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social stratification

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The division of society into groups arranged in a social hierarchy

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social inequality

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The unequal distribution of wealth, power, or prestige among members of a society

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slavery

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The most extreme form of social stratification, based on the legal ownership of people

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caste system

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A form of social stratification in which status is determined by one's family history and background and cannot be changed

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apartheid

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The system of segregation of racial and ethnic groups that was legal in South Africa between 1948 and 1991

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social class

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A system of stratification based on access to such resources as wealth, property, power, and prestige

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socioeconomic status (SES)

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A measure of an individual's place within a social class system; often used interchangeably with \"class\"

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intersectionality

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A concept that identifies how different categories of inequality (race, class, gender, etc.) intersect to shape the lives of individuals and groups

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upper class

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An elite and largely self-sustaining group who posses most of the country's wealth; they constitute about 1 percent of the U.S. population

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upper-middle class

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Mostly highly-educated professionals and managers who have considerably financial stability; they constitute about 14 percent of the U.S. population

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middle class

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Composed primarily of \"white collar\" workers with a broad range of education and incomes; they constitute about 30 percent of the U.S. population

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white collar

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A description characterizing lower-level professional and management workers and some highly skilled laborers in technical jobs

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working class or lower-middle class

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Mostly \"blue collar\" or service industry workers who are less likely to have a college degree; they constitute about 30 percent of the U.S. population

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blue collar

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A description characterizing skilled and semi-skilled workers who perform manual labor or work in service or clerical jobs

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working poor

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Poorly educated manual and service workers who may work full-time but remain near or below the poverty line; they constitute about 20 percent of the U.S. population

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underclass

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The poorest group includes the homeless and chronically unemployed who may depend on public or private assistance; they constitute about 5 percent of the U.S. population

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status inconsistency

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A situation in which an individual has differing levels of status in terms of the individual's wealth, power, prestige, or other elements of socioeconomic status

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feudal system

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A system of social stratification based on a hereditary nobility who were responsible for and served by a lower stratum of forced laborers called serfs

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wealth

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a measure of net worth that includes income, property, and other assets

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prestige

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The social honor people are given because of their membership in well-regarded social groups

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social reproduction

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The tendency of social classes to remain relatively stable as class status is passed down from one generation to the next

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cultural capital

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The tastes, habits, expectations, skills, knowledge, and other cultural assets that help us gain advantages in society

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everyday class consciousness

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Awareness of one's own social status and that of others

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social mobility

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The movement of individuals or groups within the hierarchical system of social classes

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closed system

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A social system with very little opportunity to move from one class to another

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Open system

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A social system with ample opportunities to move from one class to another

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intergenerational mobility

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Movement between social classes that occurs from one generation to the next

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intragenerational mobility

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The movent between social classes that occurs during the course of an individual's lifetime

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horizontal social mobility

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The movement of individuals or groups within a particular social class, most often a result of changing occupations

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vertical social mobility

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The movement between different class statuses, often called either upward mobility or downward mobility

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structural mobility

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Changes in the social status of large numbers of people as a result of structural changes in society

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relative deprivation

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A relative measure of poverty based on the standard of living in a particular society

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absolute deprivation

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An objective measure of poverty, defined by the anability to meet minimal standards for food, shelter, clothing, or health care

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homogamy

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Choosing romantic partners who are similar to us in terms of class, race, education, religion, and other social group membership

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heterogamy

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Choosing romantic partners who are dissimilar to us in terms of class, race, education, religion, and other social group membership

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hypergamy

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Marrying up in the social class hierarchy

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hypogamy

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Marrying down in the social class hierarchy

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digital divide

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The unequal access to computer and internet technology, both globally and within the United States

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culture of poverty

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Entrenched attitudes that can develop among poor communities and lead the poor to accept their fate rather than attempt to improve their lot

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just-world hypothesis

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Argument that people have a deep need to see the world as orderly, predictable, and fair, which creates a tendency to view victims of social injustice as deserving of their fate

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residential segregation

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The geographical separation of the poor from the rest of an area's population

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disenfranchisement

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The removal of the rights of citizenship through economic, political, or legal means

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meritocracy

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A system in which rewards are distributed based on merit

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simplicity movement

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A looseley knit movement that opposes consumerism and encourages people to work less, earn less, and spend less, in accordance with nonmaterialistic values

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Weber

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Theorist who noted that accumulating wealth is also a path to upper-class status, not just owning the means of production

Sociology Real World Chapter 7

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