Social Stratification: United States and Global Flashcards
(27 cards)
Social Stratification
A society’s ranking of people based on their access to valued resources such as wealth, power, and prestige
Slavery system
People own others as property and have almost total control over their lives
caste system
People’s positions are ascribed at birth and largely fixed
class system
People’s positions are based on both birth and achievement
Social Class
People who have a similar standing or rank in a society based on wealth, education, power, prestige, and other valued resources
Wealth
Economic assets that a person or family owns.
Income
The money a person receives, usually through wages or salaries, but can also include other earnings.
Prestige
Respect, recognition, or regard attached to social positions
Power
The ability to influence or control the behavior of others despite opposition
Socioeconomic statuses (SES)
An overall ranking of a person’s position in society based on income, education, and occupation
Working Poor
People who work at least 27 weeks a year but whose wages fall below the official poverty level.
Underclass
People who are persistently poor and seldom employed, residentially segregated, and relatively isolated from the rest of the population.
Life Chances
The extent to which people have positive experiences and can secure the food things in life because they have economic resources.
Absolute Poverty
Not having enough money to afford the basic necessities of life
Relative Poverty
Not having enough money to maintain an average standard of living.
Poverty Line (Poverty Threshold)
The minimal income level that the federal government considers necessary for basic subsistence
Feminization of Poverty
The disproportionate number of the poor who are women
Social Mobility
Movement from one social class to another
Intragenerational mobility
Movement up or down a social class over one’s lifetime.
Intergenerational Mobility
Movement up or down a social class over two or more generations
Global stratification
Worldwide inequality patterns that result from differences in wealth, power, and prestige.
Infant Mortality Rate
The number of babies under age 1 who die per 1,000 live births in a give year
Davis-Moore Thesis
The functionalist view that social stratification benefits a society
Meritocracy
A belief that social stratification is based on people’s accomplishments
