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The Real World
AN INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY
2nd Edition
Kerry Ferris and Jill Stein
Chapter 8
Social Class:
The Structure of Inequality
Social Stratification and Social
Inequality
• Social stratification is the division of society
into groups arranged in a social hierarchy.
• Every society has some form of stratification,
but societies stratify people on different
criteria (like race, class, and gender).
Systems of Stratification (cont’d)
• A caste system is a form of social
stratification in which status is determined by
one’s family history and background and
cannot be changed.
Systems of Stratification (cont’d)
• Social class refers to a system of
stratification based on access to resources
such as wealth, property, power, and
prestige. Sociologists often refer to it as
socioeconomic status (or SES).
Social Classes in the United
States
• The upper class:
• Wealthiest people in a class system
• Make up about 1% of the U.S. population
• Possess most of the wealth of the country
Social Classes in the United States
(cont’d)
• The upper-middle class:
• Professionals and managers
• Make up about 14% of the U.S. population
• The middle class consists primarily of
• “White collar” workers
• Have a broad range of incomes
• Make up about 30% of the U.S. population
Social Classes in the United States
(cont’d)
• The working (lower-middle) class:
• “Blue-collar” or service industry workers
• Less likely to have college degrees
• Make up about 30% of the U.S. population
Social Classes in the United States
(cont’d)
• The lower class:
• Many poor people who typically have lower
levels of literacy than other classes
• Make up about 20% of the U.S. population
The U.S. Social Class Ladder (Figure 8.1)
The Real World: An Introduction to Sociology, 2nd Edition
Copyright © 2010 W.W. Norton & Company
Theories of Social Class
• Karl Marx believed that there were two main
social classes in capitalist societies:
• Capitalists (or bourgeoisie), who owned
the means of production
• Workers (or proletariat), who sold their
labor for wages
• He believed that the classes would remain
divided and social inequality would grow.
Theories of Social Class (cont’d)
• Max Weber offered a similar model that also
included cultural factors.
• He argued that class status was made of
three components:
• Wealth (or Privilege)
• Power
• Prestige
The Relative Social Prestige of Selected Occupations in the United States (Table 8.1,top)
The Real World: An Introduction to Sociology, 2nd Edition
Copyright © 2010 W.W. Norton & Company
The Relative Social Prestige of Selected Occupations in the United States (Table 8.1,bottom)
The Real World: An Introduction to Sociology, 2nd Edition
Copyright © 2010 W.W. Norton & Company
Theories of Social Class (cont’d)
• More recently, Pierre Bourdieu has
attempted to explain social reproduction,
the tendency for social class status to be
passed down from one generation to the
next.
Theories of Social Class (cont’d)
• According to Bourdieu, this happens
because each generation acquires cultural
capital (tastes, habits, expectations, skills,
knowledge, etc.) that help us to gain
advantages in society.
• This cultural capital either helps or hinders us
as we become adults.
Theories of Social Class (cont’d)
• Symbolic Interactionists examine the way
we use status differences to categorize
ourselves and others.
• As Erving Goffman pointed out, our
clothing, speech, gestures, possessions,
friends, and activities provide information
about our socioeconomic status.
Socioeconomic Status and Life
Chances
• Belonging to a certain social class has
profound consequences for individuals in all
areas of life, including education,
employment, and medical care.
Social Mobility
• Social mobility is the movement of
individuals or groups within the hierarchal
system of social classes.
• A closed system is one with very little
opportunity to move from one class to
another.
• An open system is one with ample
opportunities to move from one class to
another.
Theory in Everyday Life
The Real World: An Introduction to Sociology, 2nd Edition
Copyright © 2010 W.W. Norton & Company
Social Mobility (cont’d)
• Intergenerational mobility is the movement
between social classes that occurs from one
generation to the next.
• Intragenerational mobility is the movement
between social classes that occurs over the
course of an individual’s lifetime.
Social Mobility (cont’d)
• Horizontal social mobility is the
occupational movement of individuals or
groups within a social class.
• Vertical social mobility is the movement
between social classes and is often called
either upward mobility or downward mobility.
Social Mobility (cont’d)
• Structural mobility refers to changes in the
social status of large numbers of people due
to structural changes in society.
Defining Poverty
• In the United States, the federal poverty line
(an absolute measure of annual income) is
frequently used to determine who should be
categorized as poor.
• In 2005, about 37 million people (12.6% of
the population) in the United States were
considered poor.
Number in Poverty and Poverty Rate, 1959–2007 (Figure 8.4)
The Real World: An Introduction to Sociology, 2nd Edition
Copyright © 2010 W.W. Norton & Company
Defining Poverty (cont’d)
• Relative deprivation is a relative
measure of poverty based on the
standards of living.
• People are considered poor if their
standard of living is less compared to
other members of society.
Defining Poverty (cont’d)
• Absolute deprivation is an objective
measure of poverty that is defined by the
inability to meet minimal standards for food,
shelter, clothing, or health care.
Defining Poverty (cont’d)
• The culture of poverty refers to learned
attitudes that can develop among poor
communities and lead the poor to accept
their fate rather than attempt to improve their
situation.
Inequality and the Ideology of the
American Dream
• The ideology of the American Dream (that
anyone can achieve material success if they
work hard enough) explains and justifies our
social system, but it has been criticized for
legitimizing stratification by telling us that
everyone has the same opportunity to get
ahead
Social Class | Concept Quiz
True or False:
Every society has some form of
stratification.
a. True
b. False
Social Class | Concept Quiz
The tendency of social classes to
remain relatively stable as social
class status is passed down from one
generation to the next is called:
a. cultural capital.
b. social prestige.
c. social reproduction.
d. class consciousness.
Social Class | Concept Quiz
Entrenched attitudes that can develop
among poor communities and lead
the poor to accept their fate is called:
a. the culture of poverty.
b. the just-world hypothesis.
c. disenfranchisement.
d. social welfare.
Social Class | Concept Quiz
Max Weber argued that there were
several important components of
social class. Which of the following is
NOT one of the components?
a. Prestige
b. Power
c. Wealth
d. Morals
Additional Art for Chapter 8
Part Opener III
The Real World: An Introduction to Sociology, 2nd Edition
Copyright © 2010 W.W. Norton & Company
Part Opener
The Real World: An Introduction to Sociology, 2nd Edition
Copyright © 2010 W.W. Norton & Company
Part Opener
The Real World: An Introduction to Sociology, 2nd Edition
Copyright © 2010 W.W. Norton & Company
Part Opener
The Real World: An Introduction to Sociology, 2nd Edition
Copyright © 2010 W.W. Norton & Company
Chapter Opener
The Real World: An Introduction to Sociology, 2nd Edition
Copyright © 2010 W.W. Norton & Company
Family Portraits
The Real World: An Introduction to Sociology, 2nd Edition
Copyright © 2010 W.W. Norton & Company
Family Portraits
The Real World: An Introduction to Sociology, 2nd Edition
Copyright © 2010 W.W. Norton & Company
Family Portraits
The Real World: An Introduction to Sociology, 2nd Edition
Copyright © 2010 W.W. Norton & Company
Family Portraits
The Real World: An Introduction to Sociology, 2nd Edition
Copyright © 2010 W.W. Norton & Company
Family Portraits
The Real World: An Introduction to Sociology, 2nd Edition
Copyright © 2010 W.W. Norton & Company
Family Portraits
The Real World: An Introduction to Sociology, 2nd Edition
Copyright © 2010 W.W. Norton & Company
Status Inconsistencies
The Real World: An Introduction to Sociology, 2nd Edition
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Polite Racism
The Real World: An Introduction to Sociology, 2nd Edition
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Inequality in Sweden?
The Real World: An Introduction to Sociology, 2nd Edition
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The Rules of the Game
The Real World: An Introduction to Sociology, 2nd Edition
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The Living Room Scale
The Real World: An Introduction to Sociology, 2nd Edition
Copyright © 2010 W.W. Norton & Company
Percentage of 12th Graders Expecting to Earn a Bachelor’s Degree or Attend Graduate or
Professional School, by Family Socioeconomic Status (SES) (Figure 8.2)
The Real World: An Introduction to Sociology, 2nd Edition
Copyright © 2010 W.W. Norton & Company
Real Median Income for Working-Age Households, 1989–2007 (Figure 8.3)
The Real World: An Introduction to Sociology, 2nd Edition
Copyright © 2010 W.W. Norton & Company
Marrying Up
The Real World: An Introduction to Sociology, 2nd Edition
Copyright © 2010 W.W. Norton & Company
Digital Divide
The Real World: An Introduction to Sociology, 2nd Edition
Copyright © 2010 W.W. Norton & Company
Poverty in the United States by Selected Characteristics, 2008 (Figure 8.5)
The Real World: An Introduction to Sociology, 2nd Edition
Copyright © 2010 W.W. Norton & Company
Federal Spending, 2008 (Figure 8.6)
The Real World: An Introduction to Sociology, 2nd Edition
Copyright © 2010 W.W. Norton & Company
Residential Segregation
The Real World: An Introduction to Sociology, 2nd Edition
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Marching for Welfare Rights
The Real World: An Introduction to Sociology, 2nd Edition
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Roger and Me
The Real World: An Introduction to Sociology, 2nd Edition
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The American Dream?
The Real World: An Introduction to Sociology, 2nd Edition
Copyright © 2010 W.W. Norton & Company
This concludes the Lecture
PowerPoint presentation for
Chapter 8
The Real World
AN INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY
2nd Edition
Kerry Ferris
and
Jill Stein
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