Questions and Answers
What is implied by the phrase 'proletarianization of the white collar worker'?
Blurred lines between occupational categories, where white-collar jobs at lower status levels have been deskilled.
What are two things that contributed to the 'proletarianization of the white collar worker'?
What sort of educational background is common among those drifting towards service sector jobs in the mid-1970s?
Some college experience.
In 1973, only ______ percent of factory workers had some college training. By 2000, that figure had a) risen OR b) dropped to ______ percent.
Signup and view all the answers
Many traditional blue-collar jobs done in the past by workers with ______________ education now require _______________ and other skills that call for at least some training beyond ______________ _________________.
Signup and view all the answers
In what ways are working and lower-middle-class people no longer as easy to tell from one another?
Signup and view all the answers
In what two ways do members of the lower middle class and members of the working class continue to differ significantly?
Signup and view all the answers
What aspects of social class are affected by occupation?
Signup and view all the answers
What specific lifestyle aspects are directly affected by a person's social class position?
Signup and view all the answers
What are characteristics of jobs held by members of the upper-middle class?
Signup and view all the answers
What are the two major subgroups of the upper-middle class, according to Ehrenreich?
Signup and view all the answers
What do professionals and managers of the upper-middle class have in common in terms of their social and occupational lives?
Signup and view all the answers
What three things are considered paramount among both professionals and managers in the upper-middle class?
Signup and view all the answers
What are two synonyms for upper-middle class?
Signup and view all the answers
What are some of the ways white collar workers from the upper-middle class are distinct from those in the lower-middle class?
Signup and view all the answers
White collar workers among the upper-middle class perform manual labor.
Signup and view all the answers
What advantage do white collar workers among the upper middle class have over their lower middle class counterparts?
Signup and view all the answers
Describe the common lifestyle maintained by members of the upper-middle class.
Signup and view all the answers
In what ways are the upper middle class more politically engaged than the lower middle/working classes?
Signup and view all the answers
What is the example that demonstrates how the social life of upper-middle-class families is an outgrowth of their occupational lives?
Signup and view all the answers
In what way, beyond political activism, are members of the upper middle class civically engaged?
Signup and view all the answers
What were two major reasons workers left the farms and went to work in factories during the industrial revolution?
Signup and view all the answers
What jobs emerged in the 1920s that constituted the class of laborers unforeseen by Marx?
Signup and view all the answers
What gave rise to the white collar service sector of the 1920s?
Signup and view all the answers
What resulted from the emergence of the white collar service sector and growth of larger corporations in the 1920s?
Signup and view all the answers
What is the major characteristic of the post-industrial society that emerged in the 1960s?
Signup and view all the answers
How was the post-industrialization of the 1960s different from the industrial economy that preceded it?
Signup and view all the answers
In what way did the shift from manufacturing to service economy affect consumer spending habits?
Signup and view all the answers
How did US involvement in WW2 help end the economic crisis of the Great Depression?
Signup and view all the answers
What events beginning in the year 1973 caused the end of the middle class boom after WW2?
Signup and view all the answers
What is another word for the phenomena of the 'middle class squeeze', and what does it describe?
Signup and view all the answers
Where is occupational bifurcation most evident?
Signup and view all the answers
What are the three segments of the American middle class?
Signup and view all the answers
How do the various segments of the US middle class differ?
Signup and view all the answers
According to Marger, what characteristics best define the three segments of the US middle class?
Signup and view all the answers
What are the major characteristics of lower-middle class lifestyles, in terms of income?
Signup and view all the answers
What are the major characteristics of occupational power for members of the lower middle class?
Signup and view all the answers
What has been the history of the American middle class?
Signup and view all the answers
What factors explain why the American middle class grew so rapidly after World War II?
Signup and view all the answers
What are the two major elements at play in the economic restructuring of the US economy over the past two decades?
Signup and view all the answers
What are the major characteristics of Reich's major categories, and what problems do these segments face?
Signup and view all the answers
What is the 'official' definition of poverty in the U.S.?
Signup and view all the answers
Has the government definition of poverty changed over time?
Signup and view all the answers
When did the US government first begin to keep official records of poverty?
Signup and view all the answers
What is the approximate income level the government now uses to determine if a family of four is living in poverty?
Signup and view all the answers
What are 'flak-generating' organizations?
Signup and view all the answers
About what percentage of the US population is classified as being in poverty?
Signup and view all the answers
What are the family characteristics of people living in poverty?
Signup and view all the answers
What percentages of the major ethnic/racial groups live in poverty?
Signup and view all the answers
What are the absolute numbers of people in poverty by racial/ethnic classification?
Signup and view all the answers
What is the trend among those with incomes less than one half of the US poverty level?
Signup and view all the answers
What are the characteristics of the 'working' poor?
Signup and view all the answers
What percentage of the poor live in suburban and rural areas?
Signup and view all the answers
What are the characteristics of the 'underclass'?
Signup and view all the answers
According to lecture, what are the major findings regarding the length of time individuals remain in poverty?
Signup and view all the answers
About what percentage of the labor force holds a bad job?
Signup and view all the answers
What has been the overall effect of welfare programs on reducing poverty in the United States?
Signup and view all the answers
How have cash transfer policies affected poverty rates in the US?
Signup and view all the answers
Why are poverty rates lower in European nations than in the United States?
Signup and view all the answers
What is 'partyism'?
Signup and view all the answers
According to the information presented in lecture, what is the relationship between living in poorer US counties and life expectancy?
Signup and view all the answers
Is the relationship between life expectancy and poverty the same for men and women? If not, how do they differ?
Signup and view all the answers
Has the nature of the relationship between life expectancy and living in more economically depressed counties changed over the last 20 years?
Signup and view all the answers
What does a working class neighborhood look like?
Signup and view all the answers
What are some leisure activities enjoyed by members of the upper/lower-middle classes and the working class?
Signup and view all the answers
What are some common vacations enjoyed by members of the upper/lower-middle classes and the working class?
Signup and view all the answers
Why is it common for work and play to intermingle in the lives of professionals and managers of the upper-middle class?
Signup and view all the answers
TRUE/FALSE: People in the working class who have jobs doing routine tasks and unskilled labor are often required to mix work and play.
Signup and view all the answers
Working class politics: liberal on ____________ issues; conservative on ____________ issues.
Signup and view all the answers
Upper-middle class politics: liberal on ____________ issues; conservative on ____________ issues.
Signup and view all the answers
Except among ____________ members, people in the working class tend to be less active in politics than members of intermediate classes.
Signup and view all the answers
Are American working-class people more politically active than their counterparts in contemporary industrial societies?
Signup and view all the answers
What is one reason identified by Marger for the absence of a major socialist or labor party in the United States?
Signup and view all the answers
Why do workers not refuse the capitalist system in favor of a system more sympathetic to the plight of the working class?
Signup and view all the answers
Study Notes
American Middle Class Segments
- Comprises Upper Middle Class, Lower Middle Class, and Working Class.
- Differences between segments include economics, power, prestige, social life, cultural style, residential patterns, and consumer preferences.
Characteristics of the Middle Class
- Members are distinguished from the underclass and power elites.
- Collectively form a substantial portion of the population.
- Social mobility is prevalent among these segments.
Lower-Middle Class Characteristics
- Income varies by occupation but generally lacks significant wealth.
- Primarily rely on jobs for income with few assets beyond homes.
- Occupational power is limited, often subordinate to upper-middle-class professionals.
Historical Context of the Middle Class
- American middle class development diverged from Europe, lacking aristocratic and peasant classes.
- Industrialization shifted wealth and power from landowners to the "merchant class" (bourgeoisie) in the U.S.
- Post-World War II, the middle class expanded rapidly due to rising productivity and wages.
Economic Restructuring
- Recent decades have seen the emergence of new technologies and a global economy affecting class structures.
- Different impacts on upper-middle class (symbolic analysts), routine production workers, and routine personal service workers.
Poverty Definitions and Government Records
- Official poverty is defined as three times the cost of a nutritionally adequate diet.
- The poverty threshold for a family of four is approximately $23,492, while actual living costs are higher.
- Official records began in 1965; the definition of poverty has not changed.
Poverty Statistics
- Approximately 13.5% of the U.S. population lives in poverty.
- Family poverty rates vary: 5.4% for married couples, 30.6% for female-headed, and 14.9% for male-headed families.
- Ethnicity significantly affects poverty rates, with 24.1% of Black, 21.4% of Hispanic, and 10.5% of Asian populations classified as poor.
Deep Poverty and the Working Poor
- Deep poverty affects 6.1% of Americans, amounting to 19.4 million, with 45% of those in poverty classified as deeply poor.
- Working poor face job scarcity, low wages, and ineligibility for benefits, often remaining temporarily in poverty.
Characteristics of the Underclass
- Typically relies on benefits or engages in informal labor market activities.
- Commonly resides in impoverished areas and predominantly comprises Black individuals.
Political Engagement and Class Characteristics
- Lower middle-class political participation is limited primarily to voting; upper middle-class members are more actively engaged.
- Working-class individuals tend to be less politically active than their counterparts in other industrial societies.
Occupational Structure and Education
- Lower-middle class often holds more than a high school education; working class is the least educated.
- Common occupations include small business owners and technicians; many working-class jobs require minimal education and involve manual labor.
Changing Labor Dynamics
- The "proletarianization of the white-collar worker" refers to the blurring of lines between blue-collar and white-collar jobs due to deskilling and technological advancements.
- Factory jobs now demand higher education and skills, reflecting the shift towards service sector jobs since the 1970s.
Social and Economic Patterns
- The working class has a distinct subculture characterized by earlier marriages and more patriarchal family structures.
- Economic assets are typically limited to homes and cars, with income variability depending on skills and occupations.
Leisure and Lifestyle
- Upper and lower middle classes engage in leisure activities like golf and traveling abroad, while working-class members may prefer bowling or road trips.
- Working-class families often balance work and leisure distinctly, as opposed to the upper-middle class where personal fulfillment is intertwined with occupation.
Overall Class Dynamics
- Social class affects values, consumer preferences, lifestyle choices, and political leanings, adding complexity to American society's structure.### Social Life and Cultural Style
- Members of various social classes share neighborhoods, speak similarly, dress alike, and display equal education levels.
- Parenting styles, home furnishing preferences, and leisure activities show cultural uniformity across social classes.
Differences Between Lower Middle Class and Working Class
- Job security is higher for lower middle-class members compared to the working class.
- Working conditions vary significantly, impacting stability and employee experiences.
Social Class Impacts on Lifestyle
- Occupation influences key aspects such as economic status, prestige, and power.
- Social class affects social life, cultural style, housing patterns, and consumer behavior.
Upper-Middle-Class Jobs
- Upper-middle-class professionals hold decision-making roles, such as doctors, lawyers, and corporate executives.
- Other roles include university professors, media producers, and high-ranking government bureaucrats.
Subgroups of the Upper-Middle Class
- The upper-middle class is categorized into two main groups: professionals and managers.
- Professionals and managers often possess interchangeable skills and share similar social and occupational networks.
Commonalities Among Upper-Middle Class Professionals
- Priorities include formal education, stable careers, and comfortable retirements for themselves and their children.
- They tend to live in similar neighborhoods and mingle within the same social circles.
Distinctions in Job Authority
- Upper-middle-class white-collar workers exert more power at work compared to their lower-middle-class counterparts, making independent decisions.
- Both classes perform mental work and are distinct from manual laborers.
Educational Impact
- Upper-middle-class workers typically hold college degrees, granting them social prestige and higher earnings.
Consumer Behavior of the Upper-Middle Class
- Luxurious lifestyles include spacious suburban homes, upscale cars, and a tendency towards trendy consumer habits.
Political Engagement
- Upper-middle-class individuals are more politically active, voting consistently and contributing financially to campaigns.
- Their social activities often coincide with occupational pursuits, such as networking at country clubs.
Civic Engagement
- Members of the upper-middle class are actively involved in voluntary associations beyond political activism.
Industrial Revolution Migration
- Automation and the search for better-paying factory jobs in cities led to mass migration from farms to urban settings.
Emergence of the White Collar Class
- The 1920s witnessed the rise of white-collar jobs in the service sector, forming a new middle class of salaried workers.
Growth of Corporate Bureaucracies
- Long-term economic consolidation led to fewer firms, dominated by large corporate structures with specialized roles.
Characteristics of Post-Industrial Society
- Emerged in the 1960s, the post-industrial society focuses on services and information rather than manufacturing goods.
Shift from Manufacturing to Service Economy
- Workers transitioned from blue-collar to white-collar jobs, emphasizing theoretical knowledge over practical skills.
Changes in Consumer Spending Habits
- A shift towards increased consumer spending on services over manufactured goods impacted labor market demands for service workers.
Economic Restructuring Due to WWII
- U.S. entry into WWII in 1941 revitalized the economy through labor demand and women's workforce participation.
Post-WWII Economic Prosperity
- After WWII, the U.S. maintained economic strength by being the only industrialized nation intact and responding to consumer demand.
Middle-Class Boom Decline
- Economic globalization and the OPEC oil crisis starting in 1973 marked the decline of the post-WWII middle-class boom.
Middle-Class Squeeze Phenomenon
- Also known as bifurcation, this phenomenon refers to the growing disparity within job opportunities and income levels.
Occupational Bifurcation
- Most evident in the service sector, job characteristics range from unskilled positions at the bottom, clerical roles in the middle, to trained professionals at the top.
Studying That Suits You
Use AI to generate personalized quizzes and flashcards to suit your learning preferences.
Description
Test your knowledge on the segments of the American middle class with these flashcards. Explore differences in economics, power, and prestige among the various segments. Perfect for exam preparation and understanding social structures.