SOCL Ch. 8 Social Class in the US – Flashcards

social class

property

wealth

income

10%

20%

power

democratic façade

power elite

prestige

• 1. pay more • 2. require more education • 3. involve more abstract thought • 4. offer greater autonomy (independence)

status consistent

status inconsistency

status

highest

your relationship to the means of production

contradictory class locations

• capitalist-business owners who employ many workers • petty bourgeoisie-small business owners • managers-sell their own labor, but exercise authority over employees • workers-sell their labor to others

six their ladder model, the lower the rungs the more poverty, education was very important in this model

CAPITALIST CLASS • Wealthy 1% that owns 1/3 of wealth • Prestigious university, 1million +, 1% population • Divided into New & Old money longer wealth in family→bigger prestige Old money capitalists-Blue bloods-have vast power nouveau riche-outsiders of upper class-children can be in old money if they attend right school & marry into the old • many philanthropic-give money to foundations UPPER MIDDLE CLASS • most shaped by education • bachelor's degree and up, post grad in med, law, business, management • $125,000+ , 15% population LOWER MIDDLE CLASS • high school/college/ apprenticeship, $60,000, 34% population • technical/lower level management • can afford mainstream lifestyle, struggle to keep it • anticipate being able to move up ladder WORKING CLASS • 30% of population, High school, $36,000 • unskilled blue collar and white collar • jobs less secure, more routine, more closely supervised WORKING POOR • some high school/ high school, $19,000, 15% • unskilled, low-paying, seasonal, temporary jobs • most high school dropouts & functionally illiterate • don't vote, work full time depend on food stamps UNDERCLASS • some high school, under $12,000, 5% • lowest rung, no chance of climbing anywhere • inner city, little/no connection to job market, welfare • life is toughest • homeless are fallout of post-industrial economy→little need for unskilled labor now

o as you go up ladder, health increases, age makes no difference o 1. social class opens/closes doors to medical care o 2. lifestyle is shaped by social class (lower classes = smoke/eat fats) o 3. life is hard on poor (bodies wear out faster)

o mental health decreases as you go down ladder o greater mental probs w/ higher stress • less job security, lower wages, likely to divorce, victims of crime, physical illness o Higher up do better bc: • coping resources better, class position gives better control over lives, medical care is better

• capitalists-strong emphasis on tradition Family history-who you marry effects family, not just you parents are strong in mate selection

• lower social classes-higher marital friction, more divorce • children of poor more likely to live in broken homes

• lower class-follow rules, obey authority why? supervised at work, expect children to end up in same job punishment: physical • middle class- develop creative & leadership skills why? more independence at work, expect child to end up in same job punishment: verbal

o education increases as you go up ladder o Capitalists-skip public and go to private • teach upper class values o upper classes go to college & graduate more bc of parental resources

o Episcopalians-middle/upper class • subdued worship o Baptists-lower class • expressive worship

o higher ups—republican o working class—democratic • more liberal on economic issues, conservative on social issues o bottom-not politically active

o upper class—white collar crimes • judged outside of judicial system o lower class- street crimes • judged by peers & police courts • more in prison/probation/parole o lower classes -more likely to be robbed/murdered

intergenerational, structural, exchange

intergenerational

structural

exchange

poverty line

1. poor spend about %20 on food 2. mothers who work outside of home and have to pay for childcare are treated the same as mothers who stay at home

1. poverty clusters in south, rural poverty is greater, suburbanization of poverty 2. 12% of whites, 13% of Asians, 25% of Latinos, 26% of African Americans, 27% of Native Americans 3. 1/4 peeps drop high school are poor, 3/100 who finish college are poor 4.families w/ both mom & dad = least likely to be poor, families w/ just mom = most likely to be poor 5.elderly are LESS likely to be poor

culture of poverty

true

half

social structure, characteristics of individuals, and poverty triggers

features of society deny peeps access to education/skills discrimination based on race & gender changes in job market too (less unskilled labor need)

what we choose high school drop out, teen mom

live on edge of poverty, only takes one thing to push you over edge lose job, pregnancy, birth of child, divorce, accidents/injuries

Personal Responsibility & Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act

Horatio Alger Myth

o encourages peeps to achieve higher, places blame of failure only on individual o Stabilizes society: viewed as individual's fault, not society, therefor current societal arrangements may be kept