Stratification

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Stratification

• The organization of inequality in society
• Provides a system for dispersal of scarce goods
  and resources
  

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Consider these 2004 Earnings
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• Avg. pay for CEO of lg. company --- 375 times
  avg. Iowa workers pay
  
• Japanese CEO receives 40x worker pay
• Highest tax bracket in U.S. is 35
• 15 on dividends and LT capital gains

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Theoretical Perspectives Conflict

• K. Marx, R. Dahrendorf
• Classes determined by relationship to means of
  productionowners/workers
  

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Functionalist Perspective

• T. Parsons, W. Moore, Davis Moore

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Functionalist Perspective (cont.)

• Consider.What positions are most critical to our
  society?
  
• Do those positions receive greatest rewards?

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Median Annual Salaries 2004Bureau of Labor
Statistics
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Median Annual Salaries 2004Bureau of Labor
Statistics
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2003 Hourly Earnings Average

• Full time job
• Cashier _at_ 7.81/hr 15,620/yr
• Subtract 7.65 FICA, Med. 1,195
• 14,425/yr
• Home health aide _at_ 7.81/hr 15,620/yr
• or 14,425/yr

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(No Transcript)
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Wealth (Forbes 2005 rankings)

• 1. Bill Gates 46.5 billion
• 2. Warren Buffet 44.0 billion
• 5. Prince A.B. Talal Alsaud 23.7 billion
• 8. Karl Albrecht 18.5 billion
• 10. S. Robson Walton 18.2 billion
• 11- 15 Four other Walton heirs 18 billion
  each
  
• 25. Abigail Johnson 12.0
• 27. Barbara Cox Anthony 11.7
• 27. Anne Cox Chambers 11.7
• 32. Forrest Mars Jr 10.4
• Jacqueline Mars 10.4
• John Mars 10.4

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Dimensions of Stratification

• Family and kinship
• Religion
• Power
• Achievement
• Gender and race
• Possessions/Wealth
• Occupational prestige
• Education

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Possessions/Wealth

• Wealth better than poverty in U.S.
• In gesellschaft (modern society), difficult for
  people to know others class status and wealth

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Soc. 134 Parents Income (Percent)Iowa md family
income 51,505 for 2004, 55,327 U.S.Md. your
family 70,000 approx.
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Occupational Prestige

• (Hodge, Treiman, and Rossi)
• Factors associated with prestige
• Compensation, education, skills, power, nature of
  the work
  
• Impact of gender

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Education

• Not as highly respected in U.S. as in some other
  cultures

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Reasons for Attending College (Percent
indicating very important, Soc. 134 Survey)
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Many Dimensions of Stratification

• Many and varied opportunities to move up the
  stratification scale

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Socioeconomic Class

• Term that connotes overall status
• Implies a relationship between dimensions
• Sociologists usually use
• Education, income, occupational prestige
• Sometimes add life style

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Socioeconomic Class Categories

• Upper upper class
• Lower upper class
• Upper middle class
• Middle class
• Working class (lower middle)
• Lower classes (working poor, unemployed)

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Upper Classes

• 2 of U.S. population
• Much more in other assets (wealth)
• Lower upper have new wealth

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Middle Classes

• Upper middlewell educated professionals,
  affluent but not wealthy
  
• Middle class25-30 of population
• Avg. HH income 40,000-80,000

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Working Class (lower middle)

• About one third of population
• Semi skilled and unskilled labor
• High school education or less
• HH income 25,000 to 40,000/yr

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Lower Classes

• Working poor (14 of population)
• Low pay, no benefits, little security
• Underclass (9 of population)
• Unemployed or seasonally employed

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ISU vs. U.S. Class Distribution ()
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Consequences of Stratification

• Upper/middle as compared to working/lower
• In Political Life
• More likely to vote Republican

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In Religion

• Upper and middle classes
• Less religious, more likely to belong to a
  church
  
• Baptists draw more from lower classes

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In Family Life

• Higher divorce rate in lower classes
• Upper middle/middle-- more child centered
• Lower classes more concerned with obedience, less
  child centered

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Money Can Buy Happiness

• The lower classes have
• Higher crime victimization rates
• Pay higher taxes as percent of income