Chapter 9

Social Class and

Social Stratification

Chapter Outline

Social Differentiation and Social

Stratification
Why Is There Inequality?
The Class Structure of Indonesia
Diverse Sources of Stratification
Social Mobility
Poverty

Social Differentiation

The process by which different statuses

develop in any group, organization, or
society.
In a sports organization, players,
owners, managers, fans, cheerleaders,
and sponsors all have a different status
within the organization.

Social Stratification

A relatively fixed, hierarchical arrangement in

society by which groups have different access to
resources, power, and perceived social worth.
In a sports organization:
Owners control the resources of the teams.
Players earn high salaries, yet do not control
the team resources.
Sponsors provide the resources.
Fans provide revenue.

Inequality in the United States

Nearly 1 in 6 children in the U.S.

live poverty:
30% of African American children
29% of Hispanic children
12% of Asian American children
9.4% of White non-Hispanic
children

Inequality in the United States

15% of the U.S. population has no health

insurance.
The average cost of a days stay in the
hospital is $1, 217two weeks pay for
the average worker

Inequality in the United States

1% of the U.S. population controls 38% of the

total wealth in the nation.
The bottom 20% owe more than they own.
CEOs of major companies earn an average of
$13.1 million dollars per year.
Workers earning the minimum wage make
$10,712 per year, if they work 40 hours a week
for 52 weeks per year and hold only one job.

Types of Stratification Systems

Estate - Elite owns property and has

control over resources.
Caste - rigid hierarchy of classes.
Class - status is partially achieved, there
is some potential for movement between
classes.

Marx: Class and Capitalism

Defined classes in terms of their

relationship to the means of production.
Capitalist class owns the means of
production.
Working class sells their labor for wages.

Weber: Three Dimensions to

Stratification

Class - economic dimension

Status - social dimension
Party - political dimension

Functional and Conflict Theories of

Stratification
Inequality
Motivates people to fill
Functionalism
positions that are needed
for the survival of the whole.
Results when those with the
Conflict Theory
most resources exploit
others.

Functional and Conflict Theories of

Stratification
Class Structure
Functionalism

Differentiation is essential
for a cohesive society.

Conflict Theory

Different groups struggle

over resources and
compete for social
advantage.

Functional and Conflict Theories of

Stratification
Life chances
Functionalism

Those who work hardest

and succeed have greater
life chances.

The most vital jobs in

Conflict Theory society are usually the least
rewarded.

Social Class in the U.S.

Upper class
Upper-middle class
Middle class
Lower-middle class
Lower class

Polling Question

If you were asked to use one of the

following four names for your parents'
social class, which would you say they
belong in?
A.) Upper class
B.) Middle class
C.) Working class
D.) Lower class

The Laddered Model of Stratification

Median Income by Race and Household

Status

Polling Question

People who are rich don't care about

those who are less rich.
A.) Strongly agree
B.) Agree somewhat
C.) Unsure
D.) Disagree somewhat
E.) Strongly disagree

The Double Diamond Model of Stratification

Income Growth by Income Group: Whites

Income Growth by Income Group: Blacks

Income Growth by Income Group:

Hispanics

Wealth and Income

Wealth is the monetary value of

everything one owns, minus debt.
It is calculated by adding all financial
assets and subtracting all debts.
Income is the amount of money brought
into a household from various sources
during a given period.

Distribution of Wealth and

Income

The wealthiest 1% own 38% of all net

worth; the bottom 80% control only 17%.
The top 1% also owns almost half of all
stock; the bottom 80% own only 4% of
total stock holdings.

Whos Got a Piece of the

Pie?

The Tax Burden: For Whom?

Diverse Sources of
Stratification

Race, class, and gender are overlapping

systems of stratification.
Class position is manifested differently,
depending on race and gender.
Example: A Black middle-class man who is
stopped by police when driving through a White
middle-class neighborhood may feel his racial
status is his most outstanding characteristic, but
his race, class, and gender always influence his
life chances.

Poverty Among the Old and

Young

Class Consciousness

The perception that a class structure

exists, along with the feeling of shared
identification with others in ones class.
There are two dimensions to the definition
of class consciousness:
the idea that a class structure exists
ones class identification

Defining Social Mobility

Social mobility is a persons movement over

time from one class to another.
Social mobility can be up or down, although the
American dream emphasizes upward
movement.
Mobility can also be either intergenerational,
occurring between generations; or
intragenerational, occurring within a generation.

Social Mobility

Mobility is a collective effort that involves kin and

sometimes community.
Upward Mobility
People who are upwardly mobile are often
expected to distance themselves from their
origins.
Downward Mobility
As income distribution is becoming more
skewed toward the top, many in the middle
class are experiencing mobility downward.

Poverty in the U.S.

Who are the Poor?

In 2002, there were 34.6 million poor

people in the U.S.
The poor:
31% of Native Americans
24% of African Americans
22% of Hispanics
10% of Asians and Pacific Islanders
10% of Whites

Who are the Homeless?

Battered women
Elderly
Disabled
Mentally Ill (20-25%)
Veterans
AIDS victims

Who are the Homeless?

A 2001 survey of 27 cities found that the

homeless population is:
50% African American
35% White
12% Hispanic
2% Native American
1% Asian

Reasons for Homelessness

Unemployment and/or eviction

Reductions in federal support for
affordable housing
Eroding work opportunities
Inadequate housing for low-income
people

Reasons for Homelessness

Reductions in public assistance

Inadequate health care
Domestic violence
Addiction

Poverty Status by Family

Type and Race

Explanations of Poverty

Culture of poverty - poverty is a way of

life that is transferred from generation to
generation.
Structural causes of poverty - poverty
is caused by economic and social
transformations taking place in the U.S.

Arguments Against
The Culture of Poverty

Fewer than 5% of the poor are chronically

poor.
41% of the able-bodied poor work.
The pattern of welfare cycling is
promoted by wages too low to support a
family.

Quick Quiz

1. Karl Marx defined classes in terms of

their relationship to:
a. capitalism
b. life chances
c. the infrastructure of society
d. the means of production

Answer: d

Karl Marx defined classes in terms of

their relationship to the means of
production.

2. The monetary value of everything one

actually owns is defined as one's:
a. income
b. cumulative income
c. wealth
d. net worth

Answer: c

The monetary value of everything one

actually owns is defined as one's wealth.

3. Which of the following statements is false

regarding social class?
a. Class is a structural phenomenon.
b. Class can be directly observed.
c. Class influences access to societal
resources.
d. Class influences how one is served
by social institutions.

Answer: b

The statement, class can be directly

observed, is false regarding social class.

4. According to the functionalist

perspective, differentiation is essential
for a cohesive society.
a. True
b. False

Answer: True

According to the functionalist perspective,

differentiation is essential for a cohesive
society.