Sociology Chapter 11 Flashcards

Income and Wealth Distribution

• Wealth inequality in the US surpasses income inequality.
• Income refers to earnings from work, whereas wealth represents the difference between assets and liabilities.

Social Class Overview

• The upper class exhibits high incomes, with distinctions between upper-upper class (inherited wealth) and lower-upper class (earned wealth).
• The middle class is demographically diverse and accumulates wealth over time.
• Working class includes routine jobs that are low-paying and lack benefits.
• Lower class features part-time work, unemployment, and life marked by insecurity.

Social Class Characteristics

• The middle class is the largest social class in the US.
• Social class significantly impacts health outcomes, with wealth correlated to better health care access and life expectancy.
• Wealthy individuals tend to be conservative economically but liberal on social issues; the poor display the opposite tendencies.

Parenting and Social Class

• Affluent parents prioritize creativity and independence; working class parents emphasize obedience and discipline.
• Parenting styles differ, with affluent parents promoting individualism and involvement in extracurricular activities.

Social Mobility

• Horizontal mobility involves changing jobs while staying at the same class level.
• Intragenerational mobility refers to changes in social position within a person's lifetime.
• Intergenerational mobility addresses the social mobility of children compared to their parents.
• Trends in social mobility show an overall upward trajectory over the last century, but recent shifts have made mobility uneven and sometimes downward.

Poverty

• Poverty is defined as a lack of resources necessary for adequate living.
• Absolute poverty denotes a severe lack of resources, while relative poverty is comparative to societal standards.
• Relative poverty is more prevalent in the US today.