Stratification & Social Mobility Lecture PDF

STRATIFICATION & SOCIAL MOBILITY Types of Stratification Status & Roles Social Mobility & Privilege What is a social STRATIFICATION? The categorizing and ranking of people in society Hierarchy of who has power, influence, and opportunity Unequal distribut...

STRATIFICATION & SOCIAL MOBILITY Types of Stratification Status & Roles Social Mobility & Privilege What is a social STRATIFICATION? The categorizing and ranking of people in society Hierarchy of who has power, influence, and opportunity Unequal distribution Categories of people are layered in society, like strata in rocks. The number of layers varies, but there are upper, middle, and lower layers.  What names do we call the layers here? HEREDITARY STRATIFICATION “Born-with” traits Used throughout history, especially pre-modern era Titles of nobility Race-based segregation King Charles III’s status has been from birth, unlike the Reagans or Princess Diana. However, Georg Friedrich Prinz von Preussen isn’t the King of Germany. The Jim Crow era lasted roughly a century of America’s history.  No Title of Nobility shall be granted by the United States (Art I, Sec 9) (F)ree Persons … Indians not taxed … three fifths of all other Persons (Art I, Sec 2) Queen Elizabeth II’s approval rating was 86% before she died in 2022 UK’s 2020 Democracy Index score is.892 (out of 1.0)  ECONOMIC STRATIFICATION Money is power, influence, and opportunity Most common way modern societies are stratified Big political donations Elite private school The 2022 mid-term federal election campaign costs likely tallied close to $9 billion. While US Senators & Congresspeople make $174,000 annually. 30% of Philip Exeter’s students go on to attend Ivy League universities.  Americans living in poorer counties died from COVID twice the rate as those in rich counties.  In what other ways does money provide opportunity, power, or influence? What’s the difference between STATUS & ROLE? Status is the position you have within society or a group Roles are what society expects you to play in that status  STATUS The position you hold and its place within the hierarchy Society-wide and in groups Elders in Native tribes Engineers in India Fathers in Mexico Tribal elders are considered holders of wisdom and are highly revered. The Indian Institute of Technology colleges have acceptance rates under 2%. Harvard’s is closer to 6%. Latin America’s machismo places the father as the authority figure in a family.  What’re the various statuses within a typical school hierarchy?  What’re the various statuses you currently and simultaneously hold? ASCRIBED STATUS Given or assigned to us often from birth Race, sex, age, cultural group  ACHIEVED STATUS Earned or chosen for oneself Can change throughout life Occupation, family, groups MASTER STATUS Your most defining status How others most see you President, felon, stay-at-home mom Michael Jordan’s master status isn’t what’s made him a billionaire. Which of your current statuses are ascribed? Which are achieved? Which is your master? Statuses can be inconsistent.  Murray Perahia, one of the world’s best pianists, has a net worth of a few million. Justin Bieber’s is a few hundred million.  What’re other skills or talents that don’t really translate to high status in our society? ROLE All the behaviors expressed with a certain status It’s the acting out of status, which differs across societies and groups  What’re the behaviors associated with the status of a teenager in America? 42% of teens from under $30,000 household report pressure to help family financially. 28% do from households making +$75,000. 2019 survey by Pew Research What’re the ways in which your role as a teen is shaped by your class?  EXPLORE MORE Now it’s time to dive deeper into these concepts with some activities What is a social MOBILITY? The ability to change positions within a society’s stratification The more open the system, the more a person can move VERTICAL Upward or downward movement What you commonly think of First-gen college grad “Blowing” an inheritance  Andrew Carnegie is the classic “rags to riches” American story.  HORIZONTAL Switching careers or lifestyles but still being in same social class The far more common movement we do Reagan’s move from acting to politics The average American will have 12 jobs and 3-7 career changes.  Who are people or fictional characters you know who’ve moved vertically or horizontally?  America’s open system is called a meritocracy. Hard work and skills determine one’s class. Throughout society, programs, policies, and laws promote this value. However, many still call it a myth. J.K. Rowling wrote her first Harry Potter book while experiencing poverty.  The odds of ending up in the top 20% of wealth if born into the bottom 20%? 5%  The odds of ending up in the bottom 20% of wealth if born into the top 20%? 5% What common ways do we admire to become rich, though the odds are slim? What is social PRIVILEGE? Advantages that make life and social mobility easier Can range from ever so slight to significant Can be ascribed or achieved We all have a mix of advantages and disadvantages. Graduated from college A loan from a friend, gov assistance Access to therapy Forced to use initials to “appeal to boy readers” Black-sounding names on job applications get 10% fewer interview calls than white-sounding names.  What’s a privilege you acknowledge that does and will help you in life?  EXPLORE MORE Now is time to dive deeper into these concepts with some activities