sociology milestone 4

What is Stratification?

Stratification is a system by which a society ranks categories of people in a hierarchy

There are 4 principles of stratification:

1) Social Stratification is a trait of society, not simply a reflection of individual differences (people are not at the top because they are harder workers)

2) Social Stratification persists over generations (through things like inheritance)

3) Social Stratification is universal but variable (every society has some type of power hierarchy but it might be based on different categories from another)

4) Social Stratification involves not just inequality but beliefs (these systems persist because of widespread ideology that supports the inequality)

Income vs Wealth

INCOME is what your earn from work and/or investments

WEALTH is the total value of all of your money and other assets minus any outstanding debts.

In the US there is inequality in INCOME - the richest 20% of the population receive almost 50% of all income, while the poorest 20% of the population receive only 4% of all income

But - there is an even bigger disparity in WEALTH. The richest 20% of the population has 85% of the wealth, while the poorest 20% has -1% of the wealth....yes that is a minus sign - because their debts are more than the total money and assets.

WEALTH translates into power in our society - the ability to shape the agenda of our country through political, economic, social and ideological influence.

WEALTH also effects day-to-day living on the micro level. Richer people are healthier and live on average 7 years longer than poorer people. They eat more nutritious food, live in safer and less stressful environments and receive better healthcare. Richer people tend to have more education and financial security and are also more tolerant of controversial behavior than their working class counterparts. Richer people are more likely to support Republicans, while poorer are more likely to be Democrats. People who are well off are usually more conservative on economic issues but more liberal on social issues. The reverse is true for people at the lower end of the economic hierarchy. Families in lower classes are somewhat larger than middle or upper class families. Working class parent encourage conventional norms and respect for authority whereas parents of higher economic standing transmit different 'cultural capital' to their children, stressing individuality and imagination.

Applying Theoretical Paradigms to Gender

A macro level analysis that defines gender in terms of two complimentary patterns of behavior: masculine and feminine.

This perspective sees gender as helpful as it gives men and women distinctive roles and responsibilities that help society operate smoothly. Gender builds social unity as men and women come together to form families

A macro level analysis that describes gender in terms of the power of one sex over the other.

This perspective sees gender as harmful because it limits personal development. Gender divides society by giving power to men to control the lives of women . Capitalism makes patriarchy stronger

A micro level analysis that sees gender as part of the reality that guides social interaction in everyday situations.

This perspective sees gender as both helpful and harmful. In everyday life, gender is one of the factors that help us relate to one another. At the same time, gender shapes human behavior, placing men in control of social situations. Men tent do initiate most interactions, while women typically act in a more deferential manner