Ranking & Stratification Flashcards
What is closed, or caste, stratification system?
It is a system in which class, status, and power are ascribed, mobility is highly restricted, and the social system is rigid.
Define authority.
Authority is social power exercised with the consent of others. Parent, teachers, and the government represent different levels of authority.
Conflict theory of stratification is?
It is a theory of stratification according to which the natural conditions of society are constant change and conflict resulting from class struggles. Inequality is the product of such conflict, as one group is victorious over others and asserts itself over the rest of society.
Define estate system of stratification.
It is the prevailing system of feudal Europe, consisting of three estates of functional importance to the society. The estates were hierarchically arranged and permitted a limited amount of social mobility.
Define functionalist theory of stratification.
It is a theory in which social inequality is viewed as inevitable because society must use rewards to ensure that essential tasks are performed. The natural conditions of society are thought to be order and stability (equilibrium).
What is life chances?
Life chance is the opportunity of each individual to fulfill his or her potential as a human being. Life chances differ according to social class.
What is open, or class, society?
It is a society in which the stratification system allows for social mobility and in which a person’s status is achieved rather than being ascribed on the basis of birth. Open systems are characteristic of industrial societies.
Power is…
Power is a dimension of stratification consisting of the ability of one person or group to control the actions of others with or without the latter’s consent.
Social Class is…
Social class is a dimension of stratification consisting of an aggregate of persons in a society who stand in a similar position with regard to some form of power, privilege, or prestige,
What is social mobility?
It is an individual’s ability to change his or her social class membership by moving up (or down) the stratification system. Upward or downward mobility is vertical, whereas mobility that results in a change of status without a consequent change of class is horizontal.
Social status is?
It is a dimension of stratification consisting of an individual’s ranked position within the social system, the rank being determined mainly by the individual’s occupational role.
Define social stratification (ranking).
A process existing in all but the simplest societies whereby members rank one another and themselves hierarchically with respect to the amount of desirables (wealth, prestige, power) they possess.
What is stratification system?
It is the overlapping manner in which members of society are ranked according to classes, status groups, and hierarchies of power. Analyzed on a continuum from closed to open.
Structural mobility is defined as?
It is a upward mobility caused by industrial and technologies change that pushes skilled workers into higher-status occupations.
