Sociology 1101 Exam 2 Notes Prof Kristi Williams T Th 11 10 12 30 What is Social Stratification Stratification is a system by which a society ranks and categorizes people in a hierarchy such that structured inequalities exist between groups in access to material or symbolic rewards results Four Basic Principles of Social Stratification Rankings apply to social categories of people who share a common characteristic class status power race gender People s life experiences and opportunities depend heavily on how their social category is ranked Stratification is universal but variable a trait of society not simply a reflection of individual differences cultural beliefs motivate the rankings Ranks of social categories change slowly over time 3 Common Systems Caste Systems see text born into iit and stay in it for one s whole life Meritocracy social standing determined by merit effort Class systems Race and Gender Class System Economically based system of stratification Relative categorization and somewhat loose social boundaries class systems are fluid Social mobility possible Based on both ascribed birth and achieved statuses social mobility common Large scale and impersonal Socioeconomic Status SES Basic metric of stratification in modern US Income earnings from work or investments Wages salaries and investment money Wealth total value of money and assets minus debt Cash savings investments property Educational Attainment highest level of education Occupation prestige U S Class Structure Upper class wealthiest 1 approx 1 3 of nation s wealth Middle class white collar non manual jobs that pay significantly above poverty line working class blue collar manual labor and pink collar service labor that pay above poverty line Working Poor unskilled low pay jobs usually without benefits minimum wage jobs leave many in poverty Underclass poor 15 income based many live in inner cities Class Stratification and Inequality in the US Take a look at the three distributions of wealth Income Inequality in the US in past 45 years the lowest 20 of households in income never received more than 5 2 of overall US income Inequality and Social Mobility One of the biggest problems with rising levels of inequality is that it inhibits social mobility This conflicts with our strong cultural notions of the US as the land of equal opportunity Social mobility ability to change positions in a social stratification system Intergenerational social mobility within the course of one person s life Intergenerational social mobility from one generation to another Theories of Stratification Functionalist Davis Moore Conflict Marx Functionalist Explanation of Stratification 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 Any society can be egalitarian but only if people are wiling to let anyone perform highly skilled jobs and rewards are not based on quality Social position based entirely on innate talent and efforts CRITIQUES Rewards don t always reflect contribution to society Some people have more power to define what is valuable and structure rewards accordingly Marx Conflict Explanation of Inequality People in power capitalists who own the means of production are able to define what is valuable in society and structure rewards accordingly in ways that protect their interests Laws policies and ideologies Stratification is not functional but leads to conflict and social tension Evidence Definitions of Poverty Deprivation due to economic circumstances severe enough that one cannot live with dignity Absolute poverty life threatening lack of resources can t meet minimal requirements to purchase food uncommon in US Relative Poverty The deprivation of some people in relation to those who have more Lacks decent standard of housing and healthy living conditions Measuring Poverty Official Measure Poverty formula developed in the 1960s 3X the cost of a nutritionally adequate diet 23 850 a year for a family of four 49 are children young adults under 25 Criticisms of Official Poverty Measure Overestimates poverty doesn t include food stamps Medicaid public housing Underestimates poverty because housing is so expensive now people spend 30 of income on food should be based on housing costs or the multiplier should be reduced What Causes Poverty Poverty as Cultural Culture of Poverty Argues that poor people adopt lifestyles and beliefs which differ form those of middle class mainstream society in order to adapt and survive in difficult economic circumstances and these help keep them in poverty Dependency culture argument that providing welfare erodes people s desire to work But critics say Most poverty is situational most poor have same values as non poor Poverty as Biological Genetic Bell Curve Bell Curve Thesis Poverty is caused by low IQ genetic factors Therefore efforts to improve opportunities for poor children will be Critic social experiments show that changes in social environment can Critics even if IQ plays a role it likely interacts strongly with the unsuccessful improve outcomes for children environment to influence outcomes Poverty as Structural Poverty as the result of a lack of income producing employment for all sectors in a capitalist society Capitalism needs a reserve army of worker who can be fired in economic stagnation and rehired in prosperity Poverty as Situational at the individual level poverty is widespread but temporary occurs in response to major life crisis 2 3 of Americans between age 20 nd 65 will use a welfare program at some point and 90 of those who do use it only once only 3 of families are persistently poor over multiple years 0 The Myth of Race Race a socially constructed category of people who share physical characteristics that members of a society consider important not biologically identified Imposed hierarchical exclusive and unequal Ethnicity shared cultural practices and attitudes that set people apart Voluntary self defined nonhierarchical cultural and not so closely linked with power differences Minority Group Any group of people who because of their physical or cultural characteristics are singled our from the others in the society in which they live for differential and unequal treatment Subordinated discriminated against Not a statistical numerical term Differential Treatment Stereotypes oversimplified ideas about groups of people that