Cultural Studies II
Unit 3: Social Inequality
Chapter 8: Social Stratification
Prepared and Lectured By:
Mr. Oung Sovanna (MA)
Chapter Preview
Section 1: Dimensions of Stratification
Section 2:Explanations of Stratification
Section 3: Social Classes in America
Section 4:Poverty in America
Section 5: Social Mobility
Section 1
Dimensions of Stratification
Stratification is the division of society into
classes that have unequal amounts of
wealth, power, and prestige. Karl Marx and
Max Weber studies these dimensions of
stratification in great detail.
social stratification
social class
bourgeoisie
proletariat
income
wealth
power
prestige
Which characteristic do you think
determines a person’s social class?
A. Wealth
B. Power
C. Fame
A. A
B. B
C. C
Dimension of Stratification
• Social stratification is the creation of
layers of people who possess unequal
shares of scarce resources.
• Income, wealth, power, and prestige are
the most important resources.
Dimension of Stratification (cont.)
• Each layer is considered a social class,
or a segment of a population whose
members hold similar amounts of scarce
resources and share values, norms, and
an identifiable lifestyle.
The Economic Dimension
• Karl Marx believed that the economy
determined the nature of society and
predicted that capitalist societies would be
reduced to two social classes:
The Economic Dimension (cont.)
• The bourgeoisie is the class that owns
the means of production.
• The proletariat is the class that labors
without owning the means of production.
The Economic Dimension (cont.)
• Marx also noted the unequal distribution of
economic resources.
• Income inequality exists and is growing
within the United States.
The Economic Dimension (cont.)
• These definitions must be considered
when discussing this gap:
– Income is the amount of money received
within a given time period by an individual
or group.
– Wealth refers to all the economic
resources possessed by an individual or
group.
According to Marx, a construction
worker would be considered part of
which class?
A. Proletariat
B. Bourgeoisie
C. Neither A. A
B. B
C. C
The Power Dimension
• Power is the ability to control the behavior
of others, even against their will.
• Marx believed that those who own and
control capital have the power in a society.
• Weber argued that while having money
helps, economic success and power are
not the same.
The Power Dimension (cont.)
• The following can also increase power:
– Expert knowledge
– Social positions
– A large group of supporters or skill at
organizing resources
Do you think if a person is wealthy,
they are also powerful?
A. Yes
B. No
C. Not sure
A. A
B. B
C. C
The Prestige Dimension
• Prestige is recognition, respect, and
admiration attached to social positions.
– It is defined by your culture and society.
– It is voluntarily given.
The Prestige Dimension (cont.)
• People with similar levels of prestige share
similar lifestyles.
• An occupation usually dictates a level of
prestige.
In your opinion, which position is
more prestigious
A. Doctor
B. Lawyer
C. Professional athlete
A. A
D. Politician B. B
C. C
D. D
Section 2
Explanations of Stratification
Each of the three perspectives—
functionalism, conflict theory, and symbolic
interactionism—explains stratification in
society in a different way.
False consciousness
Do you think education is a
determining factor in determining
one’s social class?
A. Definitely agree
B. Somewhat agree
C. Somewhat disagree
D. Definitely disagree
Functionalist Theory of Stratification
• According to the functionalists,
stratification assures that:
– the most qualified people fill the most
important positions
– these qualified people perform their tasks
competently
– they are rewarded for their efforts
Which profession do you think has
the highest level of skill?
A. Doctor
B. Rocket scientist
C. Car mechanic
D. Writer
Conflict Theory of Stratification
• According to the conflict theory, inequality
exists because some people are willing to
exploit others.
• This is based on Marx’s ideas regarding
class conflict—the people with the power
are able to control everyone else because
they can easily spread their ideas.
Conflict Theory of Stratification (cont.)
• Marx used the term false consciousness
to refer to the working-class acceptance of
capitalist ideas and values.
According to the conflict theory of
stratification, what would a
foreman at a construction
worksite be considered?
A. An exploiter
B. The exploited
C. Both
D. Neither
Symbolic Interaction and Stratification
• According to this perspective, American
children are taught that a person’s social
class is the result of talent and effort.
• Therefore, people’s self-concepts help
preserve the status quo.
According to the symbolic
interactionism perspective, could a
child born into poverty become a
doctor?
A. Yes
B. No A. A
C. Not sure B. B
C. C
Section 3
Social Classes in America
Sociologists have identified several social
classes in the United States. They include the
upper class, the middle class, the working
class, the working poor, and the underclass.
class consciousness
working poor
underclass
Which social class would do you
think Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft,
is considered to be part of?
A. Upper class
B. Middle class
C. Work class
Class Consciousness
• Class consciousness is a sense of
identification with the goals and interests
of the members of a particular social class.
• The American public has shown little
interest in class differences.
What is the typical income of a
person in the working poor class?
A. 12,000
B. 35,000
C. 55,000
The Upper Class
• Only 1% of the population is upper class.
There are different levels within the upper
class:
– Upper-upper class
– Lower-upper class
The American Class System
Upper Class – attend prestigious universities;
owners of large businesses, investors, heirs to
family fortunes, top business executives; 1
percent of population
Upper Middle Class – attend college or
university, business executives, professionals;
14 percent of population
Lower Middle Class – high school, some
college; lower-level managers skilled craft
workers, supervisors; 30 percent of population
Social Classes in the United States
1% upper class
14% upper-middle class
30% lower-middle class
30% working class
22% working poor
3% underclass
◦ major difference in classes is income, lifestyle,
beliefs
What percentage of the population is
in the upper class?
A. 1
B. 2
C. 3
D. 4
The Middle Classes
• About 40%–50% of Americans are middle
class.
The Middle Classes (cont.)
• The upper-middle class (about 14%) is
composed of those who have been
successful in:
– business
– the professions
– politics
– the military
The Middle Classes (cont.)
• The middle-middle class (about 30%) is
made of people such as:
– owners of small businesses and farms
– independent professionals
– other professionals, such as nurses and
police officers
– lower-level managers
– some sales and clerical workers
What percentage of the population is
in the middle-middle class?
A. 20
B. 30
C. 40
D. 50
The Working Class
• About one-third of the population is working
class and is made of people such as:
– roofers
– delivery truck drivers
– machine operators
– salespeople
– clerical workers
What is a major concern of the working
class?
A. Steady employment
B. Health insurance
C. Retirement benefits
D. All of the above
The Working Poor
• The working poor comprise about 13% of
the population.
• These people are employed in low-skill
jobs with the lowest pay:
– lowest-level clerical workers
– laborers
– fast-food servers
Which is a typical type of job for the
working poor?
A. Fast-food servers
B. Low-level managers
C. Salespeople
D. All of the above
The Underclass
• The underclass comprise about 12% of the
population.
The Underclass (cont.)
• Characteristics of the underclass include:
– May hold part-time menial jobs or are on
public assistance
– Might have physical or mental disabilities
– Many single mothers
– Lack skills to obtain jobs
– Entered underclass through means such as
birth, drug addiction or old age
What do you consider to be the main
reason for being in the underclass?
A. Physical or mental disabilities
B. Drug addiction
C. Old age
D. Lack of skills
Section 4
Poverty in America
Poverty can be measured in absolute or
relative terms. The poor in the U.S. are
disproportionately represented by African
Americans, Latinos, women, and children.
absolute poverty
relative poverty
feminization of poverty
Do you think poverty in America is
different than poverty in other
countries?
A. Yes
B. No
C. Not sure
Measuring Poverty
• Absolute poverty is the absence of
enough money to secure life’s necessities
—enough food and a safe place to live.
• Relative poverty is determined by
comparing the economic condition of those
at the bottom of a society with other
members of that society.
Measuring Poverty (cont.)
• The poor comprise 12.7% of the American
population (which means they have an
income below $19,484 for a family of four).
Where do you think poverty is the
worst?
A. United States
B. Africa
C. India
Identifying the Poor
• The poor are comprised of:
– Minorities, especially Latinos and African
Americans
– People who live in female-headed
households. (feminization of poverty)
Identifying the Poor (cont.)
– Children under 18
– Elderly people
– People with disabilities
Responses to the Problem of Poverty
• In 1964, President Lyndon Johnson began
the War on Poverty; he wanted to help
poor people help themselves.
• The program was not as successful as
Johnson had hoped.
Welfare Reform
• The Temporary Assistance for Needy
Families program limits the amount of time
those people who are able to work may
receive welfare payments.
Welfare Reform (cont.)
• Three major elements of the TANF bill:
– It reduces welfare spending.
– It increases state and local power to
oversee welfare rules.
– It adds new restrictions on welfare
eligibility.
Welfare Reform (cont.)
• Positive and negative changes have
occurred because of the bill.
Section 5
Social Mobility
Social mobility, the movement of
individuals or groups within the
stratification structure, is usually measured
by changes in occupational status.
Sociologists are most interested in upward
or downward (vertical) mobility. Closed-
class systems permit little vertical mobility;
open-class systems, such as those in
industrialized countries, allow considerable
vertical mobility.
social mobility
horizontal mobility
vertical mobility
intergenerational mobility
caste (closed-class systems)
open-class systems
Types of Social Mobility
• Social mobility is the movement of people
between social classes.
• Horizontal mobility involves changing
from one occupation to another at the
same social class level.
Types of Social Mobility (cont.)
• Vertical mobility involves a person’s
occupational status or social class moving
upward or downward.
• When the change takes place over a
generation, it is called intergenerational
mobility.
If a doctor’s son becomes a social
worker, what is this considered to be?
A. Horizontal mobility
B. Vertical mobility
C. Intergenerational mobility
Caste and Open-Class Systems
• In a caste system, there is no social
mobility because social status is inherited
and cannot be changed.
• Apartheid was a caste system in Africa
based on race.
Caste and Open-Class Systems (cont.)
• The Indian caste system is still in effect in
some areas and is based on occupation
and Hindu religion:
– The Brahmin—priests and scholars
– Kshatriyas—professional, governing, and
military jobs
– Vaisyas—merchants and businessmen
Caste and Open-Class Systems (cont.)
– Sudra—farmers, menial workers,
craftsmen
– “Untouchables”—dirty, degrading tasks
Caste and Open-Class Systems (cont.)
• An open-class system, like in the U.S.,
allows an individual to determine his or her
class based on merit and individual effort.
• However, some groups or individuals are
denied movement.
Upward and Downward Mobility
• Great leaps in social-class level are
actually rare.
• The trend today is towards downward
mobility due to the outsourcing of jobs to
lower-paid foreign workers.
• Katherine Newman writes about the
consequences of this trend in Falling from
Grace.
Vocab 1
social stratification
ranking of people or groups according to their
unequal access to scarce resources
Vocab 2
social class
segment of society whose members hold
similar amounts of resources and share
values, norms, and an identifiable lifestyle
Vocab 3
bourgeoisie
class that owns the means of production
Vocab 4
proletariat
class that labors without owning the means of
production
Vocab 5
income
amount of money received by an individual or
group over a specific time period
Vocab 6
wealth
total economic resources held by a person
or group
Vocab 7
power
the ability to control the behavior of others,
even against their will
Vocab 8
prestige
recognition, respect, and admiration attached
to social positions
Vocab 9
false consciousness
adoption of the ideas of the dominant class by
the less powerful class
Vocab 10
class consciousness
identification with the goals and interests of a
social class
Vocab 11
working poor
people employed in low-skill jobs with the
lowest pay who do not earn enough to rise out
of poverty
Vocab 12
underclass
people typically unemployed who came from
families that have been poor for generations
Vocab 13
absolute poverty
the absence of enough money to secure life’s
necessities
Vocab 14
relative poverty
a measure of poverty based on the economic
disparity between those at the bottom of a
society and the rest of the society
Vocab 15
feminization of poverty
a trend in U.S. society in which women and
children make up an increasing proportion of
the poor
Vocab 16
social mobility
the movement of individuals or groups
between social classes
Vocab 17
horizontal mobility
a change in occupation within the same
social class
Vocab 18
vertical mobility
a change upward or down-ward in occupational
status or social class
Vocab 19
intergenerational mobility
a change in status or class from one
generation to the next
Vocab 20
caste system (closed-class system)
a stratification structure that does not allow for
social mobility
Vocab 21
open-class system
a system in which social class is based on
merit and individual effort; movement is
allowed between classes
