Stratification Social stratification STRUCTERD SOCIAL INEQUALITY Soc 201 Exam 2 Example in a sports organization Owners control the resources of the teams players earn high salaries yet do not control the team resources sponsors provide the resources fans provide revenue Diverse sources of social stratification Race class and gender are overlapping systems of stratification Views of Inequality Jean Jacques Rousseau Private property creates social inequality social conflict Social equality no differences in wealth power prestige or status Two forms of inequality Ferguson and Millar Physical natural age health bodily strength Social political prejudices Inequality conflict is good some people are getting ahead and creating wealth Agreed with Rousseau Thomas Malthus Inequality is good controls population Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel Relationships based on master slave model Never died out still have today with employer employee relationships Slave is dependent on master master is dependent on slave Davis and Moore Functionalists stratification serves purpose in society Society must distribute members within social positions then motivate them to perform in those positions Motivate by Desire to fill position desire to perform the duties in that position Rewards Lures individuals into positions distributes differentially according to position 3 types Humor Diversion Self respect Ego expansion Sustenance Comfort Ultimately gives rise to inequality Positions become ranked according to functional importance and scarcity of personnel Jackson overview of stratification Standards of Equality Ontological equality everyone is created equal at birth Equality of opportunity start with same opportunities inequalities are fair Equality of condition everyone should have an equal starting point Equality of outcome everyone should end up with the same rewards regardless of starting point opportunities or contributions Forms of Stratification Estate system politically based limited social mobility Caste system religion based no social mobility Class system economically based system somewhat loose social mobility o Karl Marx society strictly divided into 2 classes the proletariat and the bourgeoisie o Erik Olin Wright people can occupy location in class structure that fall between 2 strict classes o Max Weber group people based on value of property and lack of property value of labor The status hierarchy system based on social prestige o Status is determined by what society thinks of the lifestyle of the community The elite mass dichotomy system that has a governing elite a few leaders who broadly hold the power of society America Stratified today Socioeconomic status SES a person s position in stratified social order Income inequality is rising Working poor deserve assistance Nonworking poor can work but don t have a weaker moral claim on assistance Globalization rise in trade across national borders main reason for rising income and wealth inequality Social Mobility Moving between different positions in society can be individual or group Horizontal same rung on the ladder Vertical moving up or down on the ladder Structural mobility mobility that is inevitable from economy changes ex expansion of high tech jobs Exchange mobility people essentially trading positions the number of overall jobs stays the same with some people moving up and others moving down Status attainment model rank people by SES specify characteristics of those who end up in more desirable occupations Race Race vs Ethnicity Race based on the physical traits Racial categories are randomly defined Racial categories exist in systems where social groups are arranged in a hierarchical fashion Race only has meaning situations where there is more than one racial group A group of people who perceive themselves and are perceived by others as possessing distinctive hereditary traits Ethnicity develops from social experiences Ethnic categories are geographically and historically defined Ethnic groups can co exist without social groups in hierarchies Ethnicity has meaning independent of the existence of other social groups A group of people who perceive themselves and are perceived by others as sharing cultural traits such as language religion family customs and food preferences Race Two Perspectives Essentialist Biological perspective race is fixed biological categories Sociological perspective race is a social concept physical or cultural characteristics take on social meanings become the basis for racism and discrimination What is Race Omi Winant Racial Formation Theory Element of social structure human representation Racial Projects Processes thru which that link occurs 10 16 Criminal Justice System without a criminal record White Privilege McIntosh Murder rates African American males are the highest White men with a criminal record were more likely to be called back for a job interview than black men Not having to think about race Racism puts some people at an advantage Whites witness invisible white privilege blank checks in the knapsack that allow people to be called back for a job over blacks so powerful that whites do not even think about it whiteness gives privilege over people of color Reduce racism need to recognize the privilege it gives you Symbolic Ethnicity Voluntary ethnicity Gain a sense of community yet have individuality Common in Whites in the US White Privilege and a Color Blind Society Mental Steps misleading conclusion Whites claim various ethnicities while maintaining status as White Ethnicity seen as a non issue Ethnicity mixed with race Race and ethnicity are seen as the same thing each seen as a non issue Conclusion Because race is perceived as a non issue in all White settings it is assumed that race is a non issue in interracial settings o The majority culture benefits the most whites believe segregation and discrimination are no longer an issue discrimination is illegal o Race does not matter as long as non dominant groups conform to the general values and expectations of the dominant group People are expected to adopt American names become Christian speak English as Racial Conceptions at a Young Age their primary language 58 preschool children all day everyday for a year 1 3 episodes involving race Study assumed children would not understand race or usage of concepts would be superficial na ve Children would use race to exclude include define oneself define others gain power control Conceptualism of race