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Do Now What is Social Stratification?
Social Stratification
Dimensions of Stratification Stratification is the division of society into classes that have unequal amounts of wealth, power, and prestige Dimensions of Stratification Economic Power Prestige
Social Stratification and Social Class Social Stratification: the creation of layers of people who possess unequal shares of scarce resources Wealth, income, power, and prestige
Social Stratification and Social Class Layers in a stratification system are social classes Social Class: a segment of a population whose members hold similar amounts of scarce resources and share norms, values, and an identifiable lifestyle
Social Classes In technologically developed countries there are generally three broad classes: upper, middle, and lower In developing countries there tends to be two: upper and lower Karl Marx and Max Weber Marx focused on the economic foundations of social classes Weber focused on the prestige and power aspects of stratification
The Economic Dimension Marx identified multiple social classes during the nineteenth-century industrial period Laborers Servants Factory workers Craftspeople Proprietors of small businesses Moneyed capitalists Predicted that capitalist societies would ultimately form two social classes
The Economic Dimension Those who owned the means of production the bourgeoisie would rule and exploit the working class the proletariat Marx believed that control of the economy gave the bourgeoisie control over legal, educational, and government systems as well
The Economic Dimension How unequal are economic resources in the United States? https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=qpkkqnijnsm Economists look at the difference between income and wealth Income: the amount of money received within a given time period by an individual or group Wealth: all the economic resources possessed by an individual or group
The Economic Dimension In 2004, approximately 37 million Americans were living in poverty In 2004, there were nearly 2.5 million millionaires and about 341 billionaires in the United States Income inequality is growing substantially
The Power Dimension Power: the ability to control the behavior of others, even against their will Marx believed that those who own and control capital have power in society Weber argued that economic success and power are not the same Important resources for power Money, knowledge, fame
The Power Dimension Power is attached to social positions Elected officials, elected officers, executive positions People can have power without having much wealth Characteristics attributed to people with power, such as intelligence, help them gain prestige whether they possess these characteristics or not Lack of wealth can be overcome if we have large numbers of people on our side of if we are skilled at organizing our resources
The Prestige Dimension Prestige: recognition, respect, and admiration attached to social positions Determined by culture and society Prestige must be voluntarily given, not claimed
The Prestige Dimension Distribution of Prestige Americans value acquisition of wealth and power, leading to the belief that people with a lot of wealth and power have higher prestige People achieve prestige because of their occupations White-collar occupations like doctors and teachers have higher prestige than blue-collar jobs like carpenters and mechanics
Activity: Rank by Prestige
Explanations of Stratification
Functionalist Theory of Stratification Stratification assures that the most qualified people fill the most important positions, that these qualified people perform their tasks competently, and that they are rewarded for their efforts
Conflict Theory of Stratification Inequality exists because some people are willing to exploit others From their perspective, stratification is based on force rather than on people voluntarily agreeing to it
Conflict Theory of Stratification This theory is based upon Marx s ideas regarding class conflict Those who own the means of production are able to spread their ideas, beliefs, and values through schools, the media, churches, and the government False Consciousness: the working-class acceptance of capitalist ideas and values
Symbolic Interactionism and Stratification According to this perspective, American children are taught that a person s social class is the result of talent and effort Those on top have worked hard and used their abilities to get there Those on the bottom lack the talent or the motivation to succeed People come to accept the system rather than challenge it
Symbolic Interactionism and Stratification People in the lower social classes tend to suffer from lower self-esteem Those in the higher social classes tend to have higher self-esteem People s self-concepts also help preserve the status quo
Social Classes in America
Class Consciousness Class Consciousness: a sense of identification with the goals and interests of the members of a particular social class
The Upper Class Includes only 1% of the population Divided into the upper-upper class and the lower-upper class Upper-upper class is the aristocracy Lower-upper class are those who have worked hard to earn their income and are often more financially stable than those of the upper-upper class
The Middle Class 40-50% of Americans are members of the middle class Middle class is divided into the upper-middle and the middle-middle classes
The Upper-Middle Class 14% of the population Made up of individuals and families who benefited from the tremendous corporate and professional expansion following World War II Typically college educated and have high educational and career goals for their children Active in voluntary and political organizations in their communities
The Middle-Middle Class 30% of the population Comprised of small business owners, independent professionals, lower-level managers, and other professionals Members of this class are interested in civic affairs Are less politically active than the classes above them, but more politically active than the classes below them
The Working Class Makes up 1/3 of the population Often referred to as the lower-middle class Although they may make more than members of the middle class, their economic resources are typically lower Members of the working class are not likely to enter the middle class
The Working Poor 13% of the population Members of this class are usually low-level clerical workers, manual workers, and service workers Tend not to belong to organizations or to participate in politics
The Underclass 12% of the population Usually unemployed or come from families with generations of unemployment Lack education and skills Single mothers were little or no income
Similarities Between Working Poor and Underclass Most common shared characteristic is a lack of skills to obtain jobs that pay enough to meet basic needs Routes into these classes Birth Old Age Loss of a marriage partner Lack of education or training Drug Addiction or Alcoholism Physical or mental disability Very few paths out
Describe your social stratification Use the information that you have learned to define social stratification and reflect on your own social stratification. Your response should be at least five sentences in length. Any less you you will only receive ½ credit.