SOA 1061st Edition Lecture 21Outline of Last LectureI. Movie Notes: “In Sickness and in Wealth”Outline of Current LectureII. Reactions to “In Sickness and in WealthIII. Social StratificationA. Social ClassIV. Class Inequality and Life ChancesCurrent LectureReactions to “ In Sickness and In Wealth”● Poor people have chronic stress and that is linked to negative health outcomes● Rich people have more control over their own lives● Rich people can afford better food, better for your health● Movie helps show what policies we should change● Reinforce the traffic jam metaphor○ we interact with people from different classes and at some point it will effect us● There is a social connection to your individual healthSocial Stratification● Structured social inequality-- systematic inequalities between groups of people that arise as a consequence of social processes and relationships● How do we decide….○ who gets the corner office and who will clean it?○ Who owns the BMW and who takes the bus?● Systems of Stratification○ slavery-- economic form of inequality in which some people are the property of others○ Caste-- hierarchical stratification based on ascription (elite, warrior, merchant,servant)○ Class -- stratification based on wealth, income, education, and occupation (S.E.S)■ US stratification■ socioeconomic status (S.E.S)● Social Class● Social class -- group of people who share similar social and economic position in society○ like the Harvard example, because of class and social location we assume we will not make it in and do not bother applying● Socioeconomic status (S.E.S)-- income, wealth, occupational prestige, educational attainment○ lawyer-- higher middle class○ minister-- lower middle class○ teacher-- lower middle class○ college professor-- upper middle class○ occupational prestige goes into this as well, not just based on income○ if you live in a trailer, work multiple minimum wage job but you win the lottery, you do not shoot up to the top of social class, you move to the upper middle maybe● Also levels of social capitalClass Inequality and Life Chances● Working class and poor people are:○ less likely to go to college○ more likely to get arrested, convicted and go to prison and receive the death penalty than upper class people○ more likely to die prematurely from accidents and other things● Income-- wages and salaries earned from paid occupations, investment income and government transfers (Social security)● Top 1% of households receive approximately 20% of all income generated in the US● Bottom 40% receive 12% of income● US is most unequal than most industrialized countries● Median household income was roughly $51,000○ undermines our idea that we are a middle class society● Top 25% has income greater than $85,000● Quintile-- 1/5th● Rising productivity does not increase income-- but it
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