Social Stratification

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Chapter 8

• Social Stratification

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Chapter Outline

• Dimensions of Stratification
• Explanations of Stratification
• Stratification in American Society
• Poverty in America
• Consequences of Stratification
• Social Mobility
• Global Stratification

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Questions for Consideration

• What are the major social classes in the
  U.S.?
• For which class is inherited wealth most
  important?
• How are ones education and occupation related to
  ones social class?
• In what ways does television shape our ideas
  about social class?

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Dimensions of Stratification

• Social Stratification layers created within the
  population that ranks individuals by unequal
  shares of scarce desirables wealth, prestige,
  and power.
• A stratification structure is composed of
• Social classes segments of a population whose
  members hold a similar share of resources.
• Number of social classes varies within different
  stratification structures.

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Economic Dimension

• Marx believed the economic factor was an
  independent variable explaining the existence of
  social classes.
• Weber saw the economic dimension as a dependent
  variable. Therefore, he was more concerned with
  the economic consequences of stratification.

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Economic Dimension - Marx

• Marx predicted that capitalist societies would
  ultimately be reduced to two social
  classes
• Bourgeoisie the rulers
• Proletariat those who are ruled
• All of capitalist society was a superstructure
  resting on an economic foundation the economy
  determined the nature of the society.

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Economic Dimension - Weber

• Weber envisioned several social classes and
  examined the consequences (life chances) of
  peoples relationships to the economic
  institution.
• Distinguished income (amount of money
  received) from wealth (all economic resources
  possessed by an individual or group).

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Questions for Consideration

• What are the life chances identified in this
  video?
• How do life chances change for the Guerry family?
• In what ways do their life chances impact their
  income and wealth?
• What are the pros and cons of self-employment?

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Economic Inequality in America

• America was not to have much economic inequality,
  yet for the past 30 years income inequality has
  been increasing.
• The top 1 of the population has accumulated over
  70 of all earnings growth.
• The U.S. is now the most economically polarized
  and unequal of the major Western countries.
• In 2005, CEO pay became 262 times the average
  workers pay.

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Percentage Change in After-Tax Income
19792005
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Economic Inequality in America Cont.

• The richest 1 of households received 70 times as
  much in average after-tax income than the poorest
  one-fifth of households and 20 times as much as
  the middle one-fifth of households.
• When looking at wealth, the top 1 of American
  households holds about 33 of the nations
  wealth the top 20 has 84 of the wealth, the
  bottom 80 owns 16 of the nations wealth.

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Shares of Wealth
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Power Dimension - Weber

• Power the ability to control the behavior of
  others, even against their will.
• Weber argues that economic success and power do
  not necessarily overlap. However, Marx would
  disagree.
• Weber has several points to
  this argument.

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Power A Separate Dimension

• Although money can be used to exert power, that
  does not mean that is how it will be used money
  is a resource that can be used to enhance power,
  but a decision must be made to use it that way.
• Money and ownership of the means of production
  are not the only resources that can be used as a
  basis for power.
• Power is attached to social positions we hold.
• We can overcome a scarcity of resources if we
  have large numbers of people on our side or if we
  are skillful at organizing our resources.

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Prestige Dimension - Weber

• Prestige recognition, respect, and admiration
  attached to social positions. It is defined by
  ones culture and society.
• Favorable social evaluation is based on norms and
  values within a group.
• Prestige is voluntarily given,
  not claimed.
• Those accorded similar levels share identifiable
  lifestyles.

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Occupational Prestige

• Occupations with the greatest prestige
• Pay the most
• Require the greatest amount of training, skill,
  and ability
• Provide the most power
• Are considered the most important

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Questions for Consideration

• Do you think these occupational rankings are
  universal throughout the world?
• In what ways do you think gender may
  impact the prestige ranking of these
  positions?
• Does wealth always follow occupational prestige?
• What factors do you believe impact prestige?

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Basis of Occupational Prestige

• According to Robert Hodge, Paul Siegel, and Peter
  Rossi (1964) all societies rely on comparable
  factors when determining occupational prestige.
• Occupational prestige scores vary according to
  the following compensation, education, skills
  and ability required power importance to the
  society, and nature of the work.

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Functionalism and Stratification

• Functionalist theory views inequality as
  rendering a service.
• The most qualified people fill the most important
  positions and perform their tasks
  competently.
• Society attaches special monetary rewards
  and prestige to these positions in order
  to encourage people to fill these jobs of
  prestige.

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Weaknesses of Functionalist Theory

1. There are many people who have power, prestige
   and wealth whose contributions to society do not
   seem very important (e.g., top athletes, film
   stars).
2. Ignores barriers to competition faced by some
   members of society the poor, women, the aged,
   African Americans, etc.
3. Overlooks the inheritance of social class level.
4. Has an ethnocentric basis. It assumes that
   all people in all societies will be motivated
   to compete for a greater portion of the
   scarce desirables.

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Conflict Theory of
Stratification

• Stratification exists because it helps people
  holding the most power and economic resources to
  maintain the status quo.
• Inequality exists because some people are willing
  to exploit others.
• Stratification is then based on force rather than
  consent. Those with wealth, power, and prestige
  are able to maintain their share of desirables in
  society.

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Symbolic Interactionism and Stratification

• Social stratification persists only as long as
  its legitimacy is accepted.
• Symbolic interaction helps us understand the
  process of legitimation.
• Symbols explain the existence of stratification
  to the young and the reasons for people being
  located in particular strata.
• Views of legitimacy are incorporated into an
  individuals self-concept as well.

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Theoretical Perspectives Social Stratification
Perspective Research Topic
Functionalism Relationship between job performance and pay
Conflict theory Relationship between social class and the likelihood of punishment for a crime
Symbolic Interactionism Link between social class and self-esteem
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Class Consciousness

• Class consciousness a sense of identification
  with the goals and interests of the members of
  ones own social class.
• It has been pretty recent that attempts have been
  made to describe the stratification structure of
  America as a whole.

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Identification of Social Classes

• Social classes are fluid and abstract.
• Major features for the American
  class structure
• Upper Class (about 1 of population)
• Upper Middle Class (about 14)
• Middle Middle Class ( about 30)
• Working Class (about 30)
• Lower Class (about 25)

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Questions for Consideration

• Are members of the upper class all
  alike?
• What is the composition of the middle class?
• What is unique about the working
  class?
• What is the most common shared characteristic of
  the lower class?

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Measuring Poverty

• Absolute poverty absence of enough money to
  secure lifes necessities.
• Determined by annual income.
• Anything below a determined (absolute) amount is
  poverty.
• Relative poverty measured by comparing economic
  condition of those at the bottom with that of
  other strata.
• Determined by standards within a
  society.

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Poverty in America

• Poverty in America has been measured in an
  absolute way, drawing the poverty line.
• Poverty line an annual income level below which
  people are considered poor.
• The poor, as measured by this standard in the
  U.S., comprises over 12 of the population.

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Identifying the Poor

• Nearly 44 of the poor in America are non-Latino
  white.
• Yet, the poverty rate for whites is 8.2.
• Poverty rate for African Americans and Latinos is
  more than 20 each.
• Although, African Americans and Latinos account
  for only ¼ of the total population.

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The Distribution of Poverty in the United States
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Questions for Consideration

• What other conclusions can you make from the
  figure?
• In what ways do you think gender and/or age are
  related to poverty?

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Americas Poor

• Older Americans makeup over 9 of the poor (age
  65).
• About ½ of poor households are female-headed.
• About 20 million of the poor in America are over
  18 years of age.
• 45 of poor Americans are working.
• 1/3 of welfare mothers are working.

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Ideology of Individualism

1. Each individual should work hard to succeed in
   competition with others.
2. Those who work hard should be rewarded with
   success.
3. Because of widespread and equal opportunity,
   those who work hard will be rewarded with
   success.
4. Economic failure is an individuals own fault and
   reveals lack of effort.

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Perception of Poverty

• According to the ideology of individualism, those
  at the bottom are where they belong because they
  lack the ability, energy, and motivation to
  survive in a competitive social world.
• Researchers Kluegel and Smith (1990) found that
  individualistic explanations were the most
  popular when respondents were asked to explain
  poverty in America.

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Questions for Consideration

• Do you agree with any of the perceptions/reasons
  listed?
• What factors do you think impact individuals
  perception of the poor?
• Does race influence attitudes toward the poor?
• Does gender influence attitudes toward the poor?

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Responses to Poverty

• In 1964, President Lyndon Johnson marshaled the
  forces of the federal government to begin a War
  on Poverty.
• Prior to this time fighting poverty was not a
  major goal of the federal government.
• Aid to Families with Dependent Children and
  Social Security did not reach the lowest levels
  of needy citizens.

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Goals of War on Poverty

• President John F. Kennedy believed the chains of
  poverty were to be broken through
  self-improvement, not temporary relief.
• Overall goal was to help poor people help
  themselves.

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Welfare Reform

• Prior to 1996 the main source of welfare
  assistance was AFDC.
• In 1996, AFDC was replaced with Temporary
  Assistance to Needy Families (TANF).
• TANF limits the amount of time one can receive
  welfare payments to a 5 year lifetime limit.

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Three Elements to Welfare Reform Legislation

1. Reduces welfare spending.
2. Increases state and local power to oversee
   welfare rules.
3. Adds new restrictions on welfare
   eligibility.

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Success of Welfare Reform

• According to the Administration of Children and
  Families, welfare rolls have decreased
  substantially since TANF was enacted.
• Only a small number have been removed due to new
  time limits.
• Most of the people who left the rolls in the late
  1990s could find only low-wage jobs in industries
  such as food service, home health care, and
  retail sales.
• Wages grew more slowly or fell.
• Many of those who left the welfare rolls continue
  to life in or near poverty.

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Consequences of Stratification

• Life Chances the likelihood of possessing
  the good things in life health, happiness,
  education, wealth, legal production, and even
  life itself. Power, prestige, and economic
  rewards increase with social class level. This is
  also the case for education.
• Lifestyle social class differences in lifestyle
  can be observed in many areas of American life,
  including education, material and family
  relations, child rearing, political attitudes and
  behavior, and religious affiliation.

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Social Mobility

• Social mobility the movement of individuals or
  groups within a stratification structure.
• Intragenerational mobility social class
  movement within the career of an individual.
• Intergenerational mobility social class
  movement from one generation to the next.
• Horizontal mobility change from one occupation
  to another at same status.
• Vertical mobility occupational or social class
  moves upward or downward.

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Questions for Consideration

• What type of mobility can be used to described
  Elaine Bell Kaplans mobility? What level did she
  rise to?
• What was the major factor that made her mobility
  possible?
• What are some indicators of her socio-economic
  status as a child and today?

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Caste Stratification System

• Caste system there is no social mobility.
  Social status is inherited. Statuses are ascribed
  or assigned at birth. Those in one caste are
  allowed to marry only within their own caste and
  must limit their relationships with those above
  and below them.
• Example India

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Open Class Stratification System

• Open class system an individuals social status
  is based on merit and individual effort.
  Individuals move up and down the stratification
  structure as their abilities, education,
  resources, and commitment to work permit.
  Inequality is based on differences in monetary
  worth and personal accomplishment.
• Example United States

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Social Mobility Comparisons
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Global Stratification

• Scarce desirables are also differently
  distributed among nations.
• Gross domestic product (GDP) total value of the
  goods and services it produces in one year.
• Levels of income inequality vary around the
  world, from low income inequality in Sweden and
  Ukraine to moderate income inequality in the U.S.
  to high income inequality in Bolivia.

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Global Inequality
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Questions for Consideration

• Where are the high-income economies?
• What pattern of global poverty do you see
  demonstrated on this map?

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Global Poverty

• One quarter of the Earths population remains in
  extreme poverty.
• More than one half of the worlds population (3.3
  billion) lives below the internationally
  established poverty line of less than 2/day.
• Advancement in reducing world hunger has come to
  a virtual halt.
• In the past 50 years, poverty in the world has
  decreased more than in the preceding five
  centuries.

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Questions for Consideration

• How would a functional theorist and then
  conflict theorist explain the reality of wage
  differences and those countries where there are
  people living on less than 1/day?
• How can you analyze the social mobility that has
  occurred in your family across as many
  generations as you can?