Stratification

Jimmy

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!

Economic Systems

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