” they make about social positionHunting and Gathering societies produce only what is necessary for day to day living. A small elite controls most of the surplus in horticultural and pastoral societies. Industrialization pushes inequality downward. Specialized work demands schooling for all, reducing illiteracy. Over time, wealth becomes somewhat less concentrated.VII. Inequality in the United StatesA. Highly Stratified US- there are no class differeces in the U.S. We have never known a caste system that rigidly ranks categories of people. The rich have more privileges. B. Income- earnings from work or investmentsC. Wealth- highly concentrated; the total value of money and other assets, minus outstanding debts. D. Power- wealth is an important source of power. Such concentrated wealth weakens democracy because the political system primarily serves the interests of the super-rich. E. Occupational prestige- we commonly evaluate each other according to the kind of work we do, giving greater respect to those who do what we consider to be more important work and less to others with more modest jobs. High prestige occupationsgo to privilege categories of people.F. Schooling- industrial societies have expanded opportunities for schooling, but some people still receive much more than others. Schooling affects both occupation and income because most of the better paying white collar jobs require a college degree or other advanced study. Most blue- collar jobs, which bring lower income and socialprestige, require less schooling. G. Ancestry, Race and Gender- nothing affects social standing as much as birth into a particular family, which has a strong bearing on future schooling, occupation, and income. White people have a higher overall occupational standing and also receive more schooling. Some of the racial differences in income results from the larger proportion of single- parent families, comparing only families that include a married couple. Over time, this income difference builds into a huge wealth gap. Social ranking involves ethnicity as well. On average, women have less income, wealth, and occupational prestige. VIII. Social Classes in the United States- The Upper Classo Upper Upperso Lower Uppers- The Middle Classo Upper Middleso Average Middles- The Working Class- The Lower ClassIX. The Difference Class MakesA. Health- Closely related in social standing. People born into poor families are twice as likely to die. People in average incomes are twice as likely to describe thei health as excellent. Richer people live five years longer.B. Values and Attitudes- Vary from class to class. People with greater education and financial security are more tolerant of controversial behavior. People with higher social standing experience more confidence in everyday interaction simply because others tend to view them as
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