Roderick Graham
Social Stratification
Defined as: A system by which a society ranks and
categories of people in a hierarchy
Four Basic Principles
Social stratification is a trait of society, not simply a reflection of individual differences
Social stratification carries over from generation to generation Social Mobility
A change in position within the social hierarchy
Social stratification is universal but variable Social stratification involves not just inequality
but beliefs as well
Sociologists distinguish between Closed Systems – Caste Systems
Allow little change in social position
Open Systems – Class Systems Permit much more social mobility
The Caste System
Social stratification based on ascription, or birth Little or no social mobility
AN ILLUSTRATION: INDIA Four major casts or Varna
Sanskrit, Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya, Sudra Caste position determines life from birth Caste guides everyday life by keeping people in the
company of their “own kind”
The Class System
Social stratification based on both birth and individual achievement Schooling and skills lead to social mobility Work is no longer fixed at birth but involves some
personal choice
MERITOCRACY A concept that refers to social stratification based on
personal merit Includes knowledge, abilities, and effort Pure meritocracy has never existed
STRUCTURAL SOCIAL MOBILITY A shift in the social position of large numbers of
people due more to changes in society than to individual efforts
Ideology: the Power Behind Stratification
Ideology Cultural beliefs that justify particular social
arrangements, including patterns of inequality
Our cultural belief in a meritocracy allows us to ignore inequality between rich and poor
Meritocracy as Ideology
Meritocracy as Ideology
The Davis Moore Thesis - social stratification has beneficial consequences for the operation of society
The greater the functional importance of a position, the more rewards a society attaches to it
Positions a society considers crucial must offer enough rewards to draw talented people away from less important work
Micro-level analysis of social stratification People’s social standing affects their everyday
interaction People with different social standing keep their
distance from one another Conspicuous consumption
Buying and using products with an eye to the “statement” they make about social position
INCOME Earnings from work or investments
The richest 20% received 48.1% of all income Bottom 20% received only 4.0%
While a small number of people earn very high incomes, majority make do with far less
WEALTH The total value of money and other assets, minus
outstanding debts Wealth is distributed more unequally than income
POWER In the US, wealth is an important source of power Small proportion of families that control most of the
wealth also has the ability to shape the agenda of the entire society
Sociologists argue: Such concentrated wealth weakens democracy
The political system serves the interests of the rich
SCHOOLING Industrial societies have expanded opportunities
for schooling, but some receive much more than others
Affects occupation and income Most better-paying, white-collar jobs require a college
degree and other advanced study Blue-collar jobs
Require less schooling Bring lower income and less prestige
OCCUPATIONAL PRESTIGE Generates income and is an important source of
prestige High prestige given to occupations that require
extensive training and generate high income Less prestigious work pays less and requires less
ability and schooling In any society, high-prestige occupations go to
privileged categories Dominated by men Lowest prestige jobs commonly performed by people
of color
ANCESTRY, RACE, AND GENDER Nothing affects social standing as much as birth into a
particular family (Ancestry) Has strong bearing on future schooling, occupation, and
income (Race) is linked closely to social position in the U.S.
Social ranking also involves ethnicity Both men and women are found in families at every
social level (Gender) On average, women have less income, wealth, and
occupational prestige than men Single parent families headed by women are three times
more likely to be poor than those headed by men
Four general rankingsUpper classMiddle classWorking classLower class
The Upper Class Top 5% of the U.S. population General rule:
The more a family’s income comes from inherited wealth, the stronger the family’s claim to being upper-class
Richest 374 people in the U.S. “Capitalists”
The owners of the means of production and most of the nation’s wealth
Historically, composed of white Anglo-Saxon Protestants Less true today
UPPER-UPPERS Less than 1% of U.S. population Membership is by ascription (birth) Possess enormous wealth primarily inherited
“Old Money” Live in exclusive neighborhoods Children typically attend private schools with similar
others Complete formal education at prestigious universities and
colleges Volunteer at charitable organizations
Help community and build networks that broaden their power
LOWER-UPPERS Known as the “working rich” Get money by earning it rather than
inheritance 3 to 4% of U.S. population Live in expensive neighborhoods Vacation homes near water or in mountains Children attend private schools and good
colleges
Upper-Upper vs. Lower Upper
Upper-Upper Lower-Upper
The Middle Class
40 to 45% of U.S. population Tremendous influence on U.S. culture Commercial advertising directed at this group Contains far more ethnic and racial diversity
than upper-class
The Working Class
1/3rd of population sometimes called lower-middle class
Forms the core of the industrial proletariat Have little or no wealth
Vulnerable to financial problems Jobs provide little personal satisfaction Half own their own homes 1/3rd of children go to college
The Lower Class
Remaining 20% of U.S. population Low income makes their lives insecure and
difficult 37 million or 12.6% are classified as poor by
federal government Hold low prestige jobs ½ complete high school; 1 in 4 reaches college Society segregates lower class, especially if
minorities
HEALTH Children in poor families three times more likely to
die during first year of life On average, rich live seven years longer
VALUES AND ATTITUDES “Old Rich” have strong sense of family history Upper-uppers favor understated manners and
tastes Affluent people more tolerant of controversial
behavior Working-class grow up in an atmosphere of
supervision and discipline
POLITICS Higher Classes:
More liberal on social issues Likely to vote and join political organizations because
they are better served by the system
Lower Classes Economic liberals More conservative on social issues
FAMILY AND GENDER Higher social standing
Pass on a different “culture capital” to children Teach individuality and imagination
More egalitarian – sharing more activities and expressing greater intimacy
Friendships likely to share interests and leisure pursuits
Lower class families Families larger than middle class
Earlier marriage and less use of birth control Encourage children to conform to conventional norms and
respect authority Divide responsibilities according to gender roles Serve as sources of material assistance
Four general conclusions–Social Mobility1. Social mobility over the course of the past
century has been fairly high.2. The long-term trend in social mobility has
been upward.3. Within a single generation, social mobility is
usually small.4. Social mobility since the 1970s have been
uneven.
Mobility: Race, Ethnicity, and Gender Whites always in a more privileged position 1980s and 1990s
More African Americans became wealthy Overall income, however, has not changed in three
decades Latinos
Average income in 2005, 64% that of whites Women have less chances because of the type
of jobs they hold Earnings gap between men and women is narrowing
Mobility and Marriage Marriage has an important effect on social
standing Married people accumulate about twice as much
wealth compared to single and divorce
Compared to singles, married men and women work harder and save more
Divorce makes social standing go down Divorced couples support two households Men earn more than women Divorced women lose income and benefits
Relative Poverty The deprivation of some people in relation to
those who have more 12.6% or 37 million of U.S. population – are
classified as poor
Absolute Poverty A deprivation of resources that is life-threatening
Who Are The Poor?
AGE Burden of poverty falls most heavily on children 35% of the U.S. poor are children
RACE AND ETHNICITY 2/3rds of all poor are white 25% are African American
Three times likely as whites to be poor High rates of child poverty among people of color
34.5% African American children 28.3% Hispanic children 10.0% White children
Explaining Poverty
Two opposing explanations
One View: Blame the Poor The poor are primarily responsible for their own
poverty Culture of Poverty
A lower-class subculture that can destroy people’s ambition t improve their lives
Another View: Blame Society Society is primarily responsible for poverty
Primary cause is loss of jobs in inner cities Government should fund jobs and provide affordable
child care for low-income mothers and fathers