Chapter 7Chapter OutlineSlide 3Social StratificationLife ChancesSystems of StratificationSlaveryCharacteristics of Slavery in the U.S.Caste SystemThe Class SystemCapitalist SocietyResult of exploitationMarxian Criteria for Class StructureMarxist Analysis of societyMarx’s View of StratificationMax Weber: Wealth, Prestige, and PowerMax Weber and social classContemporary Marxian ( conflict theory)Socioeconomic Status (SES)Weberian Model of the Class StructureSlide 21Weber’s Multidimensional Approach to Social StratificationStratificationMiddle Class and the American DreamPink-collar OccupationsUnderclassWright’s Criteria for Placement in the Class StructureWright’s Four ClassesMedian Income by StateIncome and WealthDistribution of Pretax Income in the United StatesAverage After-Tax Family Income in the United StatesMedian Household Income by Race/Ethnicity in the United States% U.S. Population Without Health InsuranceDefining PovertyOfficial Poverty Line% Distribution of Poverty in the U.S.% Distribution of Poverty in the U.S.Feminization of PovertyJob DeskillingFunctionalist Perspective: Davis-Moore ThesisSlide 42MeritocracySociological Explanations of Social Inequality in the U.S.U.S. Stratification in the FutureChapter 7Social StratificationIn The United StatesChapter Outline•What Is Social Stratification?•Systems of Stratification•Classical Perspectives on Social Class•Contemporary Sociological Models of the U.S. Class Structure•Inequality in the United StatesChapter Outline•Poverty in the United States•Sociological Explanations of Social Inequality in the United States•U.S. Stratification in the FutureSocial Stratification•Hierarchy of social groups based on control over resources. •Sociologists examine social groups that make up the hierarchy in a society to determine how inequalities persist over time.Life Chances•Access to resources such as food, clothing, shelter, education, and health care.•Affluent people have better life chances because they have greater access to:–quality education–safe neighborhood–nutrition and health care–police protectionSystems of Stratification•Open system - boundaries between hierarchies may be influenced by people’s achieved statuses. •Closed system - boundaries between hierarchies are rigid, people’s positions are set by ascribed status. •No stratification system is completely open or closed.Slavery•Throughout recorded history 5 societies have been slave societies:–ancient Greece–Roman Empire–United States–Caribbean and Brazil.•There are an estimated 27 million people held as slaves worldwide.Characteristics of Slavery in the U.S.1. Slavery; is an extreme form of stratification in which people owned by others and slave treated as property 2. It was for life and was inherited.3. Slaves were considered property, not human beings.4. Slaves were denied rights.5. Coercion was used to keep slaves “in their place”.Caste System•Status is determined at birth based on parents’ ascribed characteristics. •Cultural values sustain caste systems and caste systems grow weaker as societies industrialize. •Vestiges of caste systems can remain for hundreds of years after they are “officially” abolished.The Class System•A type of stratification based on the ownership and control of resources and on the type of work people do. •Horizontal mobility occurs when people experience a gain or loss in position and/or income that does not produce a change in their place in the class structure. •Vertical mobility is movement up or down the class structure is.Capitalist SocietyMarx stated in capitalist there are two social classes.Bourgeoisie; owns means of production( land, capital and mines. Proletariat; are those who sell their labor to the owners in order to earn enough money to survive.Result of exploitationAlienation; a feeling of powerlessness and estrangement from other people and from oneself. In alienation workers do not affirm themselves, but they deny themselves. They do not feel content but unhappy.Marxian Criteria for Class Structure1. Ownership of the means of production.2. Employing others.3. Supervising others on the job.4. Being employed by someone else.Marxist Analysis of societyInfrastructure; the underlying foundation or basic framework ( economy and technology).Superstructure; which is composed of the government, schools, churches, and social institution.Marx’s View of StratificationMax Weber: Wealth,Prestige, and Power•Wealth is the value of a person’s or family’s economic assets, including income, personal property, and income-producing property.•Prestige is the regard with which a person or status position is regarded by others.•Power is the ability of people or groups to achieve their goals despite opposition from others.Max Weber and social classHe developed a multidimensional approach to social stratification that reflects the interplay among wealth, prestige, and power. Power; is the ability of people or group to achieve their goals despite opposition from others.Contemporary Marxian ( conflict theory)Examine class in terms of people’s relationship With others in the production process. Health characteristics of poor people in the United States Gap between poor and rich income last 50 years in global.Socioeconomic Status (SES)•A combined measure that, in order to determine class location, attempts to classify individuals, families, or households in terms of factors such as income, occupation, and education.Weberian Model of the Class Structure•Upper Class - comprised of people who own substantial income-producing assets.•Upper-Middle Class - based on university degrees, authority on the job, and high income. •Middle Class - a minimum of a high school diploma or a community college degree.Weberian Model of the Class Structure•Working Class - semiskilled workers, in routine, mechanized jobs, and workers in pink collar occupations.•Working Poor - live just above to just below the poverty line.•Underclass - people who are poor, seldom employed, and caught in long-term deprivation.Weber’s Multidimensional Approach to Social StratificationStratificationMiddle Class and the American Dream•Four factors have eroded the American Dream for this class: 1. Escalating housing prices2. Occupational insecurity3. Blocked mobility on the job4. Cost of living squeeze that has penalized younger workers, even when they have more education
View Full Document
Unlocking...