social class in the united states. journal take 2-3 minutes and reflect on the movie from last time....
TRANSCRIPT
Social Class in the United States
Journal• Take 2-3 minutes and reflect on the movie from last time.
(What stood out, what surprised you, etc.) If you were not here, tell me how you think social class affects the United States
Learning Targets• I can identify 5 ways social inequality is created in the US• I can analyze the existence of meritocratic and caste
elements found in the US• I can analyze the effects of social class on the wealthy and
those in poverty
Social Inequalities in the United
States•Income •Wealth •Power
•OccupationalPrestige
•Schooling
Income:
•Earnings from work or investments
Wealth:
•Total value of money and other assets, minus outstanding debts
VS
Distribution of Income and Wealth in the United States, 2009
Distribution of Income and Wealth in the United States, 2009
The Rich and the Wealthy
•5% of the population own 62% of all private property•1% of the population own 35% of all private property• The 10 richest families have a combined net worth of
$270 billion
The Rich and the Wealthy
•5% of the population own 62% of all private property•1% of the population own 35% of all private property• The 10 richest families have a combined net worth of
$270 billion
The Rich and the Wealthy
•5% of the population own 62% of all private property•1% of the population own 35% of all private property• The 10 richest families have a combined net worth of
$270 billion
The Rich and the Wealthy
•5% of the population own 62% of all private property•1% of the population own 35% of all private property• The 10 richest families have a combined net worth of
$270 billion
The Rich and the Wealthy
•5% of the population own 62% of all private property•1% of the population own 35% of all private property• The 10 richest families have a combined net worth of
$270 billion
The Rich and the Wealthy
•5% of the population own 62% of all private property•1% of the population own 35% of all private property• The 10 richest families have a combined net worth of
$270 billion
The Poorest of the Poor
•40% of the United States population have virtually NO wealth at all•The bottom 20%
actually live in debt
•Wealth = Power• The wealthy control and shape the agenda of society
(rich and powerful are in government positions)•Does our political system serve the interests of the
super-rich? Why or why not?
Power:
Occupational Prestige
•We are evaluated on what we do•More respect given to those who do what is considered “important”
Schooling•85% of adults have graduated high school•29.5% of adults have graduated college•What does this tell us about the society
that we live in?
Schooling affects occupation AND income
Stratification in the US: Merit or Caste?•Stratification: process by which society ranks and
divides groups of people•Meritocracy: social stratification based on a person’s
knowledge, abilities, and effort. •Caste system: social stratification based on birth
(ascription)•So, what does the United States have?• BOTH! •How so?
•Ancestry•The family you are born into
affects your schooling, occupation and your income•More than 1/3 of the rich
acquired their fortune from inheritance•Tens of millions of others
likewise inherit poverty
Stratification in the US: Merit or Caste?
•Race and Ethnicity•On average, White Americans have
a higher occupational position and receive more schooling than African Americans• 75% of White Americans own their
homes•Only 46% of African Americans
own their homes
Stratification in the US: Merit or Caste?
•Gender•Women have less income, wealth and educational
occupational prestige
Stratification in the US: Merit or Caste?
Social Class in the United States
•The Upper Class:• 5% of the US population• Earn AT LEAST $200,000 a year• Upper-uppers: “old money”, born into this class, WASPS• Lower-uppers: “new money” or the “working rich”
•The Middle Class• 40-45% pf the US population• Upper-middles: make between $112,000 and $200,000 (prestigious
jobs)• Average-middles: make between $48,000 and $112,000 (slightly less
prestigious)
Social Class in the United States
•The Working Class (sometimes called lower middle)• 33% of the US population•Make between $27,000 and 48,000• Have little to no wealth
•The Lower Class• 20% of US population•Make less than $27,000 a year
What difference does social class make?• In groups of 4, use the textbook starting on page 251 to fill in the next section of your notes. •How does social class affect health, values and attitudes, politics, and family and gender? •You have 15 minutes!
