Social Stratification Quiz

• Two people under discussion: one inherited wealth, other earned it through hard work and clever dealing.
• Social stratification is a system of categorizing and ranking people in a hierarchy, affecting various aspects of life.
• Universal but variable, it shows up in every society and divides people differently, resulting in different life chances.
• Social stratification is a characteristic of society, not an individual difference.
• Children of wealthy families have better chances of living longer, attending college, and excelling in school than those born into poverty.
• Stratification persists across generations, perpetuating inequality.
• Societies allow some degree of social mobility, with upward and downward movements possible.
• Structural factors, such as economic forces and job changes, influence social mobility.
• Social stratification isn't just economic and social; it's also about beliefs that make systems function.
• Closed systems of stratification, such as caste systems, are rigid and allow little social mobility, based on ascribed status.
• Open systems of stratification, like class systems, allow for social mobility and are based on both ascribed status and personal achievement.
• American society has a meritocratic class system, with the idea that anyone can move up through hard work.
• Class systems have elements of meritocracy but still reproduce existing class inequalities due to advantages starting points.
• Status inconsistency occurs when a person experiences positive and negative influences on their social status.
• Socioeconomic status includes income, education, and occupational prestige.
• Indian caste system is an example of a closed, rigid, and unequal system with strong religious and cultural beliefs.
• Feudal Europe had a closed social system with three estates, where birth determined social standing.
• Race has been used as the main distinction in closed social systems, such as South African apartheid and American Jim Crow laws.
• Class systems are open and allow for more social mobility, based on both ascribed status and personal achievement.
• The American dream is the belief that anyone can move up the social hierarchy through hard work, but meritocracy is a justification for inequality.- Social status inconsistency: Low income decreases social status, while high education and college professor occupation increase it.
• Spectrum of systems: Closed and open systems are two extremes on a social stratification spectrum.
• Mixed system example: Modern Britain has elements of both caste and class systems.
• Stratification in the Soviet Union: Inequality existed despite theoretical classlessness, with apparatchiks, intelligentsia, industrial workers, and rural peasantry each holding political power and prestige.
• Studying societies: Analyzing a society's stratification and social mobility is crucial.
• Crash Course Sociology: Filmed in Missoula, MT, made with Thought Cafe animation team and Adobe Creative Cloud, supported by patrons on Patreon.

Test your knowledge on social stratification, a system of categorizing and ranking people based on various factors like wealth and social status. Explore concepts such as social mobility, caste systems, and the American dream.