Scarce resources and social rewards are distributed on the basis of ascribed statuses in

Social Inequality & Social Stratification

Week 5: Online

Social Inequality v. Stratification

Inequality = Unequal rewards

Stratification = Groups created by or groupings that create unequal rewards

Social Inequality

Unequal sharing of scarce resources and social rewards

How are rewards distributed?

Caste system: (closed system, movement impossible)

Scarce resources and social networks are distributed on the basis of ascribed statuses

Class system: (open system, movement possible?)

Rewards are determined on the basis of achieved statuses

Social Class

A social class is a group of people who share a similar economic position in society based on their wealth and income.

Therefore, social class is essentially an economic stratification system.

Social Class (Max Weber)

What determines social class?

Wealth: income, property, assets

Power: The ability of people or groups to achieve their goals despite opposition by others (Ex: political parties)

Prestige: The respect person or status position is shown by others (Ex: doctors)

Social Mobility

Social mobility refers to the movement within the social structure, from one social position to another (changing social statuses).

Types of mobility:

Horizontal

Vertical

Social Mobility

Horizontal mobility: A change in occupational position or role without a change of position in the social hierarchy

Vertical mobility:

Movement from one status to another

Movement within the social hierarchy

A change within the lifetime of an individual to a higher or lower status than the person had to begin with

Horizontal examples: When a rural laborer comes to the city and becomes an industrial worker or a manager takes a position in another company there are no significant changes in their position in the hierarchy. Those are the examples of horizontal mobility.

Vertical examples: But if an industrial worker becomes a businessman or lawyer he has radically changed his position in the stratification system.

7

Social Stratification

R. W. Murray defines social stratification as:

“… arrangement of any social group or society into hierarchy of positions that are unequal with regard to power, property, social evaluation, and psychic gratification.”

The division of society into classes, categories, or ranks.

Division in society, leads to social inequality.

Social Stratification

Groups created by or groupings that create unequal rewards.

Most common divisions:

Class

Race

Ethnicity

Gender

Sexuality

We will spend the next few weeks discussing these stratification systems

“Invisible Inequality: Social Class and Childrearing in Black Families and White Families.” (Lareau)

Ethnography of middle class and working class white and black families with 10-year-olds

Class differences in the home impacting children’s life chances (parenting styles and child’s future opportunity)

Class matters, in terms of social class

Middle class families:

Concerted cultivation

Working class families

Accomplishment of natural growth

Who receives more advantages in life?

Applied Sciences

Architecture and Design

Biology

Business & Finance

Chemistry

Computer Science

Geography

Geology

Education

Engineering

English

Environmental science

Spanish

Government

History

Human Resource Management

Information Systems

Law

Literature

Mathematics

Nursing

Physics

Political Science

Psychology

Reading

Science

Social Science

Home

Blog

Archive

Contact

google+twitterfacebook

Copyright © 2019 HomeworkMarket.com