SOCIAL CLASS: THE STRUCTURE OF INEQUALITY

Chapter 8

Why is it important to study class inequality?

Social Stratification & Inequality

social stratification: the division of society into group arranged in a social hierarchy

*it exists in all societies in one form or another

social inequality: the result of the unequal distribution of wealth, power, or prestige among members of society

*stratification is maintained through beliefs that are widely shared by members of a

society

Systems of Stratification

slavery: the most extreme form of stratification, based on the legal ownership of people. This still exists in some societies today

caste system: a form of social stratification in which status is determined by one’s family history and background and cannot be changed

Systems of Stratification

apartheid: legal system of segregation in South Africa between 1948 and 1991

social class: a system of stratification based on access to resources such as wealth, property, power, and prestige

socioeconomic status (SES): a measure of an individual’s place with a social class system. Often means interchanged with “class”.

Systems of Stratification Around the World

Brazil’s system of stratification is influenced primarily by race – over 25 racial “categories” exist

Iran has been dominated by a theocracy (religious government) since the revolution of 1979. Strict observance of Islamic law dictates social position.

Sweden has attempted a “classless” society, made easier by a homogenous population. Social services are provided to every citizen

Social Class in the United States

The upper class:

- wealthiest people in a class system

- usually very well educated

- make more than $250,000 per year

- make up about 1% of the US population

- possess most (80%) of the wealth of the country

Social Class in the United States, continued

The upper middle class:- professionals and managers (college

educated)- make up about 14% of US Population- make $89,000 - $150,000 per year

The middle class consists primarily of:- “white collar” workers (2 & 4 year college

educ)- make up about 30% of US population- make $55,000 - $88, 000 per year

Social Class in the United States, continued

The working (lower middle) class:- “blue collar” or service industry

workers- less likely to have college degrees - make up about 30% of US population- make about $23,000 - $54,000 per

year

Social Class in the United States, continued

The working poor:- poorly educated, higher rates of high school

dropouts and a lower levels of literacy- work includes unskilled and temporary

labor - about 20% of the US population

- make about <$10,500 - $22,000 per yearThe underclass:

- truly disadvantaged populations- make less than $7,500 per year - may depend on charity to survive

THE U.S. SOCIAL CLASS LADDER (FIGURE 8.1)

The Real World: An Introduction to Sociology, 2nd EditionCopyright © 2010 W.W. Norton & Company

Problems With Class Categories

Measuring socioeconomic statues (SES) accurately is difficult because it is based on so many factors like income, wealth, education, occupation, and power.

Status Inconsistency: stark contrasts in the level of different statuses one person may occupy. Example: someone from a poor background who becomes a millionaire. Does income alone make her a certain class?

Theories of Social Class – Karl Marx

Karl Marx believed that there were two main social classes in capitalist societies:

- capitalists (or bourgeoisie)- workers (or proletariat)

He believed that the classes would remain divided and social inequality would grow as long as capitalism prevailed.

Theories of Social Class – Max Weber

Max Weber thought that other factors besides owning the means of production should be accounted for when measuring social class standing.

- wealth (or privilege, if inherited)- power (ability to control others)- prestige (social honor granted to those

who belong to certain groups.

Theories of Social Class – Pierre Bourdieu

Bourdieu reported on a phenomenon he called social reproduction: the tendency for social class status to be passed down from one generation to the next

This happens because each generation acquires cultural capital (tastes, habits, expectations, skills, knowledge, etc) that help us to gain advantages is society

Pierre Bourdieu, continued

Our cultural capital can help us or hinder us as we become adults.

Ex: “she talks like a hillbilly” or “he sound too ‘street’”.

*It can shape the perceptions we have of a person*

There is evidence that states half of all children will grow up with the same SES as their parents

Theories of Social Class – Symbolic Interactionists

Symbolic interactionists examine the way we use status differences to categorize ourselves and others

Erving Goffman pointed out that our clothing, speech, gestures, possessions, friends, and activities provide information about our socioeconomic status

What do these living rooms tell us about the owners’ SES?

THEORY IN EVERYDAY LIFE

The Real World: An Introduction to Sociology, 2nd EditionCopyright © 2010 W.W. Norton & Company

Socioeconomic Status and Life Chances

Belonging to a certain social class has profound consequences for individuals in all areas of life, specifically education, work, crime, family, and health care.

Family: - people are likely to marry those with similar

backgrounds because they have more access to people like themselves

- higher education marrying & having children later

Socioeconomic Status and Life Chances, continued

Health:-Lowest SES least likely to obtain adequate nutrition, shelter, clothing, and health care

-Higher education feel healthier & live longer

-lower level SES do not have opportunities to exercise live high SES

SES & Life Chances - Education

-schools with low income students have fewer resources, also affecting student attitude towards education

-good education necessary for a good job, but access to quality education is not equal across SES spectrum

-expectations differ across SES levels

Percentage of 12th Graders Expecting to Earn a Bachelor’s Degree or Attend Graduate or Professional School, by Family Socioeconomic Status (SES)

SES & Life Chances – Work and Income

-unequal education different types of jobs income gap

-- lower classes always working, difficult to go back to school to improve job chances

-our economy now is still experiencing job losses, and most blue collar jobs these days can barely support families, if at all

Real Median Income for Working-Age Households, 1989–2007

Socioeconomic Status and Life Chances, continued

Criminal Justice: * lower SES associated with higher rates of violent crime, but studies show that other variables like dense population and anomie

have an even greater impact*lower SES are more visible, less powerful,

and more likely to be caught. White collar crimes are much less likely to ever be prosecuted

*Punishments for crimes are also very unequal

*Lower SES feel more threatened by police

Social Mobility

Social Mobility is the movement of individuals or groups within the hierarchal system of social class

A closed system is one with very little opportunity to move from one class to another. Ex: Caste system, India

An open system is one with ample opportunities to move from one class to another. Ex: USA

Social Mobility, continued

Intergenerational mobility is the movement between social classes that occurs from one generation to the next. Ex: 1st & 2nd generation immigrant children

Intragenerational mobility is the movement between social classes that occurs over the course of an individual’s lifetime. horizontal mobility: changing occupations within a

social class vertical mobility: movement between social classes;

either upward or downward

Structural Mobility

Structural Mobility refers to changes in the social status of large numbers of people due to structural changes in society

Ex: many people became overnight millionaires during the dot-com boom of the 1990s. Programmers that used to be middle class were now upper class

Defining Poverty

The United States determines a federal poverty line each year to determine who should be categorized as poor.

As of 2008, at over 13% of the population in the United States were considered poor

NUMBER IN POVERTY AND POVERTY RATE, 1959–2007 (FIGURE 8.4)

The Real World: An Introduction to Sociology, 2nd EditionCopyright © 2010 W.W. Norton & Company

Defining Poverty, continued

Relative deprivation: a relative measure of poverty based on standard of living; ex: a McDonalds worker making $25,000 is poor compared to a lawyer making $300,000

Absolute deprivation: an objective measure of poverty defined by inability to meet minimal standards for food, shelter, clothing, or health care. Ex: high levels of diabetes among Native Americans

The Culture of Poverty

The culture of poverty is an idea stating that entrenched attitudes can develop among poor communities and lead the poor to accept their fate rather than improve their lot

This idea is reinforced by social welfare critics who think welfare is unnecessary, and it is criticized by those who see it as an acceptance of poverty rather than a need to eradicate it.

The Invisibility of Poverty

Residential segregation: the geographical isolation of the poor from the rest of the city (or from neighbors in rural areas) Ex: Palm Beach built as haven for rich, West Palm Beach built for the working poor that supply Palm Beach’s labor.

Accomplished most notably through public housing projects and “redlining” – the process by which banks refuse mortgages/loans to people from certain neighborhoods

The Invisibility of Poverty, continued

Disenfranchisement: the removal of the rights of citizenship through economic, political, or legal means

The poor feel ignored by the political system so they do not participate, which leads to little representation on their behalf to make their plight more visible.

The Invisibility of Poverty, continued

The homeless embody an example of a group of people that are often deliberately removed from public view.

The homeless are routinely moved during important events, and we do not even know the exact number of homeless in our country

These are among the most harshly treated people in our country

Inequality and the American Dream

The American Dream is part of our ideal culture – but does it really exist?

Some criticize it for legitimizing stratification by telling us that everyone has the same chances to get ahead in life

If we credit anyone with succeeding, then logically we must blame anyone who fails.

People like to think of the United States as a meritocracy, or a system in which rewards are distributed based on merit, but sociologists find otherwise

Most people will make little social movement in their lifetime. More importantly, social mobility is dependent upon a person’s ethnicity, class status, and gender rather than merit

Closing Comments

Social Stratification is all about power

Different types of social power such as wealth, political influence, and occupational prestige are distributed in unequal ways.

These inequalities are part of the larger social structure and our everyday interactions.