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Chapter 7 Study Guide
Sociology in our times; The Essentials
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Sociology
Undergraduate 1
04/08/2014

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Term
Social stratification is:
Definition
the hierarchical (unequal) arrangement of positions in society by property, prestige, and/or power
hierarchy of social groups based on control over resources
Term
Closed caste system is
Definition
closed stratification system based on prestige. Class, status and power are ascribed at birth. Characterized by maximum inequality. No mobility except some downward. You stay where you are.
Term
Open class system is
Definition
one where there is a hierarchy but it is not institutionalized. There is mobility and minimal inequality of opportunity. Nearly all things are possible.
Term
No stratification system is
Definition
completely open or closed
Term
Caste System:
Definition
status is determined at birth
caste systems grow weaker as societies industrialize
vestiges of caste systems remain for years after they are officially abolished
Slavery is an example of a caste system (Roman Empire, Ancient Greece, U.S., Brazil, Caribbean)
An estimated 27 million people held as slaves worldwide.
Term
Class System:
Definition
based on ownership and control of resources and on the type of work people do
Term
Functionalism
Definition
Societies have tasks that must be accomplished and positions that must be filled
Stratification is necessary to ensure that the most qualified people pursue the most important jobs
Best performers are lured to perform critical tasks
Job rank depends on how important and rare skills and/or extensive training required
Stratification is needed for society to survive
BUT
Rewards are not always related to importance
Importance is hard to assess
Talents and skills may not be effectively developed
Power can be used to restrict access to better jobs
There are other motivators besides money and status
Term
Conflict theory
Definition
Stratification arises from groups competing for power and property
Puts all weight on economic forces
Focuses on the way dominant groups control the economy, legitimize control and control resistance
Marx predicted revolution against capitalist system that would result in utopian communist system
BUT
Puts too much weight on economic forces
Predicted revolutions that did not occur
Many “communist” countries have fallen in recent years
Conflict may not result in change
Term
Marx on social class
Definition
subjective class ,objective class , false consciousness , class consciousness, Class, Bourgeoisie, Proletariat, Substructure, Superstructure
Term
subjective class =
Definition
one to which you think you belong
Term
objective class =
Definition
one to which you actually belong
Term
false consciousness =
Definition
subjective and objective class do not correspond
Term
class consciousness =
Definition
realize common interests and common antagonism to other major classes
Term
Bourgeoisie =
Definition
own means of production
Term
Proletariat =
Definition
sell labor to owners
Term
Weber’s conflict theory:
Definition
Class= individual with common level of life chances*
Emphasized economic basis of stratification BUT
Says political and social power or prestige are also factors AND
Ideas can influence economic behavior and life chances
Three factors interplay:
economic (life chances)
social (honor and prestige)
political (power)
Term
Life Chances (Weber)
Definition
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
Term
Maintenance of the stratification system
Definition
Inheritance
Socialization
Religion and ideology
State use of coercion
Social processes
Cooptation – share symbol of power
Principle of cumulative advantage
Term
Socioeconomic status (SES) –
Definition
– a combined measure that in order to determine class location, attempts to classify people in terms of:
occupational rank (autonomy and type of work)
income (salary and wages)
wealth (property and assets; can generate income)
education.

It is the usual measure of class in America.
Term
Social mobility - movement from one level in the stratification system to another
Definition
vertical, horizontal, intra-generational, intergenerational, occupational, voluntary, structural, downward
Term
Intra-generational
Definition
improve yourself during your life time
Term
Intergenerational
Definition
movement experienced by family members from one generation to the next
Term
Poverty is
Definition
a standard of living below the minimum needed for the maintenance of an adequate diet, health care and shelter
Term
Poverty affects
Definition
approximately 14.3% of the total American population and millions more worldwide.
Term
Absolute poverty
Definition
lack money for basic necessities like food, clothing, shelter
Term
Relative poverty
Definition
have money for necessities but lack basic amenities; unable to maintain an average standard of living
Term
Subjective poverty
Definition
compare actual income against perceptions and expectations
Term
Feminization of Poverty
Definition
The trend in which women are disproportionately represented among individuals living in poverty.
Women bear the major economic and emotional burdens of raising children when they are single heads of households but earn 70 and 80 cents for every dollar a male worker earns.
More women than men are unable to obtain regular, full-time, employment.
Term
Underclass
Definition
Those who are poor, seldom employed, and caught in long-term deprivation that results from low levels of education and income and high rates of unemployment.
Term
Job deskilling
Definition
A reduction in the proficiency needed to perform a specific job that leads to a corresponding reduction in the wages for that job.
Term
Meritocracy
Definition
A hierarchy in which all positions are rewarded based on people’s ability and credentials.
Term
Four factors have eroded the American Dream for the middle class:
Definition
Escalating housing prices
Occupational insecurity
Blocked mobility on the job
Cost of living squeeze that has penalized younger workers, even when they have more education and better jobs than their parents.
Term
Consequences of stratification
Definition
physical health, mental health, politics, criminal justice, education
Term
U.S. Stratification in the Future
Definition
Many social scientists believe that trends point to an increase in social inequality in the U.S.:
The purchasing power of the dollar has stagnated or declined since the early 1970s.
Wealth continues to become more concentrated at the top of the U.S. class structure.
Federal tax laws in recent years have benefited corporations and wealthy families at the expense of middle and lower-income families.
The rate of downward mobility is increasing and sources of upward mobility are shrinking
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