Soc 120 Chapts 6 and 10 Social Class and Socioeconomic Stratification

7/18/2019 Soc 120 Chapts 6 and 10 Social Class and Socioeconomic Stratification

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Chapter 6



RECOGNIZED SOCI L POSITION TH T N INDIVIDU L

RECOGNIZED SOCI L POSITION TH T N INDIVIDU L

OCCUPIESCCUPIES

•

ST TUS SET

T TUS SET

–

LL THE ST TUSES

LL THE ST TUSES

HELD T ONE TIME

ELD T ONE TIME

•

D NCE P RTNER

NCE P RTNER

•

BOSS

OSS

•

FRIEND

RIEND

•

H RLEY CLUB

RLEY CLUB

MEMBER

EMBER

•

SPORTS

PORTS

P RTICIP NT RTICIP NT

•

BUSINESSM N



•TYPE OF STATUS

– ASCRIBED: INVOLUNTARY POSITIONS

– ACHIEVED: VOLUNTARY POSITIONS

•OFTEN THE TWO TYPES WORK

TOGETHER, WHAT WE ARE ASCRIBED

OFTEN HELPS US ACHIEVE OTHER

STATUSES



Ascribed and Achieved• Ascribed

• Race

• Sex

• Age

• Ethnicity

• Physical

Characteristics• Caste

• Achieved

• Occupation

• Education

• Social class



Status Set



Master Status

• A status that has special importance

for social identity, often shaping a

person’s entire life.

• Profession, job, family name, title,

disability, applied stigma (felon)



...

..

THE BEH VIOR EXPECTED OF SOMEONE WHO FILLS P RTICUL R

HE BEH VIOR EXPECTED OF SOMEONE WHO FILLS P RTICUL R

ST TUS

T TUS

•

ROLE SET

OLE SET

–

NUMBER OF

NUMBER OF

ROLES

OLES

TT CHED TO

TT CHED TO

SINGLE ST TUS

INGLE ST TUS

•

DISCIPLIN RI N

ISCIPLIN RI N

•

SPORTS

PORTS

UTHORITY

UTHORITY

•

DIETITI NIETITI N

•

BUSINESSWOM

USINESSWOM

N

•

C REGIVER

REGIVER

•

DR. MOM

R. MOM

• KITCHEN QUEENITCHEN QUEEN

•

PRETTY MOM

RETTY MOM



ROLES DEM ND

OLES DEM ND

PERSON’S TIME ND

ERSON’S TIME ND

ENERGY

NERGY

ROLE CONFLICT

OLE CONFLICT

–

INVOLVES TWO OR MORE

NVOLVES TWO OR MORE

ST TUSES

T TUSES

•

EX MPLE

X MPLE

: CONFLICT BETWEEN ROLE

CONFLICT BETWEEN ROLE

EXPECT TIONS OF POLICE OFFICER

XPECT TIONS OF POLICE OFFICER

WHO C TCHES HER OWN SON USING

HO C TCHES HER OWN SON USING

DRUGS T HOME – MOTHER ND COP

RUGS T HOME – MOTHER ND COP

•ROLE STR INOLE STR IN

–

INVOLVES

NVOLVES

SINGLE ST TUS

SINGLE ST TUS

•

EX MPLE

X MPLE

: M N GER WHO TRIES TO

M N GER WHO TRIES TO

B L NCE CONCERN FOR WORKERS

L NCE CONCERN FOR WORKERS

WITH T SK REQUIREMENTS – OFFICEITH T SK REQUIREMENTS – OFFICE



Social Construction of Reality

• People shape reality through socialinteraction

• Tomas Theorem !situations that are

defined as real are real in theirconse"uences#

• $thnomethodology the study of the

%ay people ma&e sense of their %orld• People build reality from the

surrounding culture. 'hy



Dramaturgical Analysishe !Presentation of Self"

• Presentation of self impression

management

• Performances

• on*erbal communications

• +ender and performances

• idealiation



he social construction of feelings

• -iological components

• ultural components personal space

• /anguage and *alue• 0umor contrasting the con*entional to

the uncon*entional

• 1unctions of humor release of potentially disrupti*e sentiments

relie*e tension in uncomfortable situations

humor and po%er2 !putdo%n jo&es#



Chapter #$Social Class and Socioeconomic

Stratification

Caste and ClassSocioeconomic status and Class in the %&S&

Socioeconomic 'obility

Sociological analysis of stratification and Class

(unctionalist

Conflict

)ntegration * Distributive Systems heory

Symbolic )nteractionist



he +reat Social ransformation andSocial Class

• Traditional hunting and gathering societies had littlestratification

• 0orticultural and agrarian societies have highlydeveloped systems in ,hich a small elite dominates themasses of peasant laborers& Although there isstratification- there is virtually no socioeconomicmobility&

• .ith industrialiation- the rigidity of class lessens- andthere is social mobility- especially ,ithin the largemiddle class- and from the lo,er into the middleclasses&





SOCIAL STRATIFICATION

• IT IS A TRAIT OF SOCIETY

– DOES NOT REFLECT INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES,

BUT SOCIETYS STRUCTURE

• IT PERSISTS OVER GENERATIONS – SOCIAL !OBILITY HAPPENS SLOWLY

• IT IS UNIVERSAL

– WHILE UNIVERSAL, IT VARIES IN TYPE

• IT INVOLVES INE"UALITY IN BELIEF SYSTE!

– IDEOLOGIES #USTIFY E$ISTENCE OF

STRATIFICATION

A SYSTE! BY WHICH A SOCIETY RANKS CATEGORIES

OF PEOPLE IN A SOCIAL HIERARCHY%



.hat is Social Class/

• Social class 0 a large group of people ,ho ran1closely to one another in ,ealth- po,er- andprestige&

• hese elements separate people into differentlifestyles&

• Social class provides people ,ith differentchances- and different ,ays of vie,ing the,orld&



Components of Social Class

• 'ealth 0 consists ofproperty and income&

• .ealth and income arenot the same&

• Some have ,ealth butlittle income&

• Americans as a ,holeare ,orth about 234trillion&

• he top 3$5 of thepopulation receivesalmost half of all income

in the %&S&• he bottom 3$5

receives only 6&35 ofthe nation7s income&

* he richest 3$5 havegro,n richer- and thebottom 3$5 havegro,n poorer&



Components of Social Class

• Po%er 0 the ability tocarry out your ,ill despiteresistance&

•The po%er elite 0 those,ho ma1e the bigdecisions in %&S& society&

• Po,er lies in the hands ofthe fe,&

• Prestige 0 respect orregard

• Class ran1ing is

persistent acrosscultures and time&

• People displayprestige through

status symbols&



Status

• Status 0 our social ran1ing&

• Ordinarily- a person has a similar ran1 in all

three dimensions of social class8 ,ealth- po,er-and prestige 9 status consistency.

• Status inconsistency 0 ,hen a person has amixture of high and lo, ran1s& * )ndividuals ,ith status inconsistency are li1ely to

confront one frustrating situation after another&

* Snoop Dogg: ;erry Seinfeld: +angsters: ///





Caste and Class

• A Caste system consists of a fixed arrangement ofstrata from the most to the least privileged- ,ith aperson7s position determined unalterably at birth&

'obility bet,een castes is rare&• raditional caste systems still exist- as in )ndia-

ho,ever social forces are at ,or1 to ,ea1en therigidity of this system

• A caste system may be based upon many ethnic andcultural factors: ethnicity- nationality- religion- s1incolor- heredity- and in many ,ays- gender&



SOCIAL STRATIFICATION BASEDSOCIAL STRATIFICATION BASED

ONON ASCRIPTION ASCRIPTION

• BIRTH DETER!INES SOCIAL

POSITION IN FOUR DISTINCT WAYS

– OCCUPATIONS

– ENDOGA!Y IS PRACTICED

– SOCIAL LIFE IS RESTRICTED

– BELIEF SYSTE!S ARE OFTEN TIED TORELIGIOUS DOG!A

• LACK OF !OBILITY &I a' Da()t*



Caste and Class

• )n a Class system social standing is determined byfactors over ,hich people can exert some control-and mobility does ta1e place& ypically classes are

divided in to the upper class- middle class- and lo,erclass&

• 'arx felt that a person7s position in the economicsystem dictated class& .eber added party <political

po,er= and status <social prestige= as factors&



This portion of the site was created to aid in the dismantling of theoppressive political and social category to which Black people are

subject. This caste system, to which power and privilege are organized,is an outgrowth of colonialism and slavery. The system known as

'racism' in America, was created to justify the oppression and

eploitation of American citizens of African descent.





Caste and Class

• Currently social scientists use several socialdimensions related to those identified by 'arx and.eber8

• Education * education can provide esteem- apath,ay to ,ealth- and a prestigious occupation&>istorically these benefits have not been sharede?ually- demonstrating the operation of po,erexercised for the benefit of those ,ho ,ield it

• Occupational Prestige 0 some occupations arevalued by a society more than others

• .ealth * assets and income



Conse?uences of Social Class

• )n family life- the capitalists place emphasis on familytradition&

* Divorce is most common among the lo,er socialclasses&

• Education increases as one moves up the socialclass ladder&

• )n religion- certain classes tend to cluster in different

denominations&• )n politics- the rich tend to vote Republican ,hile the

poor tend to vote Democratic&• .>@/







Caste and Class

• Class in America

• Upper class * the elite ,ith great ,ealth ,ho o,n the!means of production"- or ,ho other,ise dominate theeconomic system

• Lower upper class * recently ascended to the upperclass- but do not have the established pedigree:nouveau riche

• Middle class * professionals ,ith high paying obs inrespected occupations <upper-middle class), and thes1illed ,ho ,or1 in moderately compensatedoccupations- and ,ho o,n fe, assets <lower-middle

class).

THE A!ERICAN CLASS



THE A!ERICAN CLASS

SYSTE! OF STRATIFICATION BASED ON

INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT , NOT ASCRIPTION



Caste and Class

• Class in America

• Lower class * ,or1ing class <,hat does this mean today/=

,ho do not earn enough to accumulate ,ealth- but ,ho

may be able to purchase a home and vehicle etcB helower-lower class is made up of those ,ho are noteducated <college and sometimes high school= and livein the less desirable parts of the community because oflo, costs of rent& hey typically do not o,n a home&

he lo,est of the poor live at subsistence level orbelo,- are chronically unemployed- and are sometimeshomeless&



Caste and Class

• lass, 3ace, and +ender interact in order to producea person7s place in society- and their self identity& Raceand gender represent ascribed status and carry ,ith

them cultural stereotypes and values ,hich individualsand groups must confront and challenge: !intersection

theory" page 63& hough an ascribed status is difficultto change- the social meanings of a status can be

modified or changed through social action& )ncapitalistic democracies class status is some,hat fluidand subect to modification by the individual&




• Social 'obility 0 'ovement of individuals or groups,ithin a stratification structure

• 4ntragenerational mobility * movement ,ithin acareer of an individual

• )nter0generational mobility * mobility of groups fromone generation to another

• 0oriontal mobility * a change from oneoccupation to another at the same general statuslevel

• ertical mobility * up,ard or do,n,ard movement ofoccupational or social class




• Determinants of mobility * Steepness of the socioeconomic pyramid * only very fe,

positions at the top: ho, many people can be President/

* Starting position on the socioeconomic ladder * somepersons start closer to the top than others: it is easier tobecome President if you are already elected to higher office

* Structural mobility * the movement of entire categories ofpeople due to changes in society itself: correctional officershave moved up the occupational status ladder from securityguards to professionals in terms of both income and prestige&.hy/



THE DAVIS+!OORE PERSPECTIVE

• THESIS – STRATIFICATION HAS BENEFICIAL CONSE"UENCES ITS

FUNCTIONAL- FOR THE OPERATION OF THE U%S%%

• KEY POINTS

– !E!BERS OF SOCIETY HAVE NEEDS

– SO!E STATUSES IN SOCIETY ARE !ORE I!PORTANT

THAN OTHERS WHEN IT CO!ES TO SEEING TO NEEDS

– TO ATTRACT THE BEST "UALIFIED AND TO GIVE OF

THEIR TI!E, EFFORT, AND ENERGIES, REWARDS !UST BE

SUFFICIENT IN NATURE INCO!E, PRESTIGE, POWER- – KEY CONCEPT

– !ERITOCRACY AND GETTING WHAT YOU &DESERVE*

– DOES EVERYONE IN A!ERICA GET WHAT THEY DESERVE.

ANOTHER PERSPECTIVE



ANOTHER PERSPECTIVE

• ONES PLIGHT IN LIFE IS TIED TO

A PERSONS RELATIONSHIP TO

THE !EANS OF PRODUCTION

– A PERSON EITHER CONTROLS

!ONEY AND E"UIP!ENT, OR WORKSFOR THOSE WHO DO

• THROUGH INHERITENCE LAWS,

SOCIAL CLASSES THEN

REPRODUCE THE!SELVES OVER

GENERATIONS

• EVENTUALLY, YEARS OF CLASS

OPPRESSION WOULD LEAD TO

CAPITALIS!S DE!ISE

– SOCIALIS! REPLACES CAPTIALIS!

KARL !AR$ BELIEVED THAT CAPITALIST SYSTE!S OF

STRATIFICATION WOULD ALWAYS BENEFIT A FEW AT THE E$PENSE OF THE !ANY



)deological Support for )ne?uality

• here exists in the beliefs of people explanations,hich ustify or legitimie a particular societalstructure& There %ill al%ays be, in the minds of

those %ho are pri*ileged in a society, the desireto justify their good fortune as being a result of

personal "ualities such as hard %or&&5 he socialscientist- ho,ever- loo1s for structural reasons for the

patterns of the distribution of ,ealth- for admission toand graduation from the best universities- and thesecuring of the best obs&

5 !selfser*ing bias"





)deological Support for )ne?uality

• 'arx argued that the class<es= in po,er impose theirideology on the entire society- and that falseconsciousness occurs ,hen people ,ithout po,er

accept an ideology that is contrary to the interests ofthat people as a class&

• 'arx further suggested that this false consciousness,ill exist until the exploited class develops a sense ofclass consciousness- at ,hich time the people ,ill

unite in the pursuit of their collective interests andchallenge the po,er classes&

• he history of racial minoritiesFFFFFFFF



Sociological Analysis of Stratification



Sociological Analysis of Stratificationand Class

• (unctionalist Perspective * he lo,er class provides a pool of inexpensive laborers that help

1eep prices do,n

* he poor buffer the lo,er0middle class from economic changes

* People have different s1ills and 1no,ledge and ,ill al,ays see1different opportunities

• Conflict Perspective * Stratification and class are the results of the ine?uality in the

distribution of the ,ealth- ,hich is sustained by the exertion ofpo,er

• Symbolic )nteractionist Perspective * People are socialied to accept ine?uality

* People in the subordinate classes often adopt the value systems ofthose in po,er and see themselves as un,orthy: 'arx/



3elati*e *ersus Absolute Po*erty

• 3elati*e Po*erty8

An uneven distribution of ,ealth ,here some people lac1

resources that are ta1en for granted by others

• Absolute Po*erty8

A situation in ,hich the lac1 of resources is life0

threatening



3elati*e *ersus Absolute Po*erty

• Po*erty and 'omen8

)n poor countries men o,n G$5 of theland&

H$5 of the ,orld7s # billion people livingnear absolute poverty are ,omen



Slavery

• hattel sla*ery6 one o,ns another

• hild sla*ery children used to beg-

steal- or ,or1• 7ebt bondage ,or1ers are not paidenough to pay for their expenses

• Ser*ile forms of marriage ,omen aresold off into marriage or prostitution



+lobal Po,er Relationships

• olonialism * the process by ,hichsome nations enrich themselves through

political and economic control of othernations

• eocolonialism * a ne, form of po,errelationship that involves economicexploitation by multinationalcorporations



+lobal Stratification

• Moderniation Theory * explains globaline?uality in terms of technological and

cultural differences bet,een nationsstages of moderniation p& #I

• 7ependency Theory * explains globaline?uality in terms of the historical

exploitation of poor nations by po,erfulones

see matrix on page 3J

. ll t i 7 C it li t . ld



.allerstein7s Capitalist .orldEconomy

• 3ich nations 9 core

• /o%income 9 periphery

• Middleincome 9 semi0peripheryresources are funneled into rich nations throughcolonialism- ,hich uses cheap labor to mine orharvest ra, materials: both the lo, and middle0income countries become mar1ets for products&

8 1actors include 9. narro, export mar1ets: :. lac1 of industrialiation capacity: and- 8. foreign debt

Documents

Soc 120 Chapts 6 and 10 Social Class and Socioeconomic Stratification