Podcast
Questions and Answers
What is social stratification?
What is social stratification?
A socioeconomic system that divides society's members into categories ranking from high to low, based on wealth, power, and prestige.
What are stratification systems?
What are stratification systems?
Systems that can be closed or open, affecting social mobility.
What distinguishes a caste system?
What distinguishes a caste system?
A system in which people are born into a social standing that they will retain their entire lives.
What defines a class system?
What defines a class system?
Signup and view all the answers
What is wealth?
What is wealth?
Signup and view all the answers
What is income?
What is income?
Signup and view all the answers
What is a meritocracy?
What is a meritocracy?
Signup and view all the answers
What does status consistency refer to?
What does status consistency refer to?
Signup and view all the answers
What is social mobility?
What is social mobility?
Signup and view all the answers
Which of these systems allows for the most social mobility?
Which of these systems allows for the most social mobility?
Signup and view all the answers
Which person best illustrates opportunities for upward social mobility in the United States?
Which person best illustrates opportunities for upward social mobility in the United States?
Signup and view all the answers
What factor makes caste systems closed?
What factor makes caste systems closed?
Signup and view all the answers
What factor makes class systems open?
What factor makes class systems open?
Signup and view all the answers
Which statement illustrates low status consistency?
Which statement illustrates low status consistency?
Signup and view all the answers
In the United States, most people define themselves as:
In the United States, most people define themselves as:
Signup and view all the answers
What is upward mobility?
What is upward mobility?
Signup and view all the answers
What is downward mobility?
What is downward mobility?
Signup and view all the answers
What is intergenerational mobility?
What is intergenerational mobility?
Signup and view all the answers
What is intragenerational mobility?
What is intragenerational mobility?
Signup and view all the answers
What are class traits?
What are class traits?
Signup and view all the answers
Structural mobility occurs when:
Structural mobility occurs when:
Signup and view all the answers
Study Notes
Social Stratification Overview
- Social stratification is a system that categorizes society's members into ranked groups based on wealth, power, and prestige.
- Two types of stratification systems:
- Closed systems (e.g., caste systems) allow little to no movement in social position.
- Open systems (e.g., class systems) enable movement and interaction among different social layers.
Caste and Class Systems
- Caste System: Individuals are born into a specific social standing that remains unchanged throughout their lives.
- Class System: Social standing is determined by a combination of factors such as wealth, income, education, and personal accomplishments.
Key Definitions
- Wealth: The total value of money and assets owned, often inherited.
- Income: Earnings from work or investments.
- Class: Groups sharing a common social status influenced by wealth, occupation, and education.
Marriage and Social Categories
- Exogamous Unions: Marriages between spouses from different social categories.
- Endogamous Marriages: Unions within the same social category.
Meritocracy
- Defined as a system where social standing is based on personal merit and effort.
- An ideal meritocracy rewards individuals like physician's assistants with raises for excellent performance.
Status Consistency
- Refers to the uniformity of an individual's rank across various categories such as income and education.
- Low status consistency example: A college dropout becomes financially successful through entrepreneurship.
Social Mobility in the United States
- Three main social classes in the U.S.: upper, middle, and lower class.
-
Social Mobility: The ability to move between social classes.
- Upward Mobility: An increase in social class.
- Downward Mobility: A decrease in social class.
Generational Mobility
- Intergenerational Mobility: Changes in social class across generations within a family.
- Intragenerational Mobility: Class differences among members of the same generation.
Societal Changes and Mobility
- Structural Mobility: Occurs when societal factors enable large groups to move up or down the class ladder.
- Class traits, or markers, are behaviors, customs, and norms defining each class, with most people in the U.S. identifying as middle class.
Studying That Suits You
Use AI to generate personalized quizzes and flashcards to suit your learning preferences.
Description
Test your understanding of social stratification with these flashcards covering Chapter 9. Explore the differences between closed and open systems, and the roles of class and caste in society. Perfect for students looking to reinforce their knowledge of key sociological concepts.
