Social Class in the U.S.

1
Chapter 8

• Social Classin the U.S.

2
Chapter Outline

• Income and Wealth Differences in the U.S.
• Classical Perspectives on Social Class
• Contemporary Sociological Models of the U.S.
  Class Structure
• Consequences of Inequality in the United States
• Poverty in the United States
• Sociological Explanations of Social Inequality in
  the United States
• U.S. Stratification in the Future

3
Income and Wealth

• Income is economic gain from wages, salaries,
  governmental aid, and ownership of property.
• Wealth is the value of a persons economic
  assets, including income, personal property, and
  income-producing property.
• Wealth can be used to generate income.

4
Income Inequality

• In 1999
• Wealthiest 20 of households received almost 50
  of total income.
• Poorest 20 of households received less than 4
  of total income.
• Top 5 received more than 20 of all income - an
  amount greater than that received by the bottom
  40 of all households.

5
Wealth Inequality

• A1995 study indicated the holdings of super-rich
  households had risen to almost 40 of all assets
  in the nation.
• One survey found the net worth of the average
  white household was twelve times that of the
  average African American household.
• 44 of whites had assets of 50,000 or more, only
  13 of African Americans were in this category.

6
Weberian Model of the Class Structure

• Upper Class - comprised of people who own
  substantial income-producing assets.
• Upper-Middle Class - based on university degrees,
  authority on the job, and high income.
• Middle Class - a minimum of a high school
  diploma or a community college degree.

7
Weberian Model of the Class Structure

• Working Class - semiskilled workers, in routine,
  mechanized jobs, and workers in pink collar
  occupations.
• Working Poor - live just above to just below the
  poverty line.
• Underclass - people who are poor, seldom
  employed, and caught in long-term deprivation.

8
Marxian Criteria for Class Structure

1. Ownership of the means of production.
2. Employing others.
3. Supervising others on the job.
4. Being employed by someone else.

9
Marxian Model of the Class Structure

• Capitalist Class - those who have inherited
  fortunes, own corporations, are corporate
  executives who control company investments.
• Managerial Class - upper-level managers and
  lower-level managers who may have control over
  employment practices.

10
Marxian Model of the Class Structure

• Small-Business Class - small business owners,
  craftspeople, and professionals who hire a few
  employees and do their own work.
• Working Class - blue-collar workers and
  white-collar workers who do not own the means of
  production.

11
Health Consequences of Inequality

• 13 of children under age 12 are hungry or at
  risk of being hungry.
• Approximately 1/3 of children living in poverty
  consume less than the federally recommended
  guidelines for caloric and nutritional intake.
• An estimated 38.7 million people in the United
  States were without health insurance in 2000.

12
Poverty in the U.S.

• In 1997, over 36 million (13.8 of the U.S.
  population) lived below the poverty level, which
  was 15,141 for a family of four.
• In 2000, over 28 million people lived below the
  official government poverty level of 17,603 for
  a family of four.

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Distribution of Poverty in the U.S. Age and Race
By Age All Races White African American Hispanic
Under 18 16.2 13.0 30.9 28.0
1824 14.4 12.6 23.6 21.5
25-44 9.3 8.1 16.4 17.3
45-64 8.5 7.3 17.0 15.7
65 and above 10.2 8.9 22.3 18.8
14
Distribution of Poverty in the U.S. Education
By Education All Races White African American Hispanic
No high school diploma 22.2 20.1 33.1 25.3
4 years of high school 9.2 7.7 18.0 12.9
Some college 5.9 5.1 10.0 7.3
College degree (or more) 3.2 2.8 5.0 6.6
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Who Are the Poor?

• 1 out of 3 are under 18 years of age.
• 2/3 are women.
• In 2000, 31 of all African Americans and 28 of
  Latino/a children under 18 lived in poverty.

16
Theories of Social Inequality
Functionalist Some degree of social inequality is necessary for the functioning of society and thus is inevitable.
Conflict Powerful individuals and groups use ideology to maintain their positions in society at the expense of others.
Symbolic Interactionist The beliefs and actions of people reflect their class location in society.