Questions and Answers
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?
Systems that can be closed or open, affecting social mobility.
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?
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What is wealth?
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What is income?
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What is a meritocracy?
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What does status consistency refer to?
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What is social mobility?
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Which of these systems allows for the most social mobility?
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Which person best illustrates opportunities for upward social mobility in the United States?
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What factor makes caste systems closed?
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What factor makes class systems open?
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Which statement illustrates low status consistency?
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In the United States, most people define themselves as:
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What is upward mobility?
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What is downward mobility?
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What is intergenerational mobility?
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What is intragenerational mobility?
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What are class traits?
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Structural mobility occurs when:
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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.
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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.
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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.
