Notes 4 25 Social Stratification A system by which a society ranks categories of people in hierarchy o Like a ladder Social stratification is synonymous with inequality Stratification and Life Chances Stratification affects life chances o The opportunities one has in life Will you go to college Where will you work How will you get that job How much money will you make Characteristics of Stratification Social position is determined by society o People do not choose their social position and it usually isn t based on anything they have done o Might consider it to be an ascribed status Gender race disability level are all ascribed statuses you don t really have a choice o Achieved status is something you personally gain All societies have stratification Stratification differs across societies o Sometimes by class o Sometimes by race Social mobility o The ability to move up or down the social hierarchy Differs by the type of social hierarchy There is some social mobility but not a lot Mobility There are different types of mobility o Vertical mobility Mobility up or down the social ladder o Horizontal mobility Mobility within the same social class o Intergenerational mobility Upward or downward social mobility of children in relation to their parents o Intragenerational mobility A change in social position occurring during a person s lifetime o Both vertical and horizontal mobility can be intergenerational or intragenerational A society s ideology supports the system of stratification o If a group is disadvantaged there is probably a reason for that Examples from US history Stratification in the US Popular belief stratification is meritocratic o Meritocratic based on talents and efforts Reality is that social position is largely determined by ancestry family connections race and gender Theories of Stratification Functionalist Theory Conflict theory distributed Symbolic interaction o Looks at the functions stratification and inequality might serve o Looks at power relationships and how power and resources are o Not particularly useful in the study if stratification Davis Moore Hypothesis A functionalist perspective on stratification Argue that stratification is universal The importance of the job and skills required to perform the work will Stratification serves necessary functions determine how the job is rewarded This necessarily leads to stratification If a job is important but anyone can do it it wont be rewarded as highly as a job that is important but requires a special skill set o But it will be rewarded more than a job that anyone can do but that is not The higher rewards encourage people to complete the necessary training even if important it is unpleasant Problematic o Some jobs are not rewarded according to this scheme o Unclear who decides which jobs are important o Stratification affects who is in the position to develop further skills Even if a poor individual would be a good doctor they are unlikely to have the chance Limited life chances The Positive Functions of Poverty An article written by Herbert Gans in 1972 Published in AJS Argues that poverty is necessary because it serves several positive functions Conflict Theories of Strat Main Conflict theory comes from Marx o Classes are based on exploitation o A gap develops between those who work and those who hire with those who hire making a lot of money and those who work living in poverty Other theories focus on who has the power and how it leads to stratification o Those with power will do everything they can to keep their power Notes 4 30 Social Classes We usually talk about stratification in terms of social classes o Definition of social class differs by theorist Marx haves vs have nots Or bourgeoisie vs proletariat Weber multidimensional Includes power prestige and possessions income o We generally refer to 4 social classes with variations Upper class middle class working class poor Defining class We usually look at classes and class inequality in terms of income and wealth o Income o Wealth debts Earnings from work or investments The total value of money and other assets minus outstanding Wealth is a better measure because it is cumulative o Retirees who have low income generally aren t considered to be poor if they have a lot of material possessions o Huge wealth gaps exist Can also look at power occupational prestige and schooling o Power The ability to make others do what you want them to do even if they don t want to do it o Occupational Prestige Status How prestigious is your occupation How much education have you received o Schooling Considering Inequality Sometimes wealth status prestige income and education do not line up o This is called status inconsistency This makes classing people difficult at times Social Class in the US Variations exist within classes Social classes differ in very subtle ways Social class differ in very unsubtle ways o Nouveau riche vs old money o WASPiness cant be taught Variations exist within races even though we do not always acknowledge it What is Poverty Two types of Poverty Do not have enough money resources to meet the minimum o Absolute poverty requirements for existence o Relative poverty Poverty defined according to the living standard sof the majority in a given society Poverty in the US We define poverty in the US based on the poverty line o Poverty line The official government measure of poverty Based on the USDA s minimum food budget Assumes that food budget makes up a third of a family expenses This was true in 1963 when the plan was developed but Who I spoor isn t now o Children o Women o The feminization of poverty Increase of women in poverty o Rural folk o Urban folk o Suburban folk o White folk o Minority folk Global Poverty Compared to poorer parts o the world poverty in the US is easy When dealing with global poverty we re usually talking about absolute poverty o According to UNICEF 600 000 000 children live on less than 1 Every 3 6 seconds one person dies of starvation usually a child under 5 years old The Economy in the US Economy o The social institution that determines what will be produced how production will be accomplished and who will receive what is produced In the US we kind of have a capitalist system o Capitalism An economic system in which the means of production are privately owned and market forces determine production and distribution The Economy and Class What does the economy have to do with class o Marx s definitions of class are based on