Post on 18-Jan-2016
Stratification
How is the story of the Titanic a good example of stratification?
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Stratification
Stratification
Stratification
What is Social Stratification?
SOCIAL STRATIFICATION - A system by which a society ranks individuals or categories of people on the basis of unequal access to scarce resources and social rewards.
By definition, it implies inequality.
Stratification
In what ways are these people equal? What do they have in common?
How are they different? Unequal?
Four Basic Principles in Social Stratification
1. A trait of society, not just individual differences like talent or effort
Social inequality stands as a basic dimension of how society is organized.
CHANGES OVER TIME
Four Basic Principles in Social Stratification
2. Persist over Generations
Social Position linked to family.
How has your family passed on their social position?
Are you stuck in your family’s social position?
Social Mobility- (Changes in social position-horizontal, vertical)
Does social mobility look the same in every country? Every state? Every town?
Four Basic Principles in Social Stratification
3. Universal but variable
Stratification is found everywhere, but characteristics vary from one society to another... what is unequal and how
unequal varies from one society to another.
Come up with some examples of some different ways society creates
inequality.
Four Basic Principles in Social Stratification
4. Involves not just inequality but beliefs.
The explanation of why people should be unequal varies from one society to
the next.
So why does there have to be inequality in society?
Stratification
What does this statement mean to you?
Systems of inequality affect what a person does and when and how
he or she does it.
Caste System
Caste System - Social stratification based on ascription.
Pure caste system - Birth alone determines one's destiny.
NO SOCIAL MOBILITY
Caste System
How it affects people's lives?1) Specific Occupations2) Marrying within categories3) Stay in company of own kind4) Rest on powerful cultural beliefs
Caste System
South Africa ~ Apartheid system of Government
Caste System
India ~ Caste system as part of Hindu beliefs
Class System
Class System - Social stratification based on both birth and individual achievement.
MORE SOCIAL MOBILITY
Class System
How it affects people's lives1) Personal choices2) Equal standings before the law3) Greater opportunities
Class System
EX) United States, How?
Why are Societies Stratified?
1. Davis-Moore Thesis (Structural-Functional Paradigm) Social Stratification has beneficial
consequences to a society. Society is a complex system Works towards a stable society
Why are Societies Stratified? (Davis-Moore)
Society has many different occupational positions
Easier Jobs More common than others Less Training or Education Rewards are less ($ or prestige)
High Daily Responsibility Jobs Special abilities are required More training needed (education) Functional importance of job Rewards are more ($ or prestige)
Why are Societies Stratified? (Marx)
2. Karl Marx (Class Conflict) - Social Conflict Paradigm Society is a collection of inequalities
(promotes conflict and change) Social Stratification favors some at the
expense of others Struggle between classes of people over
valued resources
Why are Societies Stratified? (Marx)
Two Social Classes1. Bourgeoisie (Capitalists)- Owners of
land and industry = Profit2. Proletariat (Workers)- Taken
advantage of to maximize profit wages = conflict
Conflict will end when Capitalism is abolished!
Capitalism
ADAM SMITH – FOUNDER Means of production are privately
owned
Capitalism
1. Private ownership of property factories, real estate, natural
resources2. Pursuit of personal profit encourages accumulation of wealth 3. Free competition No government interference (laissez-
faire)
Socialism
KARL MARX- FOUNDER Means of production are collectively
owned
Socialism
1. Collective ownership limits the right to private property housing to all seeks to lessen economic inequality
(classless society) 2. Pursuit of collective goals private trading is illegal (black
market) 3. Government control of economy
Communism
End result of process starting with capitalism and socialism
Communism
1. Hypothetical economic and political system
all members are equal not yet achieved
Social class in the U.S.And collars
On your post-it note write out your social class? Choose from the following options Upper class Middle class Working class Lower class
Are we an industrialized country? Or beyond that?
Can you survive with just a high school degree?
What is happening to the middle class?
Social Mobility
Movement of individuals between social classes: Horizontal Movement: same social class Vertical Movement: class change Intergenerational Mobility Intragenerational Mobility
Trends in mobility After WWII Today
- Effects of downward mobility
Class in the US
Other way of looking at Class
ClassSize
(% of pop.) $$$ Education Job
UPPER 5% 160K & - Ivy-League
upper-upper 1%“Old Money”
Inherited
lower-upper 4%“Working Rich”CEO, celebrity
MIDDLE 40-45%
upper-middle 14% 80K-160K 2/3 college & - Hi-White Collar
average-middle
30% 40k-80K 1/2 collegeLo-White CollarHi-Blue Collar
WORKING 33% 25K-40K 1/3 collegeTypical
Blue Collar
LOWER 20% -25K1/4 college
1/2 high school
Min. wage, part time, welfare
Class consciousness- being aware of your social class
Stossel clips
We will break into groups and watch a couple of video clips that deal with issues in stratification
Collars
White- professional or an educated worker who performs semi-professional office, administrative, and sales coordination tasks
Blue- manual labor New- middle-class wage earners
holding jobs in a service industry
Collars
Gold- highly-skilled knowledge workers who are essential to business operations; higher form of white collar
Green- employed in the environmental sectors
Pink- domestic work or “women’s work”
Grey- sometimes used to describe those who work beyond the age of retirement, or those who don’t fit white or blue
Jobs in the US today
Three million open jobs in U.S., but who's qualified? - 60 Minutes - CBS News
Share with someone next to you, what does being poor mean to you?
Related children under 18 years
Size of family unit Eight
None One Two Three Four Five Six Seven or more
One person (unrelated individual).…..
Under 65 years....................………
11,702
65 years and over.................………
10,788
Two people.........................…………………….
Householder under 65 years...........
15,063
15,504
Householder 65 years and over...….
13,596
15,446
Three people.......................………………
17,595
18,106
18,123
Four people.................……………………….
23,201
23,581
22,811
22,891
Five people..................………………………
27,979
28,386
27,517
26,844
26,434
Six people.......................………………..
32,181
32,309
31,643
31,005
30,056
29,494
Seven people.........................…………..
37,029
37,260
36,463
35,907
34,872
33,665
32,340
Eight people.......................…………………
41,414
41,779
41,027
40,368
39,433
38,247
37,011
36,697
Nine people or more................……………
49,818
50,059
49,393
48,835
47,917
46,654
45,512
45,229
43,487
Source: U.S. Census Bureau.
Poverty Thresholds for 2011 by Size of Family and Number of Related Children Under 18 Years
Absolute Poverty: a minimum level of subsistence below which no family should be expected to live
Poverty
Relative Poverty: a floating standard by which people at the bottom of a society are considered deprived or disadvantaged, in comparison to the rest of society, regardless of the specifics of their lifestyle.
How many people are in Poverty?
11.8% or 32.3 million people in 1999 12.5% or 40 million people in 2006
~ around 45-50 million without health care in the US
Where do the poor live?
Location % of population in poverty CITY 18.8 %
SUBURBS 9.0%
RURAL (i.e. Appalachian area)
15.9%
Who are the poor?
Who are the poor?
Of all the poor in America: - 2/3 are white - 1/4 are African American
Who are the poor?
African Americans are three times as likely as non-hispanic whites to be poor.
Racial/Ethnic Group
% Poverty (# of poor in racial group/
total # in racial group
# of Poor in the US
White 8.6% 16.5 million African American 26.5% 9.1 million
Hispanic 27% 8.3 million Asian 14% 1.5 million
How did the Census Bureau come up with the data?
The data presented here are from the Current Population Survey (CPS), 2011 Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC), the source of official poverty estimates. The CPS ASEC is a sample survey of approximately 100,000 household nationwide. These data reflect conditions in calendar year 2010. The official poverty rate in 2010 was 15.1 percent — up from 14.3 percent in 2009. This
was the third consecutive annual increase in the poverty rate. Since 2007, the poverty rate has increased by 2.6 percentage points, from 12.5 percent to 15.1 percent.
In 2010, 46.2 million people were in poverty, up from 43.6 million in 2009—the fourth consecutive annual increase in the number of people in poverty.
Between 2009 and 2010, the poverty rate increased for non-Hispanic Whites (from 9.4 percent to 9.9 percent), for Blacks (from 25.8 percent to 27.4 percent), and for Hispanics (from 25.3 percent to 26.6 percent). For Asians, the 2010 poverty rate (12.1 percent) was not statistically different from the 2009 poverty rate.1
The poverty rate in 2010 (15.1 percent) was the highest poverty rate since 1993 but was 7.3 percentage points lower than the poverty rate in 1959, the first year for which poverty estimates are available.
The number of people in poverty in 2010 (46.2 million) is the largest number in the 52 years for which poverty estimates have been published.
Between 2009 and 2010, the poverty rate increased for children under age 18 (from 20.7 percent to 22.0 percent) and people aged 18 to 64 (from 12.9 percent to 13.7 percent), but was not statistically different for people aged 65 and older (9.0 percent).2
Footnotes: 1 The poverty rate for Blacks was not statistically different from that of Hispanics in 2010. 2 Since unrelated individuals under 15 are excluded from the poverty universe, there are 422,000 fewer children in the poverty universe than in the total civilian noninstitutionalized population.
As of November 14th 2012, there are 50 million people living in poverty
What about more recent data?
http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/poverty/data/incpovhlth/2010/table4.pdf
Where do you place the blame for poverty?
It’s the Individual: Lack of Education/skills No initiative- Lazy (a strong American belief) Culture of Poverty (socialized over generations) Handicapped, Elderly, Sick Substance Abuse
It’s the Society: Discrimination (women, African American, inner-city) Less Opportunity Lack of Jobs (related to skills) Business has left town Education for high technology not present Disintegration of Family Childcare costs (single moms can’t afford to work)
WelfareThe history of welfare in the U.S.
Colonial- Late 19th Century
Puritans: work = salvation + virtue no government help
Church and community provide help for those in severe need widows, sick, handicapped
Families help each other Stress is on self reliance
work ethic/pioneer spirit = not a lot of help
Industrialization/Urbanization
Private Relief and still no government help Hull House (Chicago), Salvation Army,
YMCA, Immigrant Aid Societies▪ Minimal help: adjust to U.S. culture, learn
English, some job training, some food help Church and community help in small
towns, rural areas
The Great Depression
Local and state relief not enough Uncle Sam steps in with Social
Security first significant federal assistance
“welfare” type program assist with seniors, widows...
1960s- “The Great Society” Major involvement of Federal Government
AFDC (Aid for Families with Dependent Children)▪ 1935-1997▪ took care of children whose family was poor▪ 1st large scale program to help women
(divorced/single), kids, seniors (80s)▪ $400/family average payment (doesn’t go far)▪ Replaced by the TANF
Other Programs Headstart, Job Corps, Food Stamps,
Unemployment assistance, FHA loans
Current Welfare:
Shift to “Workfare”- less federal role 1996: Shift AFDC money away from national
and to states to make up qualifications and distribution
TANF: Temporary Assistance to Needy Families took the place of the AFDC Wisconsin pioneers this program People receiving aid must enroll in job training or
work Dramatic drop in welfare numbers Many enter low paying jobs
Non-Traditional “Welfare Today
Mortgage Deductions Tax write-offs
individuals and corporations Subsidies
farmers corporations
Pell Grants: low income college students
Severance packages
A Hidden America: Children of the Mountains 1/5 - YouTube