Sociology in the Fastlane - Man in Societyposition in a system of social stratification 1. Social...
Transcript of Sociology in the Fastlane - Man in Societyposition in a system of social stratification 1. Social...
![Page 1: Sociology in the Fastlane - Man in Societyposition in a system of social stratification 1. Social mobility may be upward, downward, or horizontal 2. Intragenerational Social Mobility](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022041923/5e6ce326ef6c453ea7239e92/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
Sociology in the Fastlane
The Mechanisms of Social Reality
![Page 2: Sociology in the Fastlane - Man in Societyposition in a system of social stratification 1. Social mobility may be upward, downward, or horizontal 2. Intragenerational Social Mobility](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022041923/5e6ce326ef6c453ea7239e92/html5/thumbnails/2.jpg)
WHAT IS SOCIAL STRATIFICATION?
• Social stratification is defined as a system by which society ranks categories of people in a hierarchy
•Four fundamental principles of stratification: 1. Social stratification is a characteristic of
society
2. Social stratification persists over generations
![Page 3: Sociology in the Fastlane - Man in Societyposition in a system of social stratification 1. Social mobility may be upward, downward, or horizontal 2. Intragenerational Social Mobility](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022041923/5e6ce326ef6c453ea7239e92/html5/thumbnails/3.jpg)
SOCIAL MOBILITY
• Most societies allow some sort of social mobility or changes in people's position in a system of social stratification 1. Social mobility may be upward, downward, or horizontal
2. Intragenerational Social Mobility A change in social position occurring during a person’s lifetime
3. Intergenerational Social Mobility Upward or downward social mobility of children in relation to
their parents
4. Structural social mobility A shift in the social position of large numbers of people due
more to changes in society than to individual efforts
![Page 4: Sociology in the Fastlane - Man in Societyposition in a system of social stratification 1. Social mobility may be upward, downward, or horizontal 2. Intragenerational Social Mobility](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022041923/5e6ce326ef6c453ea7239e92/html5/thumbnails/4.jpg)
OPEN AND CLOSED SYSTEMS
• Sociologists distinguish between:
•Open Systems (Class Systems)
• Permit much more social mobility
• Closed Systems (Caste Systems)
• Allow little change in social position
![Page 5: Sociology in the Fastlane - Man in Societyposition in a system of social stratification 1. Social mobility may be upward, downward, or horizontal 2. Intragenerational Social Mobility](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022041923/5e6ce326ef6c453ea7239e92/html5/thumbnails/5.jpg)
CLASS SYSTEMS (OPEN)
• Social stratification based on both birth and individual achievement
• Schooling and skills lead to social mobility
• Work is no longer fixed at birth but involves some personal choice
• Meritocracy
• Social stratification based on personal merit
• Status Consistency Inconsistency
• The degree of consistency in a person’s social standing across
various dimensions of social inequality
![Page 6: Sociology in the Fastlane - Man in Societyposition in a system of social stratification 1. Social mobility may be upward, downward, or horizontal 2. Intragenerational Social Mobility](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022041923/5e6ce326ef6c453ea7239e92/html5/thumbnails/6.jpg)
CASTE SYSTEM
• Social stratification based on ascription or birth
• Little or no social mobility
• Caste position determines life from birth
• The caste guides everyday life by keeping people in the company of their “own kind”
• Typically agrarian because agriculture demands a lifelong routine of work
![Page 7: Sociology in the Fastlane - Man in Societyposition in a system of social stratification 1. Social mobility may be upward, downward, or horizontal 2. Intragenerational Social Mobility](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022041923/5e6ce326ef6c453ea7239e92/html5/thumbnails/7.jpg)
IDEOLOGY
• Cultural beliefs that justify particular social arrangements, including patterns of inequality •Every culture considers some type of inequality fair • Ideology changes with a society’s economy and technology •Historically, challenges to status quo always arise
![Page 8: Sociology in the Fastlane - Man in Societyposition in a system of social stratification 1. Social mobility may be upward, downward, or horizontal 2. Intragenerational Social Mobility](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022041923/5e6ce326ef6c453ea7239e92/html5/thumbnails/8.jpg)
FOUR FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OF STRATIFICATION
1. Social stratification is a characteristic of society
2. Social stratification persists over generations
3. Social stratification is universal but variable
4. Social stratification involves both inequality and beliefs
![Page 9: Sociology in the Fastlane - Man in Societyposition in a system of social stratification 1. Social mobility may be upward, downward, or horizontal 2. Intragenerational Social Mobility](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022041923/5e6ce326ef6c453ea7239e92/html5/thumbnails/9.jpg)
PATTERNED INEQUALITY
• Saying that inequality is patterned indicates that the differences occur: 1. on a wide-scale basis
2. with regularity
3. and along lines of certain specific, identifiable characteristics
![Page 10: Sociology in the Fastlane - Man in Societyposition in a system of social stratification 1. Social mobility may be upward, downward, or horizontal 2. Intragenerational Social Mobility](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022041923/5e6ce326ef6c453ea7239e92/html5/thumbnails/10.jpg)
THREE PREMISES
1. Power: the ability to impose one’s will on others
2. Property: forms of wealthy
3. Prestige: the respect given by others
![Page 11: Sociology in the Fastlane - Man in Societyposition in a system of social stratification 1. Social mobility may be upward, downward, or horizontal 2. Intragenerational Social Mobility](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022041923/5e6ce326ef6c453ea7239e92/html5/thumbnails/11.jpg)
OCCUPATIONAL PRESTIGE
• Generates income and is an important source of prestige
• High prestige given to occupations that require extensive
training and generate high income
• Less prestigious work pays less and requires less ability
and schooling
• In any society, high-prestige occupations go to privileged
categories
![Page 12: Sociology in the Fastlane - Man in Societyposition in a system of social stratification 1. Social mobility may be upward, downward, or horizontal 2. Intragenerational Social Mobility](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022041923/5e6ce326ef6c453ea7239e92/html5/thumbnails/12.jpg)
![Page 13: Sociology in the Fastlane - Man in Societyposition in a system of social stratification 1. Social mobility may be upward, downward, or horizontal 2. Intragenerational Social Mobility](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022041923/5e6ce326ef6c453ea7239e92/html5/thumbnails/13.jpg)
LIFE CHANCES
• Opportunities that individuals do or do no
have to engage in certain activities
• Opportunities that they do or do not have to
accomplish certain goals
![Page 14: Sociology in the Fastlane - Man in Societyposition in a system of social stratification 1. Social mobility may be upward, downward, or horizontal 2. Intragenerational Social Mobility](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022041923/5e6ce326ef6c453ea7239e92/html5/thumbnails/14.jpg)
EXPLANATION FOR STRATIFICATION
• The Davis-Moore Thesis (Functionalist Approach)
1. Social stratification has beneficial consequences for the operation of society
2. The greater the functional importance of a position, the more rewards a society attaches to it
3. Any society can be egalitarian, but only to the extent that people are willing to let anyone perform any job
4. Positions a society considers crucial must offer enough rewards to draw talented people away from less important work
![Page 15: Sociology in the Fastlane - Man in Societyposition in a system of social stratification 1. Social mobility may be upward, downward, or horizontal 2. Intragenerational Social Mobility](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022041923/5e6ce326ef6c453ea7239e92/html5/thumbnails/15.jpg)
EXPLANATIONS FOR STRATIFICATION
• Karl Marx: Class Conflict (Conflict Approach)
•Social stratification is rooted in people’s relationship to the means of production
• Capitalists/Bourgeoisie: People who own and operate factories and other businesses in pursuit of profit
• Proletariat: Working people who sell their labor for wages
![Page 16: Sociology in the Fastlane - Man in Societyposition in a system of social stratification 1. Social mobility may be upward, downward, or horizontal 2. Intragenerational Social Mobility](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022041923/5e6ce326ef6c453ea7239e92/html5/thumbnails/16.jpg)
CLASS, STATUS AND POWER
• Max Weber identified three distinct dimensions of stratification: class, power, and status
• Social standing consists of three parts:
•Class: Determined mainly by economic standing or wealth
•Party: Which was equivalent to political power
•Status: Social prestige and honor
![Page 17: Sociology in the Fastlane - Man in Societyposition in a system of social stratification 1. Social mobility may be upward, downward, or horizontal 2. Intragenerational Social Mobility](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022041923/5e6ce326ef6c453ea7239e92/html5/thumbnails/17.jpg)
SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS (SES)
• A composite ranking based on various dimensions of social inequality
1. Education
2. Wealth Assets
Income
3. Occupational Prestige
![Page 18: Sociology in the Fastlane - Man in Societyposition in a system of social stratification 1. Social mobility may be upward, downward, or horizontal 2. Intragenerational Social Mobility](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022041923/5e6ce326ef6c453ea7239e92/html5/thumbnails/18.jpg)
EXPLANATIONS FOR STRATIFICATION
• Micro-level analysis (Symbolic Interactionism)
• Social standing affects everyday interaction
• People with different social standing keep their
distance from one another
• Conspicuous consumption
• Buying and using products with an eye to the “statement”
they make about social position
![Page 19: Sociology in the Fastlane - Man in Societyposition in a system of social stratification 1. Social mobility may be upward, downward, or horizontal 2. Intragenerational Social Mobility](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022041923/5e6ce326ef6c453ea7239e92/html5/thumbnails/19.jpg)
POVERTY
• Relative Poverty
• The deprivation of some people in relation to those who have more
• Absolute Poverty
• A life-threatening deprivation of resources
• Poverty Line
•Government determination of what poverty is
• $20,614 for a family of four
![Page 20: Sociology in the Fastlane - Man in Societyposition in a system of social stratification 1. Social mobility may be upward, downward, or horizontal 2. Intragenerational Social Mobility](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022041923/5e6ce326ef6c453ea7239e92/html5/thumbnails/20.jpg)
EXPLAINING POVERTY
• Blame the poor: The poor are responsible for their own poverty
• Culture of Poverty
• A lower-class subculture that can destroy people’s ambition to improve their
lives
• Blame society: Society is primarily responsible for poverty
• Primary cause is loss of jobs in inner cities
• Government should fund jobs and provide affordable child care for low-income
mothers and fathers
• The Working Poor
• The Truly Disadvantaged (W.J. Wilson)
• This group consists of people who live predominantly in the inner city and
who are trapped in a cycle of joblessness, deviance, crime, welfare
dependency, and unstable family life.