Social stratification

Transcription

1 Social stratification Chapter 8 looks at social stratification. The 2 basic types of stratification systems are the caste system and the class system. We ll look at several theories of stratification, and we ll finish the chapter by analyzing social class, poverty, and social mobility in the U.S.

2 Dimensions of stratification I. Social stratification and social class A. Social stratification 1. The ranking of individuals or groups of people on the basis of unequal access to scarce resources. 2. The most important resources income, wealth, power, and prestige B. How is social stratification related to social class? 1. Social class a. Segments of society whose members hold similar amounts of resources and share norms, values, and an identifiable lifestyle b. The number of social classes in a society varies: i. Technologically developed countries usually have three classes ii. upper, middle, and lower subdivided into smaller categories Developing countries may have only 2 an upper class and lower class

3 c. Karl Marx and Max Weber made the most significant early contributions to the study of social stratification. i.karl Marx ii. Defined social class in terms of who owns the means of production (tools, buildings, and materials needed to produce goods and services) iii. According to Marx capitalist societies would ultimately be reduced to 2 social classes those who own the means of production and those who own only labor iv. In a capitalist society (ours) the owners of the means of production are the Bourgeoisie, while the workers who sell their labor in exchange for wages are called the Proletariat v. Marx predicted that because the capitalists owned the means of production, they would both rule and exploit the working class which would have nothing to sell but its labor vi. Marx believed that control of the economy gave the capitalists control over the legal, educational, and governmental systems as well. For Marx, the economy determined the nature of society vii. Max Weber viii. He widened the definition of social class as a grouping of people with similar levels of wealth (economic class), power (political power), and prestige (life-style) their ix. Key pt = the economic factor plays the most significant role in determining one s place in the stratification system but prestige and power also affect one s standing

4 II. Dimensions of social stratification A. The three most common rewards on which social stratification is determined are wealth, power, and prestige 1. Wealth a. All assets (the value of everything a person owns) and income (money earned through salaries and wages.) b. In the U.S. wealth is concentrated in the hands of a minority of the population the richest 20% of the population holds 90% of the wealth. The top 1% has 39% of the total wealth of the U.S. c. Income is another area of concern in 1999 the richest 20% of America s families received over 53% of the nation s income. The poorest 20% controlled under 4% i. Sociologist Paul Blumberg estimates that top corporate executives make times as much money as the lowest paid production workers

5 2. Power a. The ability to control the behavior of others, with or without their consent b. May be based on wealth, but also can be based on force, the possession of a special skill or knowledge, a particular social status, personal characteristics, or custom and tradition. 3. Prestige a. The respect, honor, recognition, or courtesy a person receives from other members of society b. Prestige may be based on income, occupation, education, family background, area of residence, possessions, club membership, etc. c. Prestige must be voluntarily given, not claimed the recognition must come from others d. In the U.S. occupation tends to be the most important determinant of prestige.

6 Explanations of stratification I. Functionalist theory of stratification A. Views stratification as a necessary feature of the social structure certain roles in society must be performed if the system is to be maintained B. Society makes sure these roles are fulfilled by giving higher rewards (money and prestige) for their performance. The more important the role, the higher the reward. C. Functionalists say that without different rewards many jobs wouldn t be filled and society wouldn t run smoothly. Ex = why would someone take the time and expense to become a doctor if the reward for being a trash collector was the same.

7 II. Conflict theory of stratification A. Sees competition over scarce resources as the cause of social inequality B. Says stratification comes from class exploitation some people are willing to exploit others. 1. Owners of the means of production control the working class in order to maintain their power in society. 2. Those who own the means of production are able to spread their ideas, beliefs, and values through the schools, the media, the churches, and the gov t 3. Marx used the term false consciousness adoption of the ideas of the dominant class by the less powerful class.

8 III. Symbolic interactionalism and stratification A. Proposes that a person is socialized to accept that social class is the result of talent and effort. B. People are taught to believe that those on top have worked hard and used their abilities, but those on the bottom lack the talent and motivation to succeed. C. Those profiting most from the stratification structure tend to have higher self esteem, while people in the lower social classes tend to suffer from lower self esteem. D. Key pt = those in the lower social classes come to accept the existing system, that it s not fair to challenge the system. So people s self-concepts help preserve the status quo

9 Social classes in the U.S. I. Class consciousness A. A sense of identification with the goals and interests of the members of a particular social class. B. It wasn t until the 1920 s that sociologists in the U.S. began systematically to identify social classes

10 II. Social class in the U.S. A. The upper class 1. Only 1% of the people fall into this class 2. A big part of the nation s wealth is in the hands of the upper class 3. The upper class can be divided into 2 groups: a. Upper-upper class i. People of the old money of society the aristocracy = Ford, Rockefeller, Walton, etc. These families have been wealthy for generations ii. Most of their wealth comes from inheritance iii. Members of this class are born into wealth and power, attend the most prestigious schools, know the most influential people, and are seen in the most exclusive places b. Lower-Upper class i. The new money of society ii. Members have acquired wealth through their own efforts rather than through inheritance and birth iii. New money isn t as prestigious as old money because it s not backed by a long family heritage. iv. The upper=upper class tends to look down on the lower-upper class. v. key pt = upper class membership carries with it great power and influence. Top positions in gov t and private business often are filled by people from these two groups

11 B. The Middle class 1. The Upper-Middle class a. 14% of the people fall into this category b. Members are usually those who have been successful in business, their professions, politics, and the military and their extended families c. Most have college educations, many with advanced degrees. Their money buys lots of goodies house, car, vacation, etc. d. Membership is based on income rather than assets so those in this class tend to be career oriented and have higher educational and career goals for their children. e. They also tend to be politically and socially active, but their power and influence is at the local level rather than on the national or international level

12 2. The Middle-Middle class a. 30% of the people fall into this class b. Members hold what are called white-collar jobs = jobs that require manual labor, but their jobs tend to require less education and provide a lower income than those in the Upper-Middle class. c. Jobs in the area of nursing, small town doctors and lawyers, teachers, middle management, sales, and owners of small businesses and farms d. Members live a comfortable life but most work hard to keep what they have achieved. They tend to hold traditional values and to be politically conservative

13 C. The Working Class (aka lower-middle class) 1. 30% of the people fall into this class 2. Many hold what are called blue collar jobs = jobs that require manual labor, such as factory workers, roofers, truck drivers, machine operators, service personnel, etc. 3. Some of these jobs may pay as much or more than jobs in the middle-middle class, but don t carry as much prestige 4. Some hold what are called pink-collar jobs = jobs usually held by women, such as clerical, low level sales, and various service jobs that don t require manual labor 5. Members usually have below average income and unstable employment. They generally lack hospital insurance and retirement benefits 6. Members have few financial reserves and unexpected crises medical problems or loss of job can be devastating

14 D. The Working Poor 1. 13% of the people fall into this class 2. Members are employed in low-skilled jobs with the lowest pay = lowest level clerical workers, manual laborers, and service workers (fast food) 3. Members lack steady employment and usually don t earn enough to rise above the poverty line ($17, in 2000) 4. Members tend not to belong to organizations or to participate in the political process

15 E. The Underclass 1. 12% of the people fall into this class 2. Members are in the lowest paying jobs, the unemployed, some of the elderly, the homeless, the unskilled, those on public assistance, and some who come from families with a history of unemployment for decades 3. In addition to a lack of education and skills, many members have other problems physical or mental disabilities are common and many are single mothers with little to no income 4. There are many routes into this class birth, old age, loss of a marriage partner, lack of education or training, alcoholism & drug use, physical or mental disabilities, but there are few paths out. 5. Because of a lack of education and opportunity, their future is very bleak they survive from day to day

16 Poverty in America I. Measuring poverty A. Absolute Poverty the lack of enough money to secure life s necessities = food, clothes, safe place to live, etc. B. Relative Poverty poverty based on the economic disparity between those at the bottom of a society and the rest of the society C. How is poverty measured in the U.S? 1. The U.S. gov t measures poverty by setting an annual income level and considering people poor if their income is below that level (In $17, for a family of four) 2. Poverty is widespread throughout the U.S U.S. Census Bureau says 11.8% of the U.S. population is poor = 32.2 million people

17 II. Identifying the poor A. Some segments of society are more likely than others to be poor. Some of the characteristics that affect poverty are race, gender, and age. 1. Race and Ethnicity a. African Americans and Latinos together account for only ¼ of the population, but nearly ½ of the poor population 2. Gender and age a. Households headed by females are poorer than those headed by males b. The poverty rate for kids under 6 years of age is 22% - the highest rate for any age group in the U.S.

18 c. Feminization of poverty i. A trend in U.S. society in which women and children make up an increasing proportion of the poor. ii. Reasons why women have a higher risk of being poor: iia. Women earn only 72 cents for every dollar earned by men iib. Women with children find it hard to find and keep regular, long-term jobs iic. A lack of good and affordable child care facilities makes it more difficult for women to continue working d. Older Americans about 9% of people aged 65 or older live in poverty e. People with disabilities those who are deaf, blind, or otherwise disabled make up about 12% of America s poor f. More than 1 out of every 4 poor persons lives either alone or with relatives

19 III. Responses to the problem of poverty A. Since the 1960 s, when President Johnson instituted the War on Poverty, the U.S. Gov t has taken an active role in trying to reduce social inequality in America. The goal has been to help poor people help themselves. B. Fixing the way social welfare should be provided and payments should be distributed has been the focus of many hot political debates

20 IV. Welfare reform A. Government limits the amount of time those able to work can receive welfare payments 3 major parts 1. It reduces welfare spending 2. It increases state and local power to oversee welfare rules 3. It adds new restrictions to welfare eligibility. Ex = benefits to children of unwed teenage mothers are denied unless the mothers remain in school and live with an adult. Ex = Cash aid to able-bodied adults will be terminated if they fail to get a job after two years

21 B. Has welfare reform really worked? 1. It s too early to really say, but the welfare rolls have decreased and over ½ of those leaving the welfare rolls report finding jobs 2. Major concern: a. Those who left the rolls since 1996 hold entry level jobs earning less than $7 an hour b. They are at the bottom of the economy with little hope of advancing c. ¼ work at night and over ½ report child care problems d. Most have jobs without health insurance and many report a food shortage and difficulty paying rent e. key pt = most of those leaving welfare still live in poverty

22 Social mobility I. Types of Social Mobility A. Social Mobility movement between or within a social class 1. Horizontal Mobility a. A change in occupation within the same social class. Ex = a person moves from one job to another of equal social ranking restaurant server to taxi driver b. Because horizontal mobility involves no real change in occupational status or social class, sociologists are not really interested in investigating it 2. Vertical Mobility a. A social change upward or downward in occupational status or social class. Ex = the money and social rewards (a promotion) from a secretary to a management position may move you from the working class to the middle class 3. Intergenerational Mobility a. A change in status or class from 1 generation to the next. Ex = plumber s daughter becomes a doctor upward intergenerational mobility. Ex = lawyer s son becomes a carpenter downward intergenerational mobility

23 II. Caste and Open-class systems A. Caste system 1. There is no social mobility because social status is inherited and can t be changed 2. A newborn child is born into a certain caste determined by status of his/her parents. Effort and talent may affect a person s position within a caste, but you can t help a person move to a higher status. (Basically, you are born into a certain caste and can t move into another caste except in rare instances) 3. The system forbids the practice of Exogamy marriage outside of one s own social category. Endogamy marriage within one s own social category

24 4. The caste system in India is one based on occupation and the Hindu religion. There are 4 primary caste categories, ranked according to their degree of religious purity. a. Brahmin the top caste = made up of priests and scholars b. Kshatriyas made up of professional, governing, and military occupations c. Vaisyas made up of merchants and businessmen d. Sudra made up of farmers, menial workers, and craftsman e. Below the 4 basic castes are the outcastes or Untouchables thought to be so impure that any physical contact contaminates the religious purity of all other casts members. Untouchables are given the dirty, degrading jobs such as collecting trash and handling dead bodies. f. The caste system was outlawed in 1950, but is still practiced unofficially in India today

25 B. Open Class System 1. A system in which social class is based on merit and individual effort movement is allowed between classes. 2. People may move up or down the social class ladder according to talent, effort, and opportunity 3. In reality, because of race or ethnicity, some members of minority groups, such as African Americans, Native Americans, and Latinos, have been denied opportunities for social mobility. So the U.S. can t be considered truly and completely open, but it is a relatively open-class system.

26 III. Upward and downward mobility A. Most Americans believe that people will rise or fall to various levels based on their abilities and efforts. B. Research shows that a majority of Americans do achieve a higher occupational status than their parents but still remain within the same social class. Those who do experience vertical mobility rarely move more than one social class above or below their class of origin. C. Concerns about upward mobility changes in the economy: 1. A change in consumer tastes, breakthroughs in new technology, and the globalization of business can alter the demand for new workers. 2. Workers may find themselves out of a job with skills that are no longer marketable and may not be able to find a job where they make the same income. 3. Key pt = downwardly mobile people experience lowered self esteem, despair, depression, feelings of powerlessness, and a loss of a sense of humor.