Chapter 8Chapter 8Social StratificationSocial Stratification

Learning ObjectivesLearning Objectives

Explain the relationship Explain the relationship between stratification and between stratification and

social classsocial class• Stratification- ranking of people or

groups according to their unequal access to resources

• Social Class- segment of society whose members hold similar amounts of resources and share values, norms, lifestyle

• Each layer in a stratification system is a social class.

• American stratification includes: upper, middle, and lower classes

Compare/Contrast the three Compare/Contrast the three dimensions of stratificationdimensions of stratification

1. Economic - who has the money/who does not have the money– Wealth: having an abundance of resources

(food, clothing)– Income: How much money one has

2. Power - ability to control others’ behavior3. Prestige – recognition, respect, and

admiration attached to positions (celebrities)

3 Different Theories3 Different Theories• Functionalist

– Most qualified people fit the positions– Teachers, bankers, doctors

• Conflict– Differences exist because some people are

willing to use other people (capitalists and workers)

• Symbolic Interactionist– Social class is a result of talent and effort

Characteristics of American Characteristics of American Social ClassesSocial Classes

1. Upper Class2. Middle Class3. Working Class4. Working Poor5. Underclass

Upper ClassUpper Class• 1% of population

– Upper upper class: old money families (Ford, Rockefeller, duPont)• Marry inside their class

– Lower upper class: income but not friends• Molly Brown on Titanic

Middle ClassMiddle Class• 40-50% of population

– Upper middle class• Live well, save money• College degree and high career goals

– Middle middle class• High school education

Working ClassWorking Class• 33% of population

– Lower middle class• Manual labor- truck drivers, factory workers• Unstable employment• No health insurance• No opportunity to move up at work

Working PoorWorking Poor• 13% of population

– Laborers and fast-food workers– Cannot earn enough money to save it

UnderclassUnderclass• 12% of population

– Stay unemployed– Come from poor unemployed families– No education or skills– Physical and mental disabilities are

common– Single parent families (moms)

Measuring Poverty in the USMeasuring Poverty in the US• Absolute Poverty- Not enough money

for necessities of life (food, shelter)• Relative Poverty- Not enough money

for extra materials of life (Playstation)

• Government income for poverty in 2008 is $22,200 for a family of 4

Who are the Poor in the US?Who are the Poor in the US?• Minorities• Females with children• Children under 18• Elderly• Disabled• People who live alone

Poverty Programs in the USPoverty Programs in the US• 1960s President Johnson

– War on Poverty– Welfare programs

• 1998 government spent 3% of budget on welfare

Social Mobility in the USSocial Mobility in the US• Social mobility: movement of individuals

between social classes• Types of mobility

– Horizontal: change within same social class• Teacher to banker

– Vertical: moving up or down• Normal to movie star

– Intergenerational: change in status from one generation to the next

• I become a movie star so my children are automatically famous too

How can you escape How can you escape poverty?poverty?

• Sweet Home Alabama– Social Mobility

• Poverty Project