Wednesday, February 24, 1999
Announcements:

• Tests will be handed back next Monday
• Friday a film – Children in Poverty – will be shown and reaction papers are due next Wednesday.

1. Social Stratification (Inequality and Poverty)

1. Intro: The film Titanic was a good presentation of society. 60% of the luxury class survived, 36% of the middle class survived, and just 26% of the lower class survived. Everything depends on class – the amount of access to societal resources one has. Social Stratification refers to the unequal distribution of societal resources (which include power, privilege, wealth, income, education, employment, nursing, health care, vacation, etc.) The class structure from highest to lowest: Upper Class, Upper Middle Class, Middle Class, Lower Middle Class, Lower Class.
2. 4 Principles of Social Stratification

1. Social inequality is a feature of society, not simply a function of individual differences.
2. Social Stratification persists from one generation to another – if one is born in the lower middle class they are most likely to stay there.
3. Universal – It exists everywhere, even in socialist countries. Industrialization has increased inequality.
4. Beliefs – people with powerful resources try to justify the stratification system while the poor are the most critical of the stratification system.

1. Dimensions of Stratification: Max Weber – economic, political, social prestige

1. Economic – wealth (everything a family owns) and income (money a family receives from labor)
2. Political – referring to power (make people behave how you want them to behave)
3. Social – What people think of you – achieve respect through family, education, accomplishments
4. Matthew Effect – "much is added unto those who have" People with political power also have social prestige.

1. 3 Kinds of Social Stratification: Caste, Class and Estate (not important)

1. Definitions: Caste – homogenous group of people with similar religion, language, lifestyle, food habits, and geographical area. Exists in India and three theories to its development are (1) the color of skin, (2) occupational, (3) Arian people from China immigrated to India and made the caste system so people would serve their needs. Class – heterogeneous group of people based on economic status.
2. Differences between Caste and Class

1. A caste is closed (no mobility, you are in for life) while a class is open (can change, is based on achievement)
2. A caste has an ascribed status, while a class has achieved and ascribed statuses. There can be classes within a caste.
3. A caste promotes endogamy (marrying within a social group) while a class deals with endogamy yes and no – In the US, people tend to marry within their class. Also in a caste there is no inter-dining.
4. A caste has a religious justification while a class does not. The Hindu religion says all people have a moral duty to their caste and by doing all their duties they may achieve a higher caste in the next life.
5. A caste is originally linked to occupation while a class is not rigidly linked to occupation. A caste promotes segregation since each lives apart from one another while the same is unofficially true in a class system.
6. A caste is associated with agricultural societies while a class is associated with industrial societies. Although, India has modernized and retained the caste system.

1. Is there a caste system in the US? Several features of the US society that are similar to the caste system are:

1. Endogamy – people do stuff with people like themselves
2. Segregation – people stay with people like themselves
3. Inter-dining – people do not invite other classes or ethnic groups over to eat.
4. Occupational – the rich people get good, skilled jobs consistent with the class they belong to
5. Membership in racial group – never changes
6. One-Drop Rule – During slavery, one drop of Black blood pollutes the person. Whites have a fear of polluting their class.