Chapter 11 Stratification and Global Inequality Key terms
Chapter 11 Stratification and Global Inequality Key terms
l social stratification A society’s system for ranking people hierarchically according to such attributes as wealth, power, and prestige.
Systems of Stratification Any stratification system may include elements of more than one type • Ascribed status: social position assigned to person without regard for that person’s unique characteristics or talents • Slavery: most extreme form of legalized social inequality • Castes: hereditary systems of rank, usually religiously dictated, that tend to be fixed and immobile • Estate system: associated with feudal societies in the Middle Ages • Achieved status: social position attained by person largely through his or her own effort
l closed stratification system A stratification system in which there are rigid boundaries between social strata. l open stratification system A stratification system in which the boundaries between social strata are easily crossed. l social mobility Movement by an individual or group from one social stratum to another.
l upward mobility Movement by an individual or group to a higher social stratum. l downward mobility Movement by an individual or group to a lower social stratum.
l caste A social stratum into which people are born and in which they remain for life. l ascribed status A position or rank that is assigned to an individual at birth and cannot be changed
l achieved status A position or rank that is earned through the efforts of the individual. l class A social stratum that is defined primarily by economic criteria such as occupation, income, and wealth.
According to Marx All problems in society are a result of Class system l Marx argues that in capitalist society, the capitalists (the bourgeoisie) dominate and exploit an workers (the proletariat). l Without the elimination of private ownership of the means of production, human society is unable to achieve further development. l
l status group A category of people within a social class, defined by how much honor or prestige they receive from the society in general. l life chances The opportunities that an individual will have or be denied throughout life as a result of his or her social-class position.
l structural mobility Movement of an individual or group from one social stratum to another that is caused by the elimination of an entire class as a result of changes in the means of existence. l spatial mobility Movement of an individual or group from one location or community to another.
l l status symbols Material objects or behaviors that indicate social status or prestige. deference The respect and esteem shown to an individual.
l demeanor The ways in which individuals present themselves to others through body language, dress, speech, and manners. l power The ability to control the behavior of others, even against their will.
l l authority Power that is considered legitimate both by those who exercise it and by those who are affected by it. objective class In Marxian theory, a social class that has a visible, specific relationship to the means of production.
l subjective class In Marxian theory, the way members of a given social class perceive their situation as a class. l class consciousness A group’s shared subjective awareness of its objective situation as a class.
l intragenerational mobility A change in the social class of an individual within his or her own lifetime. l intergenerational mobility A change in the social class of family members from one generation to the next.
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