Chapter 7

Social stratification is the ranking of people or groups in accordance with their access to scarce resources. Income…money that one has. Wealth…resources and value one has. Power…control that one has. Prestige…recognition and respect one has.

Each layer of stratification is a social class. Categories of people who hold similar

resources and share values and lifestyles.

Open system - boundaries between hierarchies may be influenced by people’s achieved statuses. US

Closed system - boundaries between hierarchies are rigid, people’s positions are set by ascribed status. Caste System

A type of stratification based on the ownership and control of resources and on the type of work people do.

Social mobility…movement from one class to another.

Horizontal mobility occurs when people experience a gain or loss in position and/or income that does not produce a change in their place in the class structure.

Vertical mobility is movement up or down the class structure is.

Status is determined at birth based on parents’ ascribed characteristics.

Cultural values sustain caste systems and caste systems grow weaker as societies industrialize.

Vestiges of caste systems can remain for hundreds of years after they are “officially” abolished.

Extreme form of stratification where people are owned by others.

Throughout recorded history 5 societies have been slave societies: Ancient Greece Roman Empire United States Caribbean and Brazil.

There are an estimated 30 million people held as slaves worldwide.

Access to resources such as food, clothing, shelter, education, and health care.

Affluent people have better life chances because they have greater access to: quality education safe neighborhood nutrition and health care police protection

Marx believed that there would ultimately be two classes; the bourgeoisie (wealthy) and the proletariat (working class).

There is a large poverty problem in America. Roughly 50 million Americans live in poverty.

Some of the richest in the world live in America. Roughly 5 million millionaires and 260

billionaires.

50% of US income lies in 20% of the population 84 % of US wealth lies in 20% of the population Under 4% of the wealth lies in the lowest

20%of the population Open Class Structure of US

Upper Class Upper Middle Class Middle Class Working Class Working Poor Underclass

Includes infamous 1% Approximately 20% of total population “Old Money”…Rockefellers, Vanderbilt's

etc… Rarely associate outside of class. Can include lower upper class which is

often a result of achieved status. May be better off financially but have the

prestige.

40%-50% of Americans Upper middle class consists of 14% of the

population. Successful business people, politicians,

professions etc… Earn enough to live well and save money Highly educated.

Middle, middle class is 30% of the population Most of us Mix of education

Also known as the lower middle class. Truck drivers, machine operators, skilled

labor Below average income and unstable

employment Lack benefits Mostly wage workers

13 % of the population Minimum wage workers Do not earn above the poverty threshold Low skilled workers

12 % of the population Unemployed Lack education and skills Often have disabilities

Absolute poverty…not enough to secure life’s necessities.

Relative poverty…comparing the bottom with other levels of income.

Poverty Threshold…a measure of income level at which people are considered poor.

49.7 million Americans live below the poverty threshold. 16%

Americans are experiencing downward mobility.

About 47% of the poor are white. However, the poverty rate for whites is

7.5 % The poverty rate for African Americans

and Latinos is 23%. African Americans and Latinos account

for 25% of the population but make up 50% of the poor population.

Female head of households Nearly half of poor households are headed by

females. On average, women earn about $.72 for every

dollar earned by men. Known as the feminization of poverty.

Children Poverty rate for children under 6 is 22%...the

highest for any age group in the US

Elderly About 9% over 65 live in poverty Due to a fixed income

Disabled Make up 12% of the poor.

EducationAll

RacesWhite

African American

Hispanic

No diploma 21.8 15.7 34.8 26.7

High School Graduate

11.9 9.4 22.0 15.4

Some college 8.5 7.0 11.5 10.6

College degree (or more)

4.3 3.7 7.1 7.5

Age All WhiteAfrican

AmericanHispanic

Under 18 17.8 10.5 33.6 28.9

18–24 18.1 14.5 28.1 22.6

25-44 11.2 7.8 20.2 18.4

45-64 8.8 7.0 16.8 14.4

65 and above 9.8 7.5 23.9 18.7

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

Percentage of ChildrenLiving Below the Poverty

Line

Black Children

Hispanic Children

Asian Children

White Children

All Children

Global poverty is linked to the level of development in a nation. Industrialization brings a higher standard of

living. Also believed that development increases life

chances However, development may breakdown

traditional norms and values.

Modernization Theory…belief that modernization can lead to a higher standard of living, economic movement and sustainability.

Dependency Theory…belief that global poverty can be blamed somewhat by the exploitation of high income nations. Poorer nations are reliant on wealthier nations

and cannot break out of the cycle.

World Systems Theory…suggest that “core” nations dominate the world economy and other nations may move slightly depending on resource development. Truly global system held together by economic

ties. New International Division of Labor Theory…

suggests that with the age of globalization, highly industrialized societies are dependent on less developed societies for cheap labor.