Sociology Chapter 8 Flashcards

Social Stratification and Inequality

• Social stratification refers to the structured division of society into categories, ranks, or classes.
• Social inequality involves the unequal distribution of resources and social rewards among individuals or groups.

Types of Social Systems

• Caste system dictates resource distribution based on ascribed statuses, often hereditary.
• Class system allows for social mobility through achieved statuses, defining distribution based on personal merit.

Marriage Systems

• Exogamy encourages marrying outside one's social category.
• Endogamy promotes marriage within the same social category, often strengthening social ties.

Economic Classes

• Bourgeoisie are the owners of the means of production, controlling economic resources.
• Proletariat represents the working class, reliant on selling their labor for economic sustenance.

Understanding Social Class

• Social class comprises individuals sharing similar wealth, power, and prestige levels.
• Socioeconomic status ranks individuals by wealth, power, and prestige, influencing their social position.

Wealth, Power, and Prestige

• Wealth includes all assets owned by a person, including income from salaries and investments.
• Power denotes the ability to influence or control others, irrespective of their consent.
• Prestige is the respect or recognition received from society.

Measuring Social Class

• Reputational method relies on community opinions to rank individuals based on character and lifestyle.
• Subjective method involves individuals self-assessing their social rank.
• Objective method employs measurable factors like income, occupation, and education to classify social status.

Social Mobility

• Social advancement refers to the rise through the ranks within a class system, improving one's social status.
• Social mobility encompasses movements between or within varying social classes, affecting personal and family status.
• Horizontal mobility signifies a shift within the same social class, such as changing jobs without altering status.
• Vertical mobility indicates a transition between social classes, like moving from a low-wage job to a management role.

Generational Mobility

• Intragenerational mobility examines changes in a person's social position over their lifetime.
• Intergenerational mobility looks at status differences across generations within a single family.

Poverty and Life Chances

• Poverty signifies living standards below societal minimum adequacy levels.
• The poverty level outlines the minimum income required to meet basic needs.
• Life chances describe the probability of individuals accessing societal opportunities and resources.
• Life expectancy represents the average number of years individuals born in a specific year are anticipated to live.

Economic Support Systems

• Transfer payments function to redistribute wealth in society, aiding those in public assistance through tax revenues.

Test your knowledge of sociology concepts with these flashcards from Chapter 8. Learn about social stratification, inequality, the caste system, and more. Perfect for students looking to reinforce their understanding of key sociological terms.