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Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis Copyright 2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.
Basic Principles
A trait of society
Doesnt reflect individual differences, but societys structure
Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis Copyright 2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.
Birth determines social position in four ways: Occupation Marriage within caste Social life is restricted to own kind. Belief systems are often tied to religious dogma. Many of the worlds societies are caste systems. Caste system is illegal, but elements survive.
Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis Copyright 2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.
Class Systems
Social stratification based on both birth and individual achievement
Social mobility for people with education and skills All people gain equal standing before the law. Work involves some personal choice. Meritocracy: Based on personal merit
Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis Copyright 2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.
Class Systems
Status consistencyThe degree of uniformity in a person's social standing across various dimensions of social inequality.
A caste system has limited social mobility and high status consistency.
The greater mobility of class systems produces less status consistency.
Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis Copyright 2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.
Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis Copyright 2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.
China
Economic change A new class system
Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis Copyright 2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.
Ideology
Cultural beliefs that justify particular social arrangements, including patterns of inequality
Plato
Every culture considers some type of inequality just.
Marx
Capitalist societies keep wealth and power for a few.
Spencer
Survival of the fittest
Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis Copyright 2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.
The greater the importance of a position, the more rewards a society attaches to it. Egalitarian societies offer little incentive for people to try their best. Positions a society considers more important must reward enough to draw talented people
Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis Copyright 2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.
Capitalism creates great inequality in power and wealth. This oppression would drive the working majority to organize and overthrow the capitalism.
Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis Copyright 2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.
Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis Copyright 2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.
White-collar jobs offer no more income, security, or satisfaction than factory work did a century ago.
Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis Copyright 2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.
Ordinary people still face disadvantages that the law cannot overcome.
Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis Copyright 2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.
Class position
Viewed classes as a continuum from high to low
Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis Copyright 2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.
Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis Copyright 2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.
Social Stratification
Vonnegut: An egalitarian society can exist only if everyone is reduced to the lowest common denominator. Davis-Moore thesis: Class differences reflect variation in human abilities and the relative importance of different jobs. Marx: Inequality causes human suffering and conflict; social stratification springs from injustice and greed.
Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis Copyright 2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.