Social
Inequality &
Change
Social Stratification
STRATIFICATION
Separation of society into:
GROUPS…not individuals
Societies are stratified based on:
Categories
Ranks
Classes
Socioeconomic status
Gender
Race
Stratification results in inequality
Resources, opportunities, and privileges distributed based
on social hierarchy
Open System
Movement
between classes
(strata) is possible
Three
Horizontal
Movement within a class
No major change to wealth,
power, or prestige
Vertical
types of social mobility
Movement between classes
Change in wealth, power, or
prestige
Intergenerational mobility
Stratification
Systems
Closed System
Assigned
a status
and remain
throughout life
Ascribed
Caste
system
People inherit their
position in society
Stratification Systems cont’d
CASTE SYSTEM
Closed stratification
system
Position is inherited
Stratified
by:
Race or ethnicity
Religious status
Economic status
Involves:
Endogamy
Hereditary transmission of
occupation
Social identity
India’s Caste System
Caste
Occupation
Brahman Priests and scholars
Kshatriya
Nobles and warriors
Vaishva
Merchants and skilled artisans
Shudra
Common laborers
Stratification Systems cont’d
Class System
Distribution
of resources and rewards is based on
achieved status
Talent, effort, opportunity, exogamy
Allows
for social mobility
Movement up or down the social ladder
Can be difficult at times
What Determines Social Class?
Karl Marx
Class is based on the
ownership of the factors
of production
Class is based on three
factors:
Owners in a capitalist
society
Reap all profits
Wealth (property)
Bourgeoisie
Max Weber
Power
Proletariat
Sell labor for wages
Emphasis on recognition
of situation
Ability to control behavior of
others with or without their
consent
Prestige
All assets
Value of all things owned and
income
Respect, honor, recognition, or
courtesy from others
Based on views of others
Can be based on many
characteristics
Does inequality help societies
survive?
Functionalists
believe the stratification of society is
inevitable because:
Society must make certain
that its positions are filled
Some positions are more
important than others
Some positions require
greater responsibility
More important positions
must be filled by the most
qualified
To motivate the more
qualified people, society
must offer them greater
rewards
Incentives: Higher salary,
company car, stock
options, country club
membership, private jet,
etc.
Problems with Functional View:
How
do you measure the importance of one job
versus another?
The
positions filled may not be merit based
Some get ahead with hard work and ability; others
inherit wealth
Social
stratification does not benefit everyone
Some never have opportunities to advance their
talents
Is it then dysfunctional?
Is conflict the basis of social
stratification?
In
every society groups struggle for control
of limited resources
The
group that gains control attempts to
hold onto control
Human
nature is self-centered
Use of social institutions to maintain control
Conflict
theorists argue that society is
stratified by power
How is social class determined?
Reputational
Community members rank each other
Appropriate for use in small communities
Subjective
place themselves in the middle class
Objective
method
Individuals determine their own social rank
Many
method
method
Includes 3 factors: income, occupation, education
Least biased method
Living in Poverty
Poverty
Standard of living below the minimum
level considered adequate by society
Poverty level – minimum income
Persons in
Poverty guideline
family/household
Income levels below this level are
considered poor
Effects of poverty:
Life chances
Opportunities to share in benefits of
society
$11,490
2
15,510
3
19,530
4
23,550
5
27,570
6
31,590
7
35,610
8
39,630
For families/households with more
than 8 persons, add $4,020 for each
additional person.
Source: U.S. Department of Health & Human
Services (2013)
Life expectancy
Inadequate nutrition and less access to
medical care
Largely impacts young children
1
MONOPOLY IN A STRATIFIED SOCIETY
RESULTS:
CLASS
LEVEL
UPPER
$2,000 +
MIDDLE
$1,250 $1,999
WORKING
$750 $1,249
LOWER
< $749
INHERITANCE
$2,500
$1,500
$1,000
$500
GROSS
WORTH
% ACHIEVING
POSITIVE VERTICAL
MOBILITY
% EXPERIENCING
NEGATIVE
VERTICAL MOBILITY
50%
(5 out of 10)
10%
(1 out of 10)
$1,815
31%
(5 out of 16)
13%
(2 out of 16)
$1,315
36%
(5 out of 14)
14%
(2 out of 14)
$633
20%
(2 out of 10)
0%
(0 out of 10)
$3,172
>$3,000 = The Super Rich
<250 = Extreme Poverty
MONOPOLY IN A STRATIFIED SOCIETY
RESULTS:
CLASS
LEVEL
UPPER
$2,000 +
MIDDLE
$1,250 $1,999
WORKING
$750 $1,249
LOWER
< $749
INHERITANCE
$2,500
$1,500
$1,000
$500
GROSS
WORTH
% ACHIEVING
POSITIVE VERTICAL
MOBILITY
% EXPERIENCING
NEGATIVE
VERTICAL
MOBILITY
$2,671
40%
(4 out of 10)
10%
(1 out of 10)
$1,996
40%
(6 out of 15)
0%
(0 out of 15)
$1,125
29%
(4 out of 14)
0%
(0 out of 14)
$679
27%
(3 out of 11)
0%
(0 out of 11)
>$3,000 = The Super Rich
<250 = Extreme Poverty
American Class
System
Middle Class (75% of population)
Upper Class
Makes up 1 - 5% of
population
1% - $250,000 or more per
year
5% - $150,000 or more per
year
“Old money” vs. “New
Money”
15% of population
Living below $23,050 (family
of four)
Working poor and the
underclass
Temporary or seasonal jobs
Well-educated (postsecondary degrees)
High-paying white collar
positions
$100,000 or more per year
Lower middle class
Lower Class
Upper middle class
College education
Lower-level, white collar
workers
Between $32,500 and 60,000
per year
Working class
Blue-collar class
Some education
Hourly pay
Salaries range between
$23,050 to 32,500 per year
Global Stratification
Global Stratification
Global
Stratification
Colonialism
Nations 1st to industrialize
took advantage
Began
with European
nations
Led to exploitation of
labor and natural
resources
More recently
Use
of “economic
imperialism”
Global
Stratification
cont’d
World
Four Groups:
Developed capitalism first
Britain, France
Resulted in a capitalist
world economy –
dominated by the most
industrialized nations
Semi-periphery
System Theory
Expansion of economic
and political
connections between
nations – since the
1500s
Core nations
Grew dependent on trade
with core nations
Economies experienced less
growth
Mediterranean nations
Periphery
Limited to selling cash crops
to core nations
Eastern European nations
External area
Few economic connections
with core nations (left out)
Many African nations
Global Stratification cont’d
Dependency
Least Industrialized
Nations grew dependent
on most industrialized
Result of production
transformation
Brazil
Theory
– coffee plantations
Least industrialized
countries did not
develop independent
economies
Culture
of Poverty
Least industrialized
nations held back by
their own culture
Way
of life perpetuates
poverty
Stick to traditional ways
Experimentation too
risky
New farming or
manufacturing
techniques
Characteristics of
Collectives
Limited
Interaction
Interaction is limited or
non-existent
Unclear
Unclear or
unconventional
Limited
norms
unity
Members unlikely to
share sense of group
unity
Types of Collective
Behavior
Crowds
Types:
– temporary gathering
Casual
- concert
and
uncoordinated group
action
Object of attachment for
a short period
Panics
Spontaneous
Attachment to a style of
appearance by a large
group
Fads
– mob or riot
Hostile emotions
Activity or Idea
Public opinion
Y2K
Fashion
Emotionally charged
Acting
- speaker
Common purpose
Unfounded anxiety
Little to no interaction
Expressive
Mass Hysteria
– buying tickets
Conventional
Public views on issues
Rumors
Info. that is true/false that
spreads rapidly
Contagion
Theory
Crowd has hypnotic
power
People
give up
individuality
Factors influencing
behavior:
Number
of people
Emotion
Value-Added
Theory
Will collective behavior
occur?
Which direction will it
take?
Series of preconditions
that lead to behavior
Theories on
Collective Behavior
Emergent-Norm
Theory
Individuals in crowd have
different attitudes,
behaviors, and
motivations
Traditional
apply
norms do not
Interaction
New behaviors
New norms
Types of Social Movements
Reactionary
Members
are
suspicious and hostile
towards change
Example:
KKK
Conservative
Members
attempt to
protect social values
from change
Example:
Prohibitionists
Revisionary
Change
or improve
some part of society
Usually focused on
single issue
Example:
suffrage
women’s
Revolutionary
Total
and radical
change
Overthrow of a govt.
Example:
Indian
independence
Agitation
Smaller
of issue
group stirs up public awareness
Legitimation
Movement
gains more acceptance
Attracts more attention
Leaders begin to emerge
Growth of the
Bureaucratization
Movement
Social
Movement
becomes formal
Develops ranked authority, policies,
and strategy for success
Institutionalization
Movement
becomes part of society
Relative Deprivation
Theory
Explaining Social
Group feels
Movements
economically or socially
deprived
Relative to others
Attempt to gain access to:
Higher
incomes
Better working
conditions
Voting rights
Example:
Women’s rights
movement
Resource Mobilization
Theory
Organization
and
effective use of
resources
Resources:
Body of supporters
Financial resources
Access to media
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