Ch. 12: Social Stratification Flashcards
(36 cards)
defn and aka: social cohesion
aka: social integration
the solidarity and sense of connectedness among different social groups and social classes in society
defn: social stratification
focuses on social inequalities and studies the basic question of who gets what and why
defn: socioeconomic gradient
the proportional improvement in healthcare as one moves up in socioeconomic status
defn: class consciousness
the organization of the working class around shared goals and recognition of a need for collective political action
defn: false consciousness
a misperception of one’s actual position within society (acts as a barrier to class consciousness)
defn: anomie
a lack of widely accepted social norms and the breakdown of social bonds between an individual and society
defn: strain theory
focuses on how anomic conditions (excessive individualism, social inequality, isolation) can lead to deviance
anomic conditions erode social solidarity (sense of community and social cohesion)
what are the two primary sources of social trust?
- social norms of reciprocity (I’ll scratch your back if you scratch mine)
- social networks
defn: social capital
the investment people make in their society in return for economic or collective rewards
the greater the investment, the higher the level of social integration
defn: social integration
the movement of new or underrepresented populations into a larger culture while maintaining their ethnic identities
what are the two types of social inequality that social networks can create?
- situational (socioeconomic advantage)
- positional (based on how connected one is within a network and one’s centrality within that network)
defn: privilege
inequality in opportunity
defn: social capital vs. cultural capital
social capital = the benefits one receives from group association
cultural capital = the benefits one receives from knowledge, abilities, and skills
defn: intersectionality
the compounding of disadvantage seen in individuals who belong to more than one underserved group
defn: social/structural mobility
the result of an economic and occupational structure that allows one to acquire higher-level employment opportunities given proper credentials and experience
defn: intragenerational vs. intergenerational mobility
INTRAGENERATIONAL = changes in social status that happen within a person’s lifetime
INTERGENERATIONAL = changes in social status from parents to children
defn: plutocracy
rule by the upper classes
defn: vertical mobility vs. horizontal mobility
VERTICAL = movement from one social class to another (upward or downward)
HORIZONTAL = a change in occupation or lifestyle by an individual that keeps them within the same social class
defn: upward vs. downward mobility
UPWARD = positive change in a person’s social status (resulting in a higher position)
DOWNWARD = a negative change in a person’s social status, wherein they fall to a lower position
defn: social reproduction
social inequality, especially poverty or inherited wealth, can be reproduced or passed on from one generation to the next
defn: structural poverty
the “holes” in the structure of society are more responsible for poverty than the actions of any individual
defn: absolute vs. relative poverty
ABSOLUTE = a socioeconomic condition in which people do not have enough money or resources to maintain a quality of living that includes basic life necessities (shelter, food, clothing, water)
RELATIVE = people have less income and wealth in comparison to the larger population in which they live
defn: poverty line (US)
derived from the government’s calculation of the minimum income requirements for families to acquire the minimum necessities of life
defn: social exclusion
can arise from a sense of powerlessness when poor or otherwise disadvantaged people feel segregated and isolated from society
