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History, grade 11
2016/2017
Aliaa El Sawy
Unit Three: Social Inequality
Chapter 9: Social Stratification
Section One: System of Stratification
Sociological Terms and Definitions:
1 ) social stratification: the division of society into categories, ranks, or classes
2 )social inequality: the unequal sharing of scarce resources and social rewards
3 )caste system: a closed system in which resources and social rewards are distributed on the basis of ascribed
statuses
4 )exogamy: marriage outside one’s social category
5 )endogamy: marriage within one’s social category
6 )class system: an open system in which the distribution of scarce resources and rewards is determined on the
basis of achieved statuses
7 ) bourgeoisie: the owners of the means of production in a capitalist society
8 ) proletariat: the workers who sell their labor in exchange for wages
9 ) social class: a grouping of people with similar levels of wealth, power, and prestige
10 ) wealth: the person’s assets (the value of everything the person owns) and Income (money earned through
salaries, investment returns, or other capital gains)
11 ) power: the ability to control the behavior of others, with or without their consent
12 ) prestige: the respect, honor, recognition, or courtesy an individual receives from others
13 ) socioeconomic status (SES): a rating used for ranking people according to wealth, power, and prestige
Self Evaluating Questions
A) Answer the Following Questions:
1) Main Idea: Compare and contrast the two major systems of social stratification.
2) Briefly discuss how the functionalist and conflict perspectives explain social stratification.
3) Explain: How does social stratification lead to social inequality?
4) Summarize: How do wealth, power, and prestige affect social rankings?
5) Interpret: Explain the functionalist and conflict theories of social stratification and which factors form a synthesis of
the two.
6) Recall: What are the criticisms of the functionalist and conflict approaches to explaining social stratification?
7) Contrast: How do open and closed stratification systems differ?
8) What determines the level of social inequality in a society?
9) Summarize: Use a graphic organizer to identify and describe The three dimensions of stratification.
B ) MULTIPLE CHOICE For each of the following, write the letter of the best choice in the space
provided.
______ 1. At what level of the social hierarchy are the trend setters at a high school?
a. top
b. middle
c. bottom
d. none of these
______ 2. Where do you think Vaisyas would most likely be seen socializing with Dalits?
a. at a city school
b. on a rural road
c. in a restaurant
d. nowhere
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History, grade 11
2016/2017
______ 3. Which of the following describes an open stratification system?
a. People are given their status at birth.
b. People remain at the same status level throughout their life.
c. People move between strata.
d. People change position within a caste but cannot move to a higher caste.
Aliaa El Sawy
______ 4. How could an individual move down the social-class ladder?
a. change jobs from management to clerical
b. establish a reputation for serving the community
c. move to a prestigious neighborhood
d. none of these
______ 5. About what portion of the wealth in the United States is controlled by the richest 1 percent of the
population?
a. more than one-third
b. more than two-thirds
c. less than half
d. all
C ) Write The Sociological Terms:
1 ) ___________________: the division of society into categories, ranks, or classes
2 ) ___________________: social inequality: the unequal sharing of scarce resources and social rewards
3 ) ___________________: a closed system in which resources and social rewards are distributed on the basis of
ascribed statuses
4 ) ___________________: marriage outside one’s social category
5 ) ___________________: marriage within one’s social category
6 ) ___________________: an open system in which the distribution of scarce resources and rewards is
determined on the basis of achieved statuses
7 ) ___________________: the owners of the means of production in a capitalist society
8 ) ___________________: the workers who sell their labor in exchange for wages
9 ) ___________________: a grouping of people with similar levels of wealth, power, and prestige
10 ) ___________________: the person’s assets (the value of everything the person owns) and Income (money
earned through salaries, investment returns, or other capital gains)
11 ) ___________________: the ability to control the behavior of others, with or without their consent
12 ) ___________________: the respect, honor, recognition, or courtesy an individual receives from others
13 ) ___________________: a rating used for ranking people according to wealth,
power, and prestige
Answers
A) Answer the Following Questions:
1) Compare: They are both systems of social stratification. They both determine the level of social inequality in
a society.// Contrast: Caste system: is a closed system in which resources and social rewards are distributed
on the basis of ascribed statuses. Individuals have no control and There is no social mobility.// Class system: is
an open system in which the distribution of scarce resources and rewards is determined on the basis of achieved
statuses. There can be social mobility and individuals have some control over their statuses.
2) Functionalists: stratification is necessary to help society function smoothly. // Conflict theorists: stratification
results from conflict over scarce resources.
3) by dividing a society’s members into ranks based on selected characteristics
4) Sociologists use these social factors to calculate people’s socioeconomic status or social ranking. Generally,
the higher one’s socioeconomic status, the higher one’s social ranking.
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History, grade 11
2016/2017
Aliaa El Sawy
5) Suggested answer: Functionalists: stratification is necessary to help society function smoothly.//
Conflict theorists: stratification results from conflict over scarce resources. // Synthesis: Functionalist applies
to simple societies while conflict applies to more complex societies.
6) Functionalist: society does not provide equal access to education and jobs, rewards do not always reflect social
value of roles// Conflict: fails to recognize that unequal rewards are based in part on differences in talents,
skill, and desire
7) Closed systems are mostly caste systems with no social mobility.// Open systems are mostly class systems and
the vary depending on how much mobility they offer.
8) how open or closed a society’s stratification system is
9)
B ) MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. a
2. a
3. c
4. a
5. a
C ) Write The Sociological Terms: Refer to your sheet.
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