STRATIFICATION AND CLASS

1
STRATIFICATION AND CLASS

• The Measurable Division of Society

2
Two Primary Questions to Address

• Why does stratification occur?
• How does stratification occur?

3
SOCIO-HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE

• Slavery
• Caste
• Estate System
• Social Class System

4
ECONOMICALLY BASEDSOCIAL CLASS

• POSITION WITHIN THE SOCIAL CLASS SYSTEM IS
• FLUID
• ACHIEVED
• ECONOMICALLY BASED
• LARGE SCALE AND IMPERSONAL

5
THE REALITY OF SOCIAL CLASS

• CLASS DIVISIONS ARE REAL, ARE POWERFUL IN THEIR
  SOCIAL IMPACT, AND ARE MEASURED BY
• INCOME
• PERSONAL WEALTH

6
DIVISION BY INCOME

• INCOME CHANGE SINCE 1999
• WEALTHIEST 1 SAW INCOME RISE AVG. OF 9
• BOTTOM 20 SAW INCOME DECLINE 2.5
• MIDDLE 20 SAW INCOME RISE 1.3

7
DIVISION BY INCOME

• INCOME GAP SINCE 1999
• TOP 20 EARNED 7x THAT OF POOREST 20
• WEALTHIEST EXPERIENCING INCOME GROWTH AT DOUBLE
  THAT OF THE MIDDLE CLASS

8
DIVISION BY INCOME

• TOP 1 EARNED 21.2 OF INCOME (1/100 EARNED 1/5
  OF INCOME)
• TOP 10 EARNED 46.44 OF INCOME
• BOTTOM 50 EARNED 12.83 OF INCOME

9
DIVISION OF WEALTH

• DATA TAKEN FROM FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD
• CONCENTRATION OF WEALTH AMONG A SMALL NUMBER OF
  FAMILIES

10
(No Transcript)
11
SOCIAL MOBILITY

• VERTICAL MOVEMENT IS ANTICIPATED AND EXPECTED
• INTRAGENERATIONAL
• INTERGENERATIONAL
• MOVEMENT IS BASED ON STRUCTURE AND EXCHANGE

12
THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVESON SOCIAL STRATIFICATION

• Conflict Theory Economically Based Class
  System Dominates Based on Control Systems
• Functional Theory Based on Social Imbalance,
  beginning with Industrialization
• Symbolic Interaction Theory Based on and
  Perpetuated by Perceivable Differences Weber
  introduces concept of Status as Mitigator of
  Power of Social Class