If poverty is both cultural and structural in origin, these scholars say, efforts to improve the lives of people in the other America must involve increased structural opportunities for the poor and changes in some of their values and practices. According to symbolic interactionism, social class affects how people interact in everyday life and how they view certain aspects of the social world. What do feminists consider as the basis for stratification in the society? First, we'll start by defining the terms 'social class', 'inequality' and 'social class inequality'. These functions include the following: (1) poor people do the work that other people do not want to do; (2) the programs that help poor people provide a lot of jobs for the people employed by the programs; (3) the poor purchase goods, such as day-old bread and used clothing, that other people do not wish to purchase, and thus extend the economic value of these goods; and (4) the poor provide jobs for doctors, lawyers, teachers, and other professionals who may not be competent enough to be employed in positions catering to wealthier patients, clients, students, and so forth (Gans, 1972). Religious beliefs help create false consciousness. Stratification, in this sense, is necessary. The average life span of African Americans is up to five to six years shorter than that of White Americans. 2.3 Explaining Poverty - Social Problems - University of Minnesota Roberts has to buy a new wardrobe and learn how to dine and behave in rich social settings, and much of the films humor and poignancy come from her awkwardness in learning the lifestyle of the rich. To the extent that people accept such ideological beliefs, they are less likely to criticize the existing system of stratification. al., 2010). In reality, there are still many structural factors that cause inequalities among different social groups. True or false? They are different from you and me.. What are they? Murray, C. (2012). 9.3 Explaining Global Stratification - Sociology Even if we do have to promise higher incomes to get enough people to become physicians, does that mean we also need the amount of poverty we have? Millett (1970) argues for the latter, stating that the patriarchal system makes it so that men and women make up distinct, gendered classes in society (this is called the sex class). Is it possible to have a society without stratification? Pakulski & Waters (1996) argue that class no longer has any impact upon livelihoods and behaviours - 'class is dead'. The lower-middle class has household incomes from about $50,000 to $74,999, amounting to about 18% of all families. Everything you need for your studies in one place. Notes on Theories of Social Stratification - Unacademy The key goal of the ruling class here is to prevent the poor from achieving class consciousness, or an awareness of their oppression and the true reasons for it (Marx & Engels, 1947). This ultimately leads to the creation of hierarchies, meaning that s, Conflict theory of social stratification by Karl Marx, Postmodernist theory of social stratification. Differentiationinvolves ranking different social groups. Define "social stratification". Table 2.2 Theory Snapshot summarizes these three approaches. When applied to American society, their assumptions would be as follows: Functional theory argues that the promise of very high incomes is necessary to induce talented people to pursue important careers such as surgery. By looking at social stratification theories, we can see how these aspects may impact us! Second, this approach assumes that the system of stratification is fair and rational, and that the best people end up on top because of their superiority. Explain your answer. Roberts has to buy a new wardrobe and learn how to dine and behave in these social settings, and much of the films humor and poignancy come from her awkwardness in learning the lifestyle of the rich. Conflict theorists believe that this competitive system, together with structural barriers to upward mobility ends up creating and perpetuating stratification systems. It strikes at the soul (Blow, 2011). Weberian life chances can be seen as an expansion on some of Karl Marx's ideas. Critics say this explanation ignores discrimination and other problems in American society and exaggerates the degree to which the poor and nonpoor do in fact hold different values (Ehrenreich, 2012; Holland, 2011; Schmidt, 2012). Functionalism fails to explain inequalities brought about by discrimination based on identity markers such asgender, ethnicity or age. At its core, Karl Marx's theory posits that economic relationships are the most important in any society (compared to, say, cultural and political relationships) and that work is the key to affording the means of survival. A General Social Survey question asks whether it is the governments responsibility to reduce income differences between the rich and poor. As Figure 8.2 Annual Family Income and Belief That Government Should Reduce Income Differences Between the Rich and Poor shows, low-income people are much more likely than high-income people to think the government has this responsibility. How many social stratification theories are there? With this backdrop in mind, what do the individualistic and structural explanations of poverty say? In slave societies, the dominant ideology, and one that at least some slaves accepted, was that slaves are inferior to their masters and deserve no better fate in life. As later chapters in this book document, racial and ethnic discrimination, lack of adequate schooling and health care, and other problems make it difficult to rise out of poverty. Holland, J. Even if we do have to promise higher incomes to get enough people to become physicians, does that mean we also need the amount of poverty we have? Lewis, O. Describe the assumptions of the functionalist and conflict views of stratification and of poverty. PDF STRATIFICATION: Rich and Famous or Rags and Famine? - Corwin tax break: A deduction in tax that is given in order to encourage a certain economic activity or a social objective. Some principles of stratification: A critical analysis. AlterNet. Harrington, M. (1962). It proposes the existence of a hierarchy where some groups are privileged, and others are oppressed. What has been found regarding African American adolescents/young adults (ages 16-24)? The other America: Poverty in the United States. Earn points, unlock badges and level up while studying. The explanation for poverty we favor presumably affects the amount of sympathy we have for the poor, and our sympathy, or lack of sympathy, in turn affects our views about the governments role in helping the poor. Many different explanations grounded in conflict theory exist, but they all assume that stratification stems from a fundamental conflict between the needs and interests of the powerful, or haves, in society and those of the weak, or have-nots (Kerbo, 2009). This keeps society running smoothly by providing structure. Some principles of stratification. Yet they purchase these products to show off their wealth and to feel better about themselves. Additionally, we do not get to choose where we are born, our gender at birth, our sexuality, our ethnicity, or our family. To reiterate an earlier point, several of the remaining chapters of this book discuss the various obstacles that make it difficult for the poor, women, and people of color in the United States to move up the socioeconomic ladder and to otherwise enjoy healthy and productive lives. Social segregation represents a system of thoughts merged in social sciences and political theory based on societal categorization (Kincaid, 2015). Which job would you choose? Three-component theory of stratification - Wikipedia Elementary school teachers do a very important job in our society, but their salaries are much lower than those of sports agents, advertising executives, and many other people whose jobs are far less essential. Test your knowledge with gamified quizzes. Regarding the latter point, they note that poor employed adults work more hours per week than wealthier adults and that poor parents interviewed in surveys value education for their children at least as much as wealthier parents. Most sociologists favor the structural explanation. People are stratified relative to their relationship to the means of production. Why? Sources of social stratification. Social Stratification Theories According to this theory, stratification benefits the rich and powerful at the expense of the poorthose in high-status positions continually build on their wealth, only further entrenching the gap between high-status and low-status people. Create and find flashcards in record time. Social stratificationtheories seek to explain how society and its various systems (e.g., econ-omy and government) push some Americans into poverty and notothers. It is likely your client is experiencing: Which of the following is true regarding the health of African Americans? Instead, they continued to follow traditional beliefs and practices that stymied industrial development and modernization. This explanation was developed more than sixty years ago by Kingsley Davis and Wilbert Moore (Davis & Moore, 1945) in the form of several logical assumptions that imply stratification is both necessary and inevitable. Second, the functionalist explanation implies that the most important jobs have the highest incomes and the least important jobs the lowest incomes, but many examples, including the ones just mentioned, counter this view. Status refers to a person's relative social position based on the honour or prestige that's attached to their occupation. 8.4 Economic Inequality and Poverty in the United States, 9.1 The Nature and Extent of Global Stratification, 10.1 Racial and Ethnic Relations: An American Dilemma, 10.5 Racial and Ethnic Inequality in the United States, 10.6 Race and Ethnicity in the 21st Century, 11.4 Violence Against Women: Rape and Pornography, 11.5 The Benefits and Costs of Being Male, 12.1 Gerontology and the Concept of Aging, 12.2 The Perception and Experience of Aging, 12.4 Life Expectancy, Aging, and the Graying of Society, 12.5 Biological and Psychological Aspects of Aging, 13.1 Economic Development in Historical Perspective, 15.1 The Family in Cross-Cultural and Historical Perspectives, 15.2 Sociological Perspectives on the Family, 15.3 Family Patterns in the United States Today, 15.4 Changes and Issues Affecting American Families, 16.1 A Brief History of Education in the United States, 16.2 Sociological Perspectives on Education, 17.2 Religion in Historical and Cross-Cultural Perspective, 17.3 Sociological Perspectives on Religion, 17.6 Trends in Religious Belief and Activity, 18.1 Understanding Health, Medicine, and Society, 18.2 Health and Medicine in International Perspective, 18.3 Health and Illness in the United States, 18.4 Medicine and Health Care in the United States. By extension, we might not have enough people filling societys important jobs unless they know they will be similarly rewarded. Differentiation is the process of distinguishing between different identities and their associated roles. Feminists see society as being stratified by, . So, functionalists argue that stratification exists because there are important roles to be played within the institutions whose core functions keep society running smoothly. Two classic sociological approaches to poverty and social stratification are structural-functionalism and conflict theory. When U.S. slavery existed in the South, it was commonly thought that blacks were biologically inferior and suited only to be slaves. This is because identity is now much more individualised and less define-able in group terms. Although you might be tempted to answer with brain surgery, if no coal were mined then much of our society could not function. International data underline this American ideology. Feelings of inferiority that racism and prejudice cause minority groups. Fig. Living on the edge: The realities of welfare in America. Merriam-Webster defines a meritocracy as: a system in which people are chosen and moved into positions of success, power, and influence on the basis of their demonstrated abilities and merit'. Davis, K., & Moore, W. (1945). Weber believed stratification to be multi-dimensional, with aspects related to class, status, and power impacting people's, Feminists believe that society is stratified by gender, wherein men are dominant and women are subjected to inferior. According to the individualistic explanation, the poor have personal problems and deficiencies that are responsible for their poverty. Worlds apart: Why poverty persists in rural America. For example, the poor have higher rates of cigarette smoking (34 percent of people with annual incomes between $6,000 and $11,999 smoke, compared to only 13 percent of those with incomes $90,000 or greater [Goszkowski, 2008]), which helps cause them to have more serious health problems. Them thats not shall lose. When working with older adults, counselors should: Twelve-year-old Jennifer begins to experience intense heart palpitations prior to a math test. The unheavenly city revisited. Sociologists take two opposing approaches to explaining economic stratification: structural-functionalism and conflict theory. Your client is likely experiencing classism According to conflict theory, stratification results from lack of opportunity and discrimination against the poor and people of color. Those who attribute poverty to problems in the larger society are much more likely than those who attribute it to deficiencies among the poor to believe that the government should do more to help the poor (Bradley & Cole, 2002). Stratification is necessary to induce people with special intelligence, knowledge, and skills to enter the most important occupations. 7.4 The Get-Tough Approach: Boon or Bust? Theories of stratification and differentiation seek to understand why these phenomena exist in society and whether they are inevitable. What are social stratification and differentiation? What are the two key ideas on which the Weberian theory of stratification is based? 22.1 What Have You Learned From This Book? True or false? Social stratification and inequality. The functionalist view does not answer these questions adequately. (Original work published 1899). According to structural-functionalists, stratification and inequality are actually constructive phenomena that benefit society specifically, that the privileges attached to high- status incentive motivated, qualified people to work to achieve those positions. The culture of poverty. The popularity of this belief leads many Americans to blame poor people for their poverty. For example, many wealthy families pay low wages to nannies to care for their children, gardeners to tend to their yards, and maids to clean their homes. Sociological accounts of the poor provide a vivid portrait of what it is like to live in poverty on a daily basis. For this reason, stratification is necessary and inevitable. According to him, upper-class people were responsible for the condition of the lower-class people. Differentiation is the acknowledgement that while there are many social roles, they're all equal. What is the name of this phenomenon? Attributions for poverty among college students: The impact of service-learning and religiosity. 9.6C: Explaining Poverty- The Sociological Debate is shared under a CC BY-SA license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by LibreTexts. : "property get [Map MindTouch.Deki.Logic.ExtensionProcessorQueryProvider+<>c__DisplayClass228_0.b__1]()", "9.04:_Social_Mobility" : "property get [Map MindTouch.Deki.Logic.ExtensionProcessorQueryProvider+<>c__DisplayClass228_0.b__1]()", "9.05:_The_Impacts_of_Social_Class" : "property get [Map MindTouch.Deki.Logic.ExtensionProcessorQueryProvider+<>c__DisplayClass228_0.b__1]()", "9.06:_Poverty" : "property get [Map MindTouch.Deki.Logic.ExtensionProcessorQueryProvider+<>c__DisplayClass228_0.b__1]()" }, 9.6C: Explaining Poverty- The Sociological Debate, [ "article:topic", "showtoc:no", "license:ccbysa", "columns:two" ], https://socialsci.libretexts.org/@app/auth/3/login?returnto=https%3A%2F%2Fsocialsci.libretexts.org%2FBookshelves%2FSociology%2FIntroduction_to_Sociology%2FSociology_(Boundless)%2F09%253A_Stratification_Inequality_and_Social_Class_in_the_U.S.%2F9.06%253A_Poverty%2F9.6C%253A_Explaining_Poverty-_The_Sociological_Debate, \( \newcommand{\vecs}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}}}\) \( \newcommand{\vecd}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash{#1}}} \)\(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\)\(\newcommand{\AA}{\unicode[.8,0]{x212B}}\), Discuss the critiques of structural-functionalist approaches to social stratification. Finally, the functionalist explanation might make sense up to a point, but it does not justify the extremes of wealth and poverty found in the United States and other nations. One other line of functionalist thinking focuses more directly on poverty than generally on stratification. 2. Social stratification, also simply known as stratification, is a process that's deeply ingrained in most societies. These problems help create a vicious cycle of poverty in which children of the poor are often fated to end up in poverty or near poverty themselves as adults. These problems include (a) racial, ethnic, gender, and age discrimination; (b) lack of good schooling and adequate health care; and (c) structural changes in the American economic system, such as the departure of manufacturing companies from American cities in the 1980s and 1990s that led to the loss of thousands of jobs. Stratification is an ongoing Firestone (1970) was a radical feminist who argued that gender stratification is the result of biology. First, it is difficult to compare the importance of many types of jobs. If physicians and shoe shiners made the same high income, would enough people decide to become physicians? For example, despite earning equal salaries, two persons may have differences in power, property, and prestige. This hierarchical stratification is based on concepts like social roles, interests, experiences, and careers. Stratification results from lack of opportunity and from discrimination and prejudice against the poor, women, and people of color. Retrieved from http://www.alternet.org/story/151830/debunking_the_big_lie_right-wingers_use_to_justify_black_poverty _and_unemployment_?page=entire. We review what these perspectives say generally about social stratification (rankings of people based on wealth and other resources a society values) before turning to explanations focusing specifically on poverty. A professional athlete making millions of dollars a year earns many times the income of the president of the United States, but who is more important to the nation? Demographics on the African American population show, The poverty rate of African Americans remains nearly two times as high as that of White Americans. What other America? Stratification results from lack of opportunity and from discrimination and prejudice against the poor, women, and people of color. The general understanding of differentiation is that different statuses come with different levels of, More about Social Stratification Theories, Social Construction of Health and Illness, Representation of Social Class In The Media, Distribution of Wealth, Poverty, and Income in the UK, Theoretical Approaches to Welfare Providers. In general, conflict theory attributes stratification and thus poverty to lack of opportunity from discrimination and prejudice against the poor, women, and people of color. Theory. What other form of inequality did she study? Poverty is discussed later in this chapter, but for now it is sufficient to say that the poor often lead lives of quiet desperation and must find many ways of coping with the fact of being poor. Which may be some of the results of coming out for a LGBT youth? What is the theory of Karl Marx about social stratification? The name of this phenomenon is economic determinism. New York, NY: W. W. Norton. Monday Night Chat | Live chat with Guru and Cazz - Facebook . These and other similarities in values and beliefs lead critics of the individualistic explanation to conclude that poor peoples poverty cannot reasonably be said to result from a culture of poverty.

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