Transcript Social Stratification - Wood

In Mean Girls, how is Kady resocialized to
fit into an American high school? How
realistic is this compared to WRHS?
Social
Stratification
Some things to think about…..
Is inequality inevitable?
Is inequality desirable or undesirable for social progress in improving
the quality of life for the vast majority of people?
What determines the variability of inequality across the nations of the
world?
Is inequality, at least in terms of income and wealth, really a social
problem?
Can there be economic inequality and yet political equality? Can, for
instance, capitalism coexist with democracy?
In capitalist economies, who should provide the safety nets for those
unable to compete, such as because of age or physical or mental
disabilities?
What is Social
Stratification?
Social Stratification: the creation of layers of people who possess
unequal shares of scarce resources.
Resources:
Income
Wealth
Power
Prestige
Social Class: a segment of a population whose members hold similar
amounts of scarce resources and share values, norms, and an
identifiable lifestyles.
Ex:
Upper, Middle, Lower class
The more developed and complex the society the more social classes.
Americans have a very complex set up.
Wealthy = Small %
Income: amount of money received within a given
time period by an individual or group.
Wealth: all the economic resources possessed by an
individual or group.
Income is what you are paid; wealth is what you
actually own.
In Us:
Richest 20% of populations holds 84% of wealth.
Top 1% holds 39% of wealth alone.
Power and Prestige
Power: ability to control the behavior of others, even
against their will.
Those who possess power are able to enhance their
own interests but at the expense of society.
Do you have to be wealthy to be powerful?????
Most say no but certainly helps!
Prestige: recognition, respect, and admiration
attached to social positions.
Defined by culture and society.
Prestige is earned not claimed
Social positions that are considered the most
important or valued the most highly have the most
prestige.
Social Classes
Class Consciousness: sense of identification with the goals
and interests of the members of a particular social class.
Most Americans do not hold a sense of class
consciousness.
Upper Class: 1% of population
Upper-Middle Class: 14 % of population
Middle Class: 30% of population
Working Class (Lower-middle class): 1/3 of population =33%
Underclass: 12 % of population
Theories and Perspectives on
Stratification
Functionalists:
Stratification assures that the most qualified people fill
the most important positions, qualified people
perform their tasks competently, and are rewarded for
their efforts.
They are aware of the inequalities based on
stratification but feel they are necessary.
Important because it ensures that all positions in
society are filled and we can function properly.
Conflict Theory
Inequality exists because some people are willing to exploit
others.
Stratification is based on force.
Relates back to Karl Marx’s Communist Manifesto.
Bourgeoisie vs. Proletariat
Marx’s term false consciousness: refers to working-class
acceptance of capitalist ideas and values.
America’s legal and political system is skewed and manipulated by
the powerful.
Interactionism
Helps us understand how people are socialized to accept the
existing stratification structure.
Those who are “on top” of the social scale have worked hard to get
there and those on the bottom lack the talent.
Not something to challenge; legitimizes the process.
This explains why people in the lower class tend to struggle with
self- esteem.
Thorstein Veblen:
On top of social hierarchy people typically convert their wealth in 2
ways:
Conspicuous consumption: purchasing more automobiles than they can
reasonable use and building houses with 17rooms when only 2 people live
there.
Conspicuous leisure: jetting to a remote destination and staying only long
enough to have dinner.