Social Stratification- Chapter 8

1
Social Stratification- Chapter 8

• Childhood poverty is like being punished for a
  crime you didnt commit.

2
USA Economic Crisis

• How is it affecting children
• http//www.youtube.com/watch?vRgbzDBPhxyYfeature
  related
• http//www.youtube.com/watch?vcR3jQOgs9gcfeature
  related
• Journal What are the affects of poverty on
  children?
• physically, socially, academically,
  developmentally
• What are the affects of poverty on the family?
• What solutions would help to lessen the affects
  of poverty on children?

3

• Social differentiation- a process by which people
  are set apart for differential treatment by
  virtue of their roles, statuses, or other
  characteristics
• Exists in every culture
• Social inequality- a condition by which people
  have unequal access to wealth, power, and
  prestige
• as societies get larger and more complex they
  have
• Social Stratification- a form of inequality in
  which categories of people are systematically
  ranked in a hierarchy on the basis to their
  access to scarce but valuable resources.

4

• All societies have some sort of way to
  distinguish the people who have power and those
  who do not
• closed systems- boundaries are permanent-there is
  very little social mobility
• usually determined by customs, laws, and public
  attitudes do not allow movement between classes
• open systems- boundaries are less firm, social
  status is determined by achievement, society
  supports and encourages people to change their
  rank.

5
What do we NEED vs. WANT ?

• Make a list of what you need on a daily basis
• Make a list of what is excess (you use but dont
  need)
• Could you live with less?

6
What is Rich???

• What is rich? How much per/year?
• Is 250,000 per year rich?
• http//money.cnn.com/video/news/2011/10/10/n_who_i
  s_rich.cnnmoney/
• So.what factors determine wealth or if someone
  is rich?
• List..

7
Poverty

• Absolute Poverty- when individuals fall below the
  minimum subsistence and are unable to function as
  members of society
• Relative Poverty- is a lack of resources relative
  to others and the overall standards of a society

8

• What is poor in the United States?
• Poor is considered by most states a family of 4
  making under 22,000 a year or roughly 1,834.00 a
  month gross income (without taxes removed)
• Attempt to create a budget for 1,500.00 a month
  (after taxes) for a family of 4
• Housing (rent) other expenditures?
• Electric
• medical insurance? other debt (credit cards)
• Phone (cell?)
• Food school supplies
• Car
• Insurance
• Gas
• clothes

9
Poverty in the United States The Poverty Line

• http//minnesota.cbslocal.com/2011/09/14/good-ques
  tion-why-is-the-poverty-line-just-11000
• What is the poverty line?
• Is it an accurate measure of who is poor? Why/
  Why not?

10
Poster Activity- see handout
11
Rural Poverty

• Read handout on Rural Poverty
• Answer the following
• 1- Define Rural poverty
• 2-List the myths on rural poverty and why they
  are NOT trueprovide evidence.
• 3- List 5 facts on rural poverty that are the
  most eye opening for you

12
Some of the barriers the rural poor face are

• Fewer jobs are available in rural areas than in
  urban areas
• Rural residents face long commutes to get to jobs
  and childcare providers.
• The need for cars is often greater in rural areas
  than cities due to longer distances and the
  pervasive lack of public transportation.
• Fewer childcare options exist in rural areas.
• Less access to social service programs exist for
  the rural elderly poor.

13
Children of Appalachia

• http//abcnews.go.com/2020/video/history-appalachi
  a-6885766
• http//abcnews.go.com/WNT/video?id6900805
  Mountain Dew Mouth
• Read handout
• List 8-10 facts about Appalachia poverty

14

• 4 Major Types of Systems
• Slavery- a system where there are people who are
  free and a category of people who are legally the
  property of those in power
• http//thecnnfreedomproject.blogs.cnn.com/?hpthp_
  bn5
• http//thecnnfreedomproject.blogs.cnn.com/2011/11/
  17/domestic-servitude/?hpthp_c1
• Castes- rank is permanent from birth, it is
  determined by heredity, and marriage between
  social classes is not permitted
• Estates- a social hierarchy based on the monopoly
  of power and land ownership by religious groups
  and political elite
• Social Classes- the economic factor and achieved
  statuses gained by ability and merit are the main
  means of ranking.

15

• Social Class Ranking- USA
• Most people in the US define themselves as part
  of the middle class
• Three categories determine an individuals rank
  wealth, power, and prestige
• Socioeconomic Status- a ranking that combines
  income, occupational prestige, level of
  education, and neighborhood

16

• Social Class-
• Upper Class- 1 of population, incomes over
  500,000 a year, but have net worth of millions
  to billions of dollars, have power over
  education, religious, political, and other
  institutions
• Upper-Middle Class- 15 of population,
  professional such as CEO, physicians, white
  collar management, household income of more than
  100,000 a year, and usually highly educated
• Lower Middle Class- 33 of population, very
  diverse characteristics, household income of
  30,000- 75,000 a year, admires upper-middle and
  often overspends to live that lifestyle-
  teachers, bank employees, salespeople
• Working Class- 30 of population, blue collar and
  clerical workers, 16,000-30,000 a year, truck
  drivers, machine operators, very little job
  security, low wages, and prestige
• Lower Class- 14 of population, referred to as
  poor, income under 16,000 a year, people who
  have recently lost their jobs represents the
  majority, others work 2-3 jobs but pay and hours
  are erratic, may or may not be collecting
  government assistance

17
Hidden Rules Among Classes

• Draw a
• If you have a.
• 3Wealth
• 2Middle Class
• 1Poverty
• Look at the Handout that describes the Hidden
  Rules (according to sociologists) of your class
• Create a journal (in the first person)
  adopting this class as your own
• Pick 10 of the characteristics and integrate
  them into your journal
• Underline the 10 characteristics---they
  should not be the same as stated on the
  worksheetthey should be personalized.

18
Feminization of Poverty-

• women and girls account for a disproportionate
  share of the poor
• -WHY?

19

• Sociological Perspectives on Social
  Stratification
• Functionalist Perspective- sees class as
  fulfilling a need of society by differentially
  rewarding effort
• Davis and Moore (1945)-inequity is not created
  by natural differences but by social needs- some
  positions are more important to social well being
  and require specialization and education
• H. Gans(1994)- stated having the poor serves a
  function in society by providing individuals with
  jobs who help the poor (social workers,
  government organization)
• Interactionist Perspective- focus on class
  symbols and boundaries
• stresses lifestyles- the distinctive ways which
  group members consume goods and services and
  display rank (homes)
• class boundaries are maintained by language,
  speech patterns, and pronunciation
• Conflict Perspective- stresses that inequity
  mainly benefits the rich and powerful
• K. Marx- history is marked by class struggle
• those in power with access to resources vs.
  those who are exploited