Sociology Chp. 7
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Social Stratification
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the division of society into groups arranged in a social hierarchy (page 182)
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Social Inequality
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the unequal distribution of wealth, power, or prestige among members of a society (page 182)
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Slavery
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the most extreme form of social stratification, based on the legal ownership of people (page 182)
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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 (page 183)
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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 (page 183)
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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 (page 184)
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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\" (page 184)
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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 (page 184)
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Upper Class
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an elite and largely self-sustaining group who possess most of the country's wealth; they constitute about 1 percent of the U.S. population (page 185)
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Upper-Middle Class
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social class consisting of mostly highly educated professionals and managers who have considerable financial stability; they constitute about 14 percent of the U.S. population (page 185)
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Middle Class
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social class composed primarily of white-collar workers with a broad range of education and incomes; they constitute about 30 percent of the U.S. population (page 186)
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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 (page 186)
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Working Class or Lower-Middle Class
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social class consisting of 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 (page 186)
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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 (page 186)
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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 13 percent of the U.S. population (page 186)
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Underclass
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the poorest group, comprising the homeless and chronically unemployed who may depend on public or private assistance; they constitute about 12 percent of the U.S. population (page 186)
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Status Inconsistency
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a situation in which an individual has differing levels of status in terms of wealth, power, prestige, or other elements of socioeconomic status (page 187)
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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 (page 187)
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Wealth
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a measure of net worth that includes income, property, and other assets (page 188)
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Prestige
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the social honor people are given because of their membership in well-regarded social groups (page 188)
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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 (page 191)
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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 (page 191)
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Homogamy
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the tendency to choose romantic partners who are similar to us in terms of class, race, education, religion, and other social group membership (page 192)
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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 (page 192)
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Everyday Class Consciousness
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awareness of one's own social status and that of others (page 192)
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Hypergamy
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marrying \"up\" in the social class hierarchy (page 193)
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Hypogamy
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marrying \"down\" in the social class hierarchy (page 193)
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Social Mobility
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the movement of individuals or groups within the hierarchical system of social classes (page 198)
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Closed System
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a social system with very little opportunity to move from one class to another (page 198)
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Open System
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a social system with ample opportunities to move from one class to another (page 198)
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Intergenerational Mobility
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movement between social classes that occurs from one generation to the next (page 198)
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Intragenerational Mobility
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the movement between social classes that occurs during the course of an individual's lifetime (page 198)
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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 (page 198)
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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 (page 199)
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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 (page 199)
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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 (page 199)
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Absolute Deprivation
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an objective measure of poverty, defined by the inability to meet minimal standards for food, shelter, clothing, or health care (page 199)
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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 (page 203)
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Just-Word Hypothesis
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argues 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 fates (page 203)
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Residential Segregation
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the geographical separation of the poor from the rest of an area's population (page 204)
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Disenfranchisement
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the removal of the rights of citizenship through economic, political, or legal means (page 204)
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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 (page 205)
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Meritocracy
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a system in which rewards are distributed based on merit (page 207)
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Simplicity Movement
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a loosely knit movement that opposes consumerism and encourages people to work less, earn less, and spend less, in accordance with nonmaterialistic values (page 208)
