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Lecture Outline Stratification
Lecture Outline Stratification
Lecture Outline Stratification
Introduction
Social inequality describes a condition in which members of a society have different amounts
of wealth, prestige, or power.
Stratification is a structured ranking of entire groups of people.
Income refers to salaries and wages.
Wealth is an inclusive term encompassing all of a persons material assets, including land,
stocks, and other types of property.
I.
Understanding Stratification
A. Systems of Stratification
Ascribed status is a social position assigned to a person by society without regard for that
persons unique talents or characteristics.
Achieved status is a social position attained by a person largely through his or her own
efforts.
1. Slavery
Slavery is a system of enforced servitude in which enslaved individuals are owned by
other people.
Slaves in Ancient Greece were captives of war or piracy, but their status was not
necessarily permanent or passed on to the next generation. In the U.S., slavery was an
ascribed status, and racial and legal barriers prevented their being freed.
2. Castes
A caste system is a hereditary system of rank usually religiously dictated. Example:
There are four major castes, or varnas, in India.
Urbanization and technological advancement have brought more change to Indias
caste system in the past two decades than the government was able to effect since
formally outlawing the practice in 1950.
3. Estates
An estate system is also known as feudalism.
In the estate system, peasants worked land leased to them by nobles in exchange for
military protection or other services.
4. Social Classes
Social class refers to a social ranking based primarily on economic position in which
achieved status can affect or influence social mobility.
One can move from one stratum to another.
Income inequality is a basic characteristic of a class system. Example: Daniel
Rossidess five-class model of the class system in the U.S.
Social class is one of the variables most frequently considered by sociologists.
B. Perspectives on Stratification
Karl Marx viewed class differentiation as the crucial determinant of social, economic, and
political inequality. Max Weber was critical of Marxs emphasis on economic factors, and
argued that stratification had many dimensions.
1. Functionalist View
A differential system of rewards and punishments is needed for society to operate
efficiently.
Society must distribute its members among a variety of social positions (Davis and
Moore). Positions are filled with people with the appropriate talents and abilities. The
most important positions must be filled by the most capable persons.
Money and rewards are based on the scarcity of qualified personnel.
Stratification motivates people to fill critical positions.
Functionalists fail to explain the wide disparity between rich and poor.
2. Conflict View
Competition for scarce resources results in significant political, economic, and social
inequality.
Contemporary conflict views include conflicts based on gender, race, age, and other
dimensions. Example: See Ralf Dahrendorfs work on authority.
Dominant ideology describes a set of cultural beliefs and practices that helps to
maintain powerful social, economic, and political interests.
Stratification is a major source of societal tension and conflict, and will inevitably lead
to instability and social change.
II.
A contributing factor is the large number employed at minimum wage. In terms of real
value, adjusted for inflation, the minimum wage has often failed to keep pace with the cost
of living. See Figure 8-5.
1. Studying Poverty
Absolute poverty refers to a minimum level of subsistence that no family should be
expected to live below.
Absolute poverty involves the inability to secure basic necessities such as food, shelter,
and health care.
Poverty line serves as an official indicator of which people are poor.
In 2006, a family of four with a combined income of $20,444 or less fell below the
poverty line
Relative poverty is a floating standard of deprivation by which people are judged to be
disadvantaged when compared to the nation as a whole.
Even if todays poor are better off in absolute terms than the poor of the 1930s or
1960s, they are still seen as deserving special assistance.
2. Who Are the Poor?
Many of the poor live in urban slums, but the majority live outside these poverty areas.
Since World War II, an increasing number of poor people have been women.
By 2006, families with female householders accounted for 53 percent of the nations
poor. See Table 8-3.
In 2005, 28 percent of U.S. households headed by single mothers lived in poverty,
compared to 12.6 percent of married couples.
The feminization of poverty is not just a U.S. phenomenon, but a worldwide one.
William Julius Wilson describes the long-term poor as the underclass who lack training
and skills.
In central cities, about 49 percent of the underclass are African American, 29 percent
are Hispanic, 17 percent are White, and 5 percent are of other classifications.
The overall composition of the poor changes continuously, as some move above the
poverty line and others slip below it. African Americans and Latinos are more likely
than Whites to be persistently poor.
African Americans and Hispanics are less likely than Whites to leave the welfare rolls.
3. Explaining Poverty
Using the functionalist analysis, Herbert Gans suggests that poverty serves a number of
social, economic, and political functions.
D. Life Chances
Max Weber saw class as related to life chances. Poor people spend more limited resources
on the necessities of life.
In times of danger, the affluent and powerful have a better chance of surviving.
Class position affects peoples vulnerability to natural disasters. Example: Hurricane
Katrinas impact on the poor of New Orleans.
The digital divide refers to differential access to technology. Many poor are not linked to
the Internet.
III.
Social Mobility
Refers to the movement of individuals or groups from one position of a societys stratification
system to another.