Social Stratification Concepts Quiz

Questions and Answers

What is the definition of Social Stratification?

Marriage within one's social category

A system where status is assigned at birth

Ranking based on access to scarce resources (correct)

The unequal sharing of resources

What is Social Inequality?

The unequal sharing of scarce resources and social rewards.

What is a Caste System?

A closed system where a person's status is assigned at birth.

What is a Class System?

A system slightly open to a very open distribution of resources based on achieved statuses. Signup and view all the answers

What is Exogamy?

Marriage outside one's social category. Signup and view all the answers

What is Endogamy?

Marriage inside one's social category. Signup and view all the answers

Who are the Bourgeoisie?

The owners of the means of production in a capitalist society. Signup and view all the answers

Who are the Proletariat?

Workers who sell their labor in exchange for wages. Signup and view all the answers

What defines a Social Class?

A grouping of people with similar levels of wealth, power, and prestige. Signup and view all the answers

What is Socioeconomic Status?

A measure of ranking people according to wealth, power, and prestige. Signup and view all the answers

What does Functionalist Theory suggest about stratification?

Stratification is a necessary feature of the social structure. Signup and view all the answers

What does Conflict Theory emphasize?

Competition over scarce resources as the cause of social inequality. Signup and view all the answers

Who is Ralph Dahrendorf?

A theorist who blends various approaches to explain aspects of stratification. Signup and view all the answers

What is the class system defined by Gerhard Lenski?

A theory that varies based on the society under study, primarily applying to complex societies. Signup and view all the answers

What are the classes in the 6 Class System?

All of the above Signup and view all the answers

What are the 3 basic techniques to rank individuals in a class?

Reputational Method, Objective Method, Subjective Method Signup and view all the answers

What is the Reputational Method?

Community members rank each other based on their knowledge. Signup and view all the answers

What is the Subjective Method?

Individuals determine their own social rank. Signup and view all the answers

What is the Objective Method?

Sociologists define classes based on income, occupation, and education. Signup and view all the answers

What characterizes the Upper Class?

1% of the population controlling a significant portion of wealth. Signup and view all the answers

What defines the Upper Middle Class?

14% of the population consisting of high-income businesspeople and professionals. Signup and view all the answers

What characterizes the Lower Middle Class?

30% of the population holding white-collar jobs. Signup and view all the answers

What describes the Working Class?

30% of the population engaged in manual labor. Signup and view all the answers

What is the Working Poor Class?

22% of the population with low-paying, seasonal jobs. Signup and view all the answers

What characterizes the Underclass?

3% of the population with a history of unemployment and poverty. Signup and view all the answers

What is Social Mobility?

Movement between or within social classes. Signup and view all the answers

What is Horizontal Mobility?

Movement within a social class. Signup and view all the answers

What is Vertical Mobility?

Movement between social classes. Signup and view all the answers

What is Intergenerational Mobility?

Status differences between generations in the same family. Signup and view all the answers

What are the Causes of Upward Mobility?

Individual effort and advances in technology. Signup and view all the answers

What are the Causes of Downward Mobility?

Personal factors and economic changes. Signup and view all the answers

What characteristics affect poverty?

Age, Sex, Race Signup and view all the answers

What are Life Chances?

The likelihood that individuals share opportunities and benefits in society. Signup and view all the answers

What are Transfer Payments?

Government redistributions of money among societal segments. Signup and view all the answers

What are Subsidies?

Transfers of goods and services rather than cash. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Social Stratification: Ranking individuals based on unequal access to resources and social rewards.
Social Inequality: The disparity in sharing scarce resources and rewards among individuals.

Systems of Stratification

Caste System: A closed system where status is assigned at birth and remains fixed throughout life; characterized by endogamy (marriage within the same category).
Class System: More fluid than caste, status is based on achieved traits, allowing for mobility.

Marriage Practices

Exogamy: Intermarriage outside one's social category.
Endogamy: Marriage within one's own social category.

Economic Classes

Bourgeoisie: Owners of production in a capitalist society.
Proletariat: Workers who exchange labor for wages.
Social Class: Grouping based on wealth, power, and prestige.
Socioeconomic Status: Ranking based on wealth, power, and prestige metrics.

Sociological Theories

Functionalist Theory: Views stratification as essential for social structure stability.
Conflict Theory: Attributes social inequality to competition over resources.
Ralph Dahrendorf: Proposes blending functionalist and conflict theories for holistic stratification analysis.
Gerhard Lenski: Suggests that the validity of the conflict theory is context-dependent, mainly applicable to complex societies.

Class Structure

Six Class System: Upper class, Upper middle class, Lower middle class, Working class, Working poor class, Underclass.
Social Ranking Techniques: Reputational, Subjective, and Objective methods.

Reputational Method: Community members rank others based on known behaviors; effective only in small communities.
Subjective Method: Individuals assess their own social rank; prone to bias.
Objective Method: Defines classes based on measurable factors (income, occupation, education); more reliable and less biased.

Class Descriptions

Upper Class: Comprises 1% of the population, controls significant wealth, includes both old and new money.
Upper Middle Class: Approximately 14% of the population, high-income professionals with advanced degrees.
Lower Middle Class: About 30% of the population, typically holds white-collar jobs, lives comfortably.
Working Class: Also around 30%, engaged in manual labor, requires preparation for crises.
Working Poor Class: Represents 22%, often holds low-paying jobs, relies on government support, many are high school dropouts.
Underclass: Comprises 3%, experiences chronic poverty, primary income from public assistance.

Social Mobility: Movement across or within classes, categorized into horizontal, vertical, and intergenerational mobility.
Horizontal Mobility: Movement within the same social class.
Vertical Mobility: Movement between different social classes.
Intergenerational Mobility: Status changes between generations within a family, a type of vertical mobility.

Factors Influencing Mobility

Upward Mobility Causes: Influenced by individual effort, technological advances, changing merchandising patterns, and educational improvements.
Downward Mobility Causes: Result from personal challenges (illness, divorce, retirement) and economic shifts.

Characteristics Affecting Poverty

Demographics: Children under 18 have the highest poverty rate; women make up 57% of the poor; racial disparities exist predominantly for African Americans and Hispanics.

Life Chances

Refers to the likelihood of individuals accessing societal opportunities and benefits.

Economic Redistribution

Transfer Payments: Government redistributes wealth through taxes to assist disadvantaged groups, including subsidies and food assistance programs.
Subsidies: These transfers are in the form of goods and services rather than cash payments.

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Description

Test your knowledge on social stratification, its systems, and marriage practices. This quiz covers key concepts such as caste and class systems, along with economic classes like bourgeoisie and proletariat. Gain a deeper understanding of how social inequalities shape our society.