Complete the “Social Stratification Survey” and hand-in

Results for “Social Stratification Survey” will be anonymous

Social Stratification is the ranking of people or groups according to their unequal access to scarce resources Scarce is an insufficient amount to

satisfy the need or demand

Listen to Dr. Seuss’s story, The Sneetches and answer the following questions:

1. In Sneetchland, what resource is scarce?2. Because of this scarce resource, how are

Sneetches divided?3. Because of this scarce resource, how are

Sneetches treated?4. How do those Sneetches, without this resource

attempt to move up in society?5. How do those Sneetches, with this resource

attempt to regain their status?6. What is the eventual outcome of the Sneetches

choices?

Social stratification is the creation of layers of people who possess unequal share of resources

The most important resources are: Income Wealth Power Prestige

Social Stratification

Each of the layers in a stratification system is a social class.

Social Class is segment of society whose members hold similar amounts of resources and share values, norms and an identifiable lifestyle.

Complete the “Prestige Dimension Survey” by assigning the appropriate rankings

Complete the “Prestige Dimension Survey Results” Questions

I WOULD RATHER BE POPULAR THAN SMART.

ALL PEOPLE SHOULD RECEIVE A FREE COLLEGE EDUCATION

I WOULD RATHER BE RICH THAN RESPECTED.

RESPECTED PEOPLE ARE RICH.

POWERFUL PEOPLE CAN BE MIDDLE-CLASS AND POOR.

I RESPECT POLICE OFFICERS MORE THAN I RESPECT PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES.

THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD PAY FOR ALL PEOPLE’S HEALTHCARE.

I WOULD RATHER HAVE A JOB I DON’T LIKE AND BE RICH , THAN HAVE A JOB I DO LIKE AND BE MIDDLE CLASS.

I JUDGE PEOPLE BASED ON THE CLOTHES THAT THEY WEAR.

THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD HELP PEOPLE THAT ARE HOMELESS.

POOR PEOPLE ARE LAZY.I WOULD BE WILLING TO LIE, STEAL, AND CHEAT IF IT MEANT THAT WOULD BE A MULTI-MILLIONAIRE.

POWERFUL PEOPLE ARE RICH.

IF I WON 10 MILLION DOLLARS IN THE LOTTERY, I WOULD QUIT SCHOOL.

I AM WILLING TO GO INTO DEBT TO LOOK LIKE I HAVE MONEY.

RESPECTED PEOPLE CAN BE MIDDLE-CLASS AND POOR.

I WOULD RATHER BE FAMOUS THAN SMART.

I RESPECT A MAFIA DON MORE THAN I DO A TEACHER.

I WOULD RATHER WIN AN OSCAR, THAN A NOBLE PEACE PRIZE.

WOMEN ARE USUALLY MORE LIKELY TO BE POOR THAN MEN.

Economic Dimension

• Bourgeoisie vs. Proletariat: Whoever controls the capital controls the legal, educational and governmental systems

• Income vs. wealth: Most people have income but who controls the wealth?

Power Dimension

• Do those who control capital control the power?

• Can people expand their power?

• Can you exercise power without being wealthy?

Prestige Dimension

• Prestige is voluntary given

• Which similar characteristics do prestigious people possess?

• Can you be born into prestige?

false consciousness – adoption of the ideas of the dominant class

class consciousness – identification with the goals and interests of a social class

Social mobility – the movement of individuals or groups between social classes

Horizontal mobility – a change in occupation within the same social class

Vertical mobility – a change upward or downward in occupational status or social class

Record the following question and definition and hand in at the end of class (with question answered)

Does the United States have an open-class system or a caste system? Explain your reasoning.

Open-class system – a system in which social class is based on merit and individual effort; movement is allowed between classes

Caste system – a stratification structure that doe not allowed for social mobility

Social Stratification

Each of the layers in a stratification system is a social class.

Social Class is segment of society whose members hold similar amounts of resources and share values, norms and an identifiable lifestyle.

Upper Class – investors, heirs, chiefexecutive officers; annual income over $4 million dollars

Upper Middle Class – upper-level managers, professionals, owners of medium-sized businesses; annual income $150,000-4 million dollars

Middle Class – lower-level managers, semiprofessionals, craftspeople, foremen, non-retail salespeople, clerical; annual income $45,000-$150,000

Working Class – low-skill manual, clerical, retail sales workers; annual income $30,000-45,000

Working Poor – lowest-paid manual, retail, and service workers, people employed in low-skill jobs with the lowest pay who do not earn enough to rise out of poverty; annual income $20,000-30,000

Underclass – unemployed people, people in part-time menial jobs, people receiving public assistance; people typically unemployed who came from families that have been poor for generations

Watch the excerpt from the film Titanic, and identify the differences between the upper and lower class?

Do people become class conscious? What impact does class

consciousness have on their success?

Horizontal mobility – a change in occupation within the same social class

Vertical mobility – a change upward or downward in occupational status or social class

Is social mobility possible? If so, what is more likely horizontal mobility or vertical mobility? Why?

Social Stratification

Relative Poverty: a measure of poverty based on economic disparity between those at the bottom of a society and the rest of society

Absolute poverty: the absence of enough money to secure life’s necessities