Sociology in Our Times Ch 8
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social stratification
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the hierarchical arrangement of large social groups based on their control over basic resources
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life chances
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Weber's term for the extent to which individuals have access to important societal resources such as food, clothing, shelter, education, and health care
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social mobility
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the movement of individuals or groups from one level in a stratification system to another
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intragenerational mobility
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the social movement (upward or downward) of individuals within their own lifetime
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intergenerational mobility
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the social movement (upward or downward) experienced by family members from one generation to the next
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slavery
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an extreme form of stratification in which some people are owned by others
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caste system
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a system of social inequality in which people's status is permanently determined at birth based on their parent's ascribed characteristics
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class system
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a type of stratification based on the ownership and control of resources and on the type of work that people do
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capitalist class (bourgeoisie)
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Marx's term for the class that consists of those who own and control the means of production
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working class (proletariat)
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those who must sell their labor to the owners in order to earn enough money to survive
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alienation
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a feeling of powerlessness and estrangement from other people and from oneself
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class conflict
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Marx's term for the struggle between the capitalist class and the working class
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wealth
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the value of all a person's or family's economic assets, including income, personal property, and income-producing property
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prestige (Weber)
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the respect or regard with which a person or status position is regarded by others
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power (Weber)
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the ability of people or groups to achieve their goals despite opposition from others
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socioeconomic status
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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
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pink-collar occupations
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relatively low-paying, non-manual, semiskilled positions primarily held by women, such as day-care workers, checkout clerks, cashiers, and waitpersons
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income
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the economic gain derived from wages, salaries, income transfers (government aid), and ownership of property
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absolute poverty
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a level of economic deprivation that exists when people do not have the means to secure the most basic necessities of life
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relative poverty
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a condition that exists when people may be able to afford basic necessities but are still unable to maintain an average standard of living
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feminization of poverty
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the trend in which women are disproportionately represented among individuals living in poverty
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job deskilling
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a reduction in the proficiency needed to perform a certain job that leans to a corresponding reduction in the wages for that job
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meritocracy
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a hierarchy in which all positions are rewarded based on people's ability and credentials
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structural social mobility
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a shift in the social position of large numbers of people due more to changes in society itself than to individual efforts
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closed system
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one that allows for little change in society
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status consistency
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the degree of consistency in a person's social standing across various dimensions of social inequality
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Davis-Moore Theory
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the thesis that social stratification is a universal pattern because it benefits the operation of society
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underclass
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the persistently poor and unemployed class of people who lack training and skills
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superstructure (Marx)
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the institutions controlled by the bourgeoisie that perpetuate the system of exploitation
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Wealth, Power, and Prestige
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elements of Weber's three tiered stratification
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System that takes into account ownership/control of means to production and labor of others; capitalist class, managerial class, small-business class, working class
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Wright's stratification system
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some degree of social inequality is necessary for the smooth functioning of society (in order to fill the most important functions) and is inevitable
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Functionalist Perspective
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powerful individuals and groups use ideology to maintain their favored positions in society at the expense of others, and wealth is not necessary in order to motivate people
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Conflict Perspective
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the beliefs and actions of people reflect their class location in society
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Symbolic Interactionist Perspective
