Social Stratification
Stratification Essential Questions
EQ1: How does the caste system in India differ from
the social class system in the US?
EQ2: How do functionalist and conflict theorists differ
in their explanation of stratification?
EQ3: What causes upward mobility? What causes
downward mobility?
Stratification Notes
Social Stratification: Division of society into
categories, ranks, or classes
• Found in almost all societies.
• Based on distinguishing characteristics including
– Ascribed status: assigned based on standards that are
beyond a person’s control.
• ancestry, race, age, physical appearance & gender.
– Achieved status: Acquired by an individual based on
special skill, knowledge, or ability.
• Educational attainment, occupation
Notes
Divisions based on such characteristics lead to
social inequality: unequal sharing of scarce
resources & social rewards.
---------------Systems of Stratification---------------Caste System: scarce resources and social
rewards are distributed on the basis of ascribed
statuses. A child’s lifelong status (caste) is
determined by the status of parents.
nobility
Laborers
& Artisans
Harijans
Indian Caste System
Practiced endogamy:
marriage within one’s
own social category.
Vance Stratification (separate sheet)
• Think about the social system/hierarchy at Vance.
• Which groups of students are “on top” (popular,
influential, benefit from this system)
• Which groups fall in the middle?
• And which group of people are at the bottom of the
system (least “powerful”)
• Where do you fall?
• Once you’ve thought about it, draw and label social
hierarchy of Vance.
Create your own caste system (separate sheet)
• Imagine that American society operated under a
caste system. What kind of castes would we have?
What would society look like?
• Create at least 5 castes (give each caste a name!).
• Draw a hierarchy that illustrates the stratification of
society.
• Then describe the differences in castes: What
occupations, opportunities,& resources are
available to each caste?
*Remember a caste system is not the same as the
class system we have in American society!*
Research the following (in notebook)
 Define: Class System
Explain the division between:
Bourgeoisie
Proletariat
Explain social class and its 3 elements:
WealthPowerPrestige-
Notes
• Class System: distribution of scarce resources &
rewards is determined by achieved status.
----------------------According to Marx’s view of the class system: --------------------
• Society divided into 2 basic groups:
-Bourgeoisie: owners of the means of production (owners
of property, resources)
-Proletariat: the workers who sell their labor in exchange
for wages
• Bourgeoisie get the profits, prolet. does all the work
• Only determining feature of class is property
ownership.
• Social Class is a grouping of people with similar levels of
wealth, power, & prestige.
• Wealth is made up of one’s assets (value of everything a
person owns) and income (money from salary,
investments)
• Power is the ability to control the behavior of others,
with or without their consent.
• Prestige is the respect, honors, & recognition one
receives from other members of society. (derived from
income, occupation, family background, area of
residence)
Social Class Mobility: Myth or Reality?
• Wealth Inequality in US: http://youtu.be/QPKKQnijnsM
Rewind: Exploring the Caste System in India
• Article 15 of the Indian Constitution bans discrimination on
the basis of caste
• Article 17 abolished the practice of untouchability
(discriminating & ostracizing dalits)
• Yet caste-based discrimination is still an issue:
– Urban Indian women exploring caste in the city vs. village:
http://youtu.be/JC3C2voZjrA
– Indian News report: Attack against Dalits
http://youtu.be/jgZNWRjzzHU
– Expectations of Dalit women: http://youtu.be/jgZNWRjzzHU
Discrimination: Ascribed statuses (Separate sheet of
paper – hold onto this!)
Caste-based discrimination is based on people’s ascribed
status.
• Think of instances of discrimination in American society
based on ascribed statuses (race, gender, religion, etc.)
• Describe at least 2 of these instances (they can be from the
news, personal experiences, etc.). Each instance should be
based on a different ascribed status (i.e. one regarding
race, another involving gender)
• Describe the incident. Explain why or how it is
discriminatory. How does society react to similar
situations? Is is illegal? (Why does it it still happen?) Is it
socially acceptable?
Prestige Rating
You’ve been given a profession. It’s up to you and your peers
to decide how prestigious your occupation is.
• One by one you’ll be called up front to form a line rating
occupations from most prestigious to least.
• You decide where on the spectrum you want to stand.
• If you have advice for one of your peers, raise your hand,
until he or she calls on you.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Doctor
Lawyer
Professor
Architect
Physicist
Dentist
Clergy
HS Teacher
Accountant
Athlete
Veterinarian
Pilot
Programmer
Police
Librarian
Firefighter
Electrician
86
75
74
73
73
72
69
66
65
65
62
61
61
60
54
53
51
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Realtor
49
Secretary
46
Bank Teller
43
Farmer
40
Carpenter
39
Clerk
36
Hairdresser
36
Baker
35
Salesperson 30
Truck Driver 30
Cashier
29
Garbage Man 28
Taxi Driver
28
Waiter
28
Bartender
25
Door-to-door sales
Janitor
22
22
Prestige According to You (continued on your sheet)
1. Do you agree with the provided list of prestige ratings?
How does it compare with the ratings that the class came
up with?
2. List 3 occupations that you believe to be some of the most
prestigious. What makes these jobs so prestigious to you?
3. List 3 occupations that you find to be least prestigious.
Explain why.
4. What occupations do your parents/guardians (or other
members of your family) have? How prestigious are those
occupations in your opinion?
5. What occupations would you like to have after high
school/college? How prestigious is it? What role does
prestige play in you wanting to pursue that career?
Class in America
http://youtu.be/ynytMj2tamQ
1. What class is the family in the clip? Explain why you
classify them as that class.
2. Besides income, what are major differences in lifestyles
between someone of a lower class (Tammy) and someone
of a higher class?
3. How does Matt (Tammy’ son) try to prove he’s in a
different class? What’s Matt’s plan to get into a higher
class?
4. Infer: Why don’t people of different classes socialize more
often?
Methods of Determining Social Class
Sociologists use 3 methods to determine people’s social class.
1. Reputational Method (aka The “Asking People”
Method):
Individuals in a community are asked to rank other
members based on what they know of that person &
their lifestyle.
Criticism: Only useful for small communities where
everyone knows each other. Can’t apply findings to
make conclusions about other communities.
2. Subjective Method (aka “You Decide” Method):
-Individuals are asked to determine their own social
rank.
-When only given 3 choices (Upper, Middle, Lower
Class), most people choose Middle Class. With more
options, the problem is reduced.
Criticism: Not scientific; based on a person’s feelings,
biases, and self-perception.
3. Objective Method:
-Social class is determined by a combination of
factors, including income, occupation, and education.
-With a statistical basis, this method is the least
biased.
Criticism: Different combinations & measurements of
social factors can produce different results (i.e. in one
calculation someone might be Lower Middle Class,
but in another he might be Working Class)
Different methods lead to different definitions of classes.
• Even using the objective method, the definition of middle
class can change depending on the formula being used.
*Continue on your response sheet:
What’s the income range for middle class according to you?
Assume this is for a family of four.
http://youtu.be/z-SavgJlBLA
Hiding the stratification: Brazil
Separate Sheet of Paper:
http://youtu.be/YgT1D623 1. How does building walls
U9I
around the favelas in Rio de
Janeiro demonstrate
stratification in this society?
• http://youtu.be/XqueXd
p__xc
2. Explain how forced removal of
people relates to social
stratification. (Think about the
social class of those being evicted)
Privilege Inventory
Read through the statements.
Give yourself 1 point, if you agree. Subtract 1
point if the statement doesn’t apply. Keep tally
on your response sheet. [-12 (least) to 12
(most)]
What does your privilege or lack of privilege say
about issues of inequality or discrimination in
our society?
Privilege Inventory
A. I can, if I wish, arrange to be in the company of
people of my race/ethnicity most of the time.
B. I can go shopping alone most of the time, pretty
well assured that I will not be followed, harassed
or bothered.
C. I can turn on the TV or open a newspaper and see
people of my race/ethnicity widely represented.
D. When I am told about our national heritage or
about "civilization", I am shown that people of my
race/ethnicity made it what it is.
E. I can go into a music shop and expect to find music
of my race/ethnicity represented, into a supermarket
and find the staple foods that fit with my cultural
traditions, into a hairdresser's shop and find someone
who can deal with my hair.
F. Whether I use credit cards or cash, I can count on
my skin color not to work against the appearance of
financial reliability.
G. I can do well in a challenging situation without
being called a credit to my race.
H. I am never asked to speak for all the people of my
racial group.
I. If I ask to talk to "the person in charge" I
generally expect to be facing a person of my
race.
J. If a cop pulls me over, I can be sure I haven't
been singled out because of my race.
K. I can easily buy posters, postcards, picture
books, greeting cards, dolls, toys, and children's
magazines featuring people of my race.
L. I can be sure that if I need legal or medical
help my race will not work against me.
Stratification through the Perspectives
As a CHART or FOLDABLE, describe how the different perspectives
explain stratification
Functionalism
• Explanation of
stratification.
– Why is society
stratified?
• What functions
does stratification
have?
• What are the
weaknesses of this
explanation?
Conflict
• Explanation
– Include
views on
inequality
– Why is
society
stratified?
• Criticisms/
weaknesses
Synthesis
• How can you
combine
functionalism and
conflict to better
explain stratification?
• Include Ralf
Dahrendorf’s and
Gerhard Lenski’s
views
Explaining Stratification
Functionalism views stratification as a necessary feature
of the social structure.
• It assumes that certain roles in society must be
performed to maintain the system.
• Higher rewards for the performance of these roles
guarantee they are fulfilled. The more important the
role and the more skill needed, the higher the reward.
• It argues that without varying rewards, many jobs
wouldn’t be filled, and society would not function
properly.
• Criticisms?
Conflict
Competition over scarce resources leads to inequality.
Society is stratified because of class exploitation:
-Upper class (“owners of means of production”) control and
use the lower classes (workers) in order to make profits and
maintain their power.
So, the upper classes maintain the divisions in society to
benefit themselves.
Criticisms?
Synthesis
• Neither theory fully explains stratification.
• Dahrendorf: Each theory explains a different aspect of
stratification (functionalism: why people spend years
training to become doctors; conflict: why upper class kids
go to elite colleges)
• Lenski: Functionalism applies to simple societies; Conflict
applies best to more complex societies.
“People Like Us”
http://youtu.be/0CIeyovogoo
3. How do schools affect
students’ opportunities to
move up in social class?
1. In which ways do you
think you would change if 4.What are the disadvantages
of stratified schools? Are
you became as wealthy as
there any advantages?
the people in the clip?
How would your lifestyle 5. In terms of class, how
change?
would you categorize
Vance? What kinds of
2. Do you agree with the
opportunities/resources
idea that society is like
does Vance have as a
high school? Why?
result?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tf2dScTlv
OQ&feature=share&list=PLE277906A65CF
BA1F
Class in the United States
Create a foldable that explains the 6 classes in American
society. Be sure to include the following:
• The percentage of of the • Level of Education
population in that class.
• Types of occupations
• What kind of wealth or
• Describe the type of lifestyle
resources each class has.
people in each class lead.
• Describe any power or
• Any values or beliefs
influence that the class has (political/social) generally
in US society.
associated with each.
While this information can be found in
book. You may also infer based on your Copying down a chart is not
own knowledge & experiences.
sufficient.
Social Class Level of
Occupations % of
Education
population
Upper Class Prestigious
Executives, Biz
Owners, Heirs
Upper Middle Class
College
Professionals,
Lower execs
14%
Lower Middle Class
High School,
some college
Managers,
supervisors
30%
Working Class High School
Factory, clerical,
sales
Working Poor Some High
Laborers, service
workers
30%
22%
Universities
School
Underclass
Some High School
Low-paying,
unemployed
1%
3%
The Bystander Effect
Think of your journal response, while watching
the clip:
• http://youtu.be/OSsPfbup0ac
Dressing Your Class
Use the blank people cut-outs to portray an individual from
each of the 6 social classes in American society.
• Draw how each social class would typically dress (you can
include accessories, jewelry, shoes, ipod, smart phone, etc.)
• On each page, list the 3 most important distinguishing
characteristics for each class. (i.e. Upper class: they invest
their money; buy luxury brands; work is not a necessity)
• Use the blank area to trace 2 more people. After you’ve
finished cut the 2 strips of people, staple together, and fold
into a flip book
Monopoly & Social Class – How realistic is it?
• In groups, review the directions. We’re not playing
by any house rules.
• Choose the banker (who will handle
monetary/property transactions).
• Determine who goes first by rolling the dice. Start
with the highest number and continue to your left.
• I will tell you when your game ends (we won’t have
time to play a complete game). Record everyone’s
standing on the worksheet.
• Collect and store all the game items.
• Complete the worksheet
When talking about class, know:
Social Mobility: movement between or
within social classes (or strata)
-Upward/Downward Mobility
Intergenerational Mobility: status
differences between between generations
in the same family (parents vs. children)
Stratified Monopoly Questions
1. How does the stratified version of Monopoly better
reflect social class stratification in American society?
2. What was your gross worth at the beginning & end of
the game? What kind of social mobility did you
experience? How did your social class change
throughout the game?
3. Was upward social mobility difficult to achieve?
Explain why.
4. Did you experience any kind of inequality because of
your social class or wealth? Did you experience any
benefits? Explain why or why not.
5. Was it easy or difficult to amass wealth or
resources? How does that compares to amassing
wealth in real life?
6. How did owning more wealth and resources (like
houses, hotels, utilities, railroads) perpetuate
inequality in your Monopoly society?
7. How could conflict theory explain your experience
in the game?
First Impressions: Write in your journal
• Explain what
your first
impression of
this woman
is.
• Include
comments on
her perceived
social class,
financial
status, social
situation, etc.
Caption
Vanessa Moreno, 24, holds her two-month-old baby, Makayla,
at Prototypes residential treatment program in Pomona,
California. Prototypes is part of the Second Chance
Women’s Re-entry Court program, one of the first in the
U.S. to focus on women. It offers an alternative to prison
for women who plead guilty to nonviolent crimes and
volunteer for treatment. Of the 297 women who have been
through the court since 2007, 100 have graduated, and
only 35 have returned to state prison. Up to half of the
women released from California’s prisons are reincarcerated within three years.
Homework: Sociology Interview (Social Mobility)
Interview your parents/guardians.
• Ask them about which social class they belonged to as
children. Have them explain why they considered
themselves to be a part of that class.
• Have they experienced upward or downward mobility since
then or stayed in the same class? Have them elaborate.
• Explore intergenerational mobility: Are they in a different
class then their parents?
• Do they expect you to remain in the same class or
experience upward mobility? Why?
Alternate assignment: Interview a teacher or adult of your
choice on their social class and mobility.
Social Stratification: Education & Class
Waiting for Superman:
http://youtu.be/8rmSldhn
SDc
http://youtu.be/mv872t6x
vxw
http://youtu.be/Bsn7LlxN
AmI
Nursery University:
http://youtu.be/azjaLOCoNo
Getting in…Kindergarten:
http://youtu.be/WsuIbYLp
uZI
Thinking about education & stratification
1. Waiting for Superman implies that schools have a huge
influence on students’ life outcomes and their potential
for success. Do you agree? How influential will your
“school experience” be in determining your life
outcomes?
2. What is your opinion of the education lottery? How does
this system demonstrate inequality & stratification in our
society?
--Can you think of a better solution?
3. Kindergarten Clip: Compare the parents from both sets of
clips. How are they similar despite their social classes?
What’s the advantage of being upper class when
navigating the education system in America?
Ascribed and Achieved Status Review
• On a separate sheet of paper answer the questions on
ascribed and achieved status in complete sentences.
• If necessary, review information from pgs. 66 and 206-208
Master Status: the status that plays the greatest role in
shaping a person’s life and determining one’s social
identity.
What is your master status? After determining that, describe
6 other important statuses.
English is my 1st
language, but I
also speak
other
languages to
varying degrees
Multilingual
Teacher
Latino
American adult
Unmarried
Different Faces of Poverty
This Is Camden Calling - Why In Your Hands - Why Poverty?
Poverty?
http://youtu.be/W6Qof8LIHdc
http://youtu.be/_EyrJrHIlP4
•Write down some stereotypes you have of
people in poverty/poor people.
•For each video, explain how the individuals in
the clips challenge your ideas or stereotypes
regarding people in poverty (“poor people”).
A Girl’s Life
http://youtu.be/KExLL8EN
txs
1. How is this girl’s life similar to the lives of
American teenagers despite being in poverty?
2. How is this portrayal of poverty similar or
different from our ideas of poverty in the US?
Love & Rubbish: http://youtu.be/lDzhufj9GN0
3. How does poverty impact people’s dreams (their
ability to make & pursue goals, aspire to bigger
and better things, etc). Is there any difference
between the dreams of these people in poverty
and those from the middle or upper class?
We can’t talk about class and stratification
without talking about poverty
Poverty is seen as a standard of living that is below the
minimum level considered adequate by society
So poverty is relative: what’s considered poverty in one
society may not be seen as such in another society
Poverty Level: minimum income needed by a family to
survive
For a family of four in 2012, the Poverty Level is
$23,050 (48 states) ; $28,820 (Alaska), $26,510
(Hawaii) according to the federal government.
• Complete the “Indicators of Poverty” worksheet
• For “life chances” worksheet, cut the chart into
separate pieces (reasons & explanations). Then,
match the correct “reason” to the corresponding
“explanation.” Glue onto a separate sheet of paper
• On the back of the “Indicators” worksheet, explain
the connection between age, sex, and race &
ethnicity and poverty.
• Then explain the effect of poverty on life chances &
behavior.
Refer to pages 221-225
Responding to discrimination
Prejudice refers to attitudes. It’s an
unsupported generalization about a group of
people.
Discrimination involves behaviors. It’s the
denial of equal treatment to individuals based
on their group membership
• Legal Discrimination: upheld by the law
• Institutionalized discrimination: outgrowth of
the structure of society
A Class Divided
• http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/di
vided/etc/view.html
• Expectations:
No talking
Phones away
Prepared to answer questions
Heads up