Podcast
Questions and Answers
What is the definition of social class?
What is the definition of social class?
What does social stratification refer to?
What does social stratification refer to?
Ranking of individuals into higher and lower social positions.
Social classes are __________, being based on numerous components.
Social classes are __________, being based on numerous components.
multidimensional
What are the three main groupings of Americans acknowledged in modern views of social class?
What are the three main groupings of Americans acknowledged in modern views of social class?
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Which method of categorizing social class involves individuals ranking themselves?
Which method of categorizing social class involves individuals ranking themselves?
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What is a key motivation of middle Americans?
What is a key motivation of middle Americans?
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Lower Americans are typically unskilled workers and are referred to as disadvantaged.
Lower Americans are typically unskilled workers and are referred to as disadvantaged.
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What primarily influences the consumer behavior of the working class?
What primarily influences the consumer behavior of the working class?
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Match the following socioeconomic classes with their characteristics:
Match the following socioeconomic classes with their characteristics:
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What describes affluent Americans?
What describes affluent Americans?
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What is geodemography?
What is geodemography?
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Study Notes
Social Class Concepts
- Social Class: Group of people sharing similar social, educational, or economic status.
- Social Stratification: Ranking of people into higher and lower social positions, creating a hierarchy of respect and prestige.
Characteristics of Social Class
- Exhibits Status: Rank is perceived by others, contributing to social reputation.
- Multidimensional Nature: Based on income, occupation, education, and housing characteristics.
- Homogeneity: Members share similar attitudes and behavior patterns within a class.
Methods to Categorize and Measure Social Class
- Subjective Method: Individuals rank themselves, often leading to inflated middle-class representation.
- Reputational Method: Community members rank one another based on social status.
- Objective Method: Uses measurable factors to rank individuals, such as SES, revealing a six-class system.
Problems in Social Class Determination
- Rankings can overlook inconsistencies in status dimensions (e.g., high income, low education).
- Assumes stability of social class, ignoring mobility effects.
- Only considers the categorized social class, neglecting influences from other classes.
- Often uses male wage earners as a family’s class indicator, ignoring contributions from women.
Upper Americans
- Upper-Upper Class: Locally prominent families focused on heritage, community responsibility, and gracious living.
- Lower-Upper Class: Nouveau riche, executive elite or founders of businesses, desiring high social status through visible wealth.
- Upper-Middle Class: College-educated professionals aiming for success, enjoying cultural and civic activities.
Affluent Americans
- Defined by high discretionary income divided into three types:
- Mass Affluent: Households earning $75,000-$149,999.
- Highly Affluent: Households earning $150,000-$249,999.
- Super Affluent: Households earning $250,000 or more.
Middle Americans
- Composed of non-managerial workers and small-business owners.
- Motivated by respectability and striving for social acceptance through home and community status.
Working Class
- Largest class comprising skilled and semiskilled workers.
- Focused on immediate gratification and stable relationships, often living to enjoy the present rather than save.
Lower Americans
- Generally disadvantaged, divided into:
- Upper-Lower Class: Working poor with low education and unstable employment.
- Lower-Lower Class: Below poverty line, often engaging in illegal activities or relying on welfare.
Consumer Behavior Insights
- Upper-Uppers: Conservative spending, often valuing experiences over goods, with possessions passed down.
- Lower-Uppers: Engaged in conspicuous consumption to demonstrate wealth and status.
- Upper-Middles: Make significant purchases to reflect success, often prioritizing experiences over material possessions.
- Middle Class: Purchase decisions focus on social acceptability and aesthetic appeal, avoiding extremes in luxury.
- Working Class: Driven by security needs and immediate satisfaction, with limited service-oriented spending.
- Lower Class: Compensatory consumption patterns, often with impulse buying tendencies due to lower education.
Shopping Behavior
- Consumers tend to shop in stores that match their perceived social class, avoiding places where they feel out of place.
Geodemography
- A segmentation method associating demographic data with geographical units to reveal lifestyle patterns affecting consumption.
Nielsen PRIZM
- A leading geodemographic segmentation tool utilizing education, affluence, family life cycle, urbanization, race, and mobility to classify consumer behavior.
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Description
This quiz covers key concepts related to social class as outlined in Chapter 9 of Consumer Behavior. It includes definitions and important characteristics of social classification and stratification. Test your understanding of how social class impacts consumer behavior.
