Download Ch. 9 S. 2

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Ch. 9 S. 2: The American Class System
Obj: Identify the characteristics of the American ______________ system; explain how different
___________________ and cultural _____________ influence the American class system.
By definition, social ___________________ exists in all class systems. What form inequality
takes varies from society to society-the fewer the number of ascribed characteristics used to
determine access to rewards, the more _____________ the class system. The US has a fairly
open system. The law forbids discrimination based on __________________ characteristics
such as race, religion, ancestry, or sex.
In theory, all Americans have equal access to the __________________ needed for social
advancement. However, the US has a wide range of social classes, and the rate of social
______________ is not equal for every segment of American society. To understand why such
conditions exist, one needs to look at the characteristics of social class and the
________________ of social mobility in the US.
Determining Social Class
Sociologists do not agree on the number of class ___________________ that exist in the US.
Some researchers identify three social classes: upper class, middle class, and lower class.
Other researchers divide each of these three broad classes into ______________ and lower
divisions. Still others use a five-category classification system of upper class, upper middle
class, lower middle class, working class, and lower class. Today most sociologists use a
_______-class system: adding working poor and underclass.
Sociologists rely on three basic techniques to rank individuals according to social class-the
reputational, subjective, and objective methods. In the ______________ method, individuals in
the community are asked to __________ other community members based on what they know
of their characters and lifestyles. This method is suitable only when studying ____________
communities in which almost everyone knows almost everyone else. The findings from these
studies cannot be used to make conclusions about other communities.
In the second technique, the ________________________ method, individuals are asked to
determine their _________ social rank. When the choices are limited to upper, middle, and lower
class, most people say they are middle class. Researchers have found that people do not like to
place themselves in the upper or lower classes. This ________________ can be partially
eliminated by including the upper middle class and working class in the list of choices.
The third classification technique is the _____________________ method. In this approach,
sociologists define social class by income, occupation, and education. The
________________________ basis of this method makes it the least biased determination of
class. However, it is not without its shortcomings. This technique’s major problem involves the
selection and measurement of social factors. Each combination of __________________
produces a slightly different picture of social-class membership.
Social Classes in the US
Regardless of the method used to identify class membership, sociologists generally agree on the
basic ___________________________ of the American social-class system. Many of them also
agree on the relative distribution of the population within the system. Estimates suggest that
about 1% of the population of the US belongs to the ________________ class. Another 14% of
Americans are part of the upper middle class, while the lower middle class makes up about 30%
of the population. Another 30% comprise the working-class category. Of the remaining 25% of
Americans, 22% are members of the working poor, and 3% are members of the
____________________. However, recent figures suggest that the underclass may be
shrinking.
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One major difference between the classes is ________________. Classes also differ in terms
of _________________ and _____________. A brief look at the general characteristics of each
class will help you understand how social class affects life patterns.
The ________________ Class – Although the upper class makes up just 1% of the population,
it controls a sizable proportion of the country’s ______________. Generally the upper class can
be divided into two ______________- “old money” and “new money”.
America’s old money includes such families as the Rockefellers, Vanderbilts, Du Ponts, and
Kennedys. The term old money refers to the fact that these families have been wealthy for
_________________________. The great bulk of their wealth comes from
_________________________. Yet in terms of social rank, the family name and the
accomplishments of previous generations are as important as the size of the family fortune.
Members of this class are __________ into an atmosphere of wealth and power. They are able
to attend prestigious schools, eat at the best restaurants, and vacation at the most exclusive
resorts. Most have some of the world’s richest and most famous people among their friends.
The term _______ money refers to the newly rich. They generally have acquired wealth through
their own _______________ rather than through inheritance. New money is not as prestigious
as old money because it is not backed by a long family heritage. However, it does purchase
most of the privileges of upper-class membership. These privileges include luxurious homes,
expensive cars, and fine art collections. Some of those with old money look down on the newly
rich for their conspicuous consumption. This term was coined by economist Thorstein Veblen in
1899 to describe the purchase of goods for the ________________ they bring rather than for
their usefulness.
Not surprisingly, membership in the upper class sometimes carries with it great power and
influence. Members often fill top positions in government and private enterprise. Upper-class
members also use their wealth to support ____________. Some - particularly old-money families
– consider helping those less fortunate than themselves an _____________________ of their
social rank. Many members of this class hold traditional views and are politically
_________________________.
The ______________ Middle Class – Members of the upper-middle class are primarily highincome businesspeople and professionals. Most have a _________ education, and many have
advanced degrees. Their money buys them large houses and expensive cars, yearly vacations,
a college education for their children, and many added luxuries. Class membership is generally
based on __________________ rather than on assets. Consequently, many in the upper middle
class are career oriented. Many people in this class are politically and socially active. However,
their power and influence are limited to the community level and do not extend to the national
level.
The ______________ Middle Class – Most individuals in the lower middle class also hold
white-collar jobs – work that does not involve ________________ labor. Many of their jobs
require less education and provide a lower income than the jobs held by the upper middle class.
Lower middle class jobs include nursing, middle management, and sales. Owners of small
businesses also belong to the lower middle class. Members of this class live a
_____________________ life but must work hard to keep what they have achieved. Many of
them also hold traditional values and are politically conservative.
The _________________ Class – Many members of the working class hold jobs that require
manual labor. Factory workers, tradespeople, less skilled workers, and some service workers fall
into this category. Such jobs have traditionally been labeled __________-collar jobs. Some of
these jobs pay as much or more than many of the positions held by members of the lower
middle class. However, these jobs do not carry as much ___________________. Other workingclass people hold clerical, lower-level sales, and various service jobs that do not require manual
labor.
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These types of jobs are sometimes called ___________-collar jobs because
__________________ have traditionally held them. Many members of the working class have
few financial reserves. Consequently, unexpected crises – such as medical emergencies or the
_________ of a job – can push working-class individuals into lower class levels.
The ____________________ – Families that have experienced unemployment and poverty over
several _________________________ are considered part of the underclass. Some members
of the underclass do work, but usually only at undesirable, low-paying jobs. Their chief source of
_______________ is often public assistance. Life for people in the underclass is a day-to-day
struggle for survival. Typically, only 50% of children in the underclass make it into a higher class.
Social Mobility
The US has an ____________ class system, Social __________________ – the movement
between or within social classes or strata – is an important feature of the open class system.
Sociologists generally study three ____________ of social mobility, horizontal mobility, vertical
mobility, and intergenerational mobility.
The term ___________________________ mobility refers to movement within a social class or
stratum. When an individual moves from one job to another of ______________ social ranking,
that individual experiences horizontal mobility. An accountant may consider a move from one
firm to another an important step up his or her career _______________. However, if the move
does not involve any major change in the accountant’s wealth, power, or prestige, sociologists
view it as horizontal mobility.
__________________ mobility, on the other hand, is the movement __________ social classes
or strata. This type of mobility can be either upward or downward, depending on whether an
individual moves to a higher or lower position in the stratification system. The monetary and
social rewards of __________________ from a secretarial to a management position may move
an individual from the working class to the lower middle class.
Sociologists consider ____________________________ mobility – status differences between
generations in the same ______________ – a special form of vertical mobility. When
sociologists examine patterns of vertical mobility, they generally focus on changes during
adulthood. With intergenerational mobility, the focus is on differences between people’s class of
____________ – their parent’s social class – and their current social position. For example, the
son or daughter of an automobile mechanic who becomes a doctor experiences
intergenerational mobility.
Most Americans believe that all people in the US are ___________ to reach their own particular
level of achievement. They believe that people who possess enough ability and motivation will
________ to the top. Others, they believe, will rise or fall to various levels according to their
efforts and abilities. Although this theory appears to be true, the reality is somewhat different.
Research indicates that even though the majority of Americans achieve a higher occupational
status than their parents, most ____________ within the same social class. When individuals do
experience vertical mobility, they rarely move more than one social class above or below their
class of origin.
Structural ________________ of Upward Mobility – Individual effort often plays a major role in
a person’s movement up the social-class ladder. However, sociologists are more interested in
the structural factors that _________________ social mobility. The structural factors that
______________ upward mobility include advances in technology, changes in merchandising
patterns, and increases in the population’s general level of education.
When _________________________ change, the jobs available to workers also change, which
can result in downward mobility for individuals caught in the _______. However, it often means
upward mobility for the ___________ generation of workers.
For example, advances in _________________ technology have made it possible to grow more
food with fewer people. Consequently, the percentage of the workforce engaged in agriculture
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has declined from 40% in 1900 to less than 3% today. Similarly, mechanization has drastically
reduced the need for _________ skilled labor. The result has been intergenerational upward
mobility as the sons and daughters of farmers and laborers have sought employment in higherstatus occupations. The same process is now at work in the ____________________ sector of
the economy. The disappearance of millions of factory jobs over the past three decades has
forced some new workers into higher-status jobs, primarily in the service industry.
Changes in merchandising patterns in the US have also affected social mobility. Recent
changes include an explosion in the ____________ industry, a greater emphasis on insurance,
increased real-estate transactions, and an extraordinary growth in _________________
services. These changes have created a larger white-collar work-force. In 1940 approximately
31% of all workers held white-collar jobs. Today nearly 673% of the labor force is engaged in
traditional _________-collar and service-industry jobs.
Another structural factor that has promoted upward mobility is an increase in the general level of
___________________. In 1940 more than 75% of the population aged 25 and older had
______ completed high school. Today that figure is approximately 9%. It has also become more
common for Americans to have a college education. In 1940 less than 5% of the population
aged 25 and older had graduated from _______________. Today 26% of people aged 25 or
older have completed a bachelor’s degree or higher. Research has shown that upward mobility
increases with level of education.
Structural Causes of _____________________ Mobility – Although upward mobility is
__________ common, movement down the social-class ladder also occurs. Downward mobility
can result from such personal factors as illness, divorce, widowhood, and retirement. Once
again, sociologists are more interested in the structural ______________ of this movement.
Changes in the _________________ are the primary structural causes of downward mobility.
Breakthroughs in technology can alter the demand for labor. Workers may suddenly find
themselves without jobs and with _____________ that are no longer marketable. If these
workers are unable to find new jobs that produce incomes comparable to what they were
________________, they may experience downward mobility. For younger workers, the drop in
social status is often temporary. However, for older workers the shift may be permanent.
Economic changes also can affect intergenerational mobility. In times of economic
________________ and ________ unemployment, individuals just entering the job market have
less difficulty finding desirable employment. However, in times of economic
____________________ good jobs are not as plentiful. As a result, even highly qualified recent
college graduates sometimes cannot find jobs in their chosen fields.