social class

1. Chapter 8
Social Class in the United States

2. Chapter Outline
 The American Class Structure
 Poverty
 Government-Assistance Programs
 The Changing Face of Poverty
 Consequences of Social Stratification
 Why Does Social Inequality Exist?

3. Class Structure
 A social class consists of a category of people
who share similar opportunities, similar
economic and vocational positions, similar
lifestyles, and similar attitudes and behaviors.
 A society that has several different social
classes and permits social mobility is based on
a class system of stratification.
 Class boundaries are maintained by limiting
social interaction, intermarriage, and mobility
into that class.

4. Social Classes in the United
States
 Upper class
 Upper-middle class
 Lower-middle class
 Working class
 Lower class

5. Question
 If you were asked to use one of the
following four names for your parents'
social class, which would you say they
belong in?
A. Upper class
B. Middle class
C. Working class
D. Lower class

6. Social Classes in the United
States
Class Occupation Education
Upper
class
Corporate ownership;
upper-echelon politics;
positions in government
and the arts
Liberal arts
education at
elite schools
Upper-
middle
class
Professional and technical
fields; managers; officials;
proprietors
College and
graduate
training

7. Social Classes in the United
States
Class Occupation Education
Lower-
middle
class
Clerical, Sales, small
business semi-
professionals; farmers
High school;
some college
Working
class
Skilled, manual labor;
crafts people; foremen
Grade school;
high school
Lower
class
Unskilled labor, service
work; house- hold work
and farm labor
Grade school;
semi-illiterate

8. Question
 Bernie is a factory worker and his wife,
Harriet, is a waitress. They dropped out of
school in the eleventh grade to get married.
They can pay their bills each month but don't
have anything left for luxuries. Bernie and
Harriet are members of the:
A. lower class.
B. working class.
C. lower-middle class.
D. upper-middle class.

9. Answer: B
 Bernie and Harriet are members of the
working class.

10. Family Income by Quintile, 2004

11. Income Distribution
 In 2000, the richest 1/5 of families earned
49.7% of the total income for the year while the
poorest 1/5 earned only 3.6%
 The richest 20% of American families owns
more than 3/4 of all the country’s wealth.
 The richest 5% of all families owns more than
1/2 of America’s wealth.
 The number of people in poverty grew from
24.5 million in 1978 to 31.1 million in 2000.

12. Question
 Many poor people simply don't want to
work hard.
A. Strongly agree
B. Agree somewhat
C. Unsure
D. Disagree somewhat
E. Strongly disagree

13. Poverty
 Prefers to a condition in which people do not
have enough money to maintain a standard of
living that includes the basic necessities of life.
 Between 14 and 45 million Americans live in
poverty, but we do not have an unequivocal way
to determining how many poor people there are
in the U.S.
 In 2004, 12.7% of all Americans lived below the
poverty level.

14. Poverty Rates by Race and
Hispanic Origin, 1959 to 2004

15. The Feminization of Poverty
 A phrase referring to the disproportionate
concentration of poverty among female-headed
families.
 In 2001, a family with both a husband and
wife present had a median income of
$60,471.
 For a male householder without a wife the
figure was $40,715.
 For a female householder without a husband
it was $28,142.

16. Single Women With Children
 12.7% of all people were below the poverty line
in 2004 and 28.4% of all single women with
children were living in poverty.
 If trends continue, 60% of all children born
today will spend part of their childhood in a
family headed by a mother who is divorced,
separated, unwed, or widowed.
 Almost half of female-headed families with
children younger than 18 live below the poverty
line.

17. Income Levels: Individuals and Families
Considered to Be Living in Poverty 2004
Size of Unit Income
1 person $ 9,827
2 people 12,649
3 people 14,776
4 people 19,484
5 people 23,497
6 people 27,025
7 people 31,096
8 people 31,778
9 people 36,580

18. How Do We Count the Poor?
 The federal government has devised a poverty
index of specific income levels, below which
people are considered to be living in poverty.
 According to the index, the poverty level for a
family of four in 2004 was $19,484.
 The poverty index is based solely on money
income and does not reflect the fact that many
low income people receive noncash benefits
such as foodstamps, Medicaid, and public
housing.

19. Calculating Poverty
 The definition of poverty used for the index was
developed by the Social Security
Administration. in 1964.
 It was calculated by estimating the average
dollar cost of a frugal but adequate diet.
 The poverty index was not intended to certify
that any individual or family was in need.

20. Criticisms of the Poverty Index:
Overestimates the Poor
1. When the federal government developed the
poverty index, about 1/4 of welfare benefits
were in the form of goods and services. Today,
noncash benefits account for 1/3 of welfare
assistance.
2. The poverty measure looks only at income, not
assets.
3. Food accounts for a smaller proportion of
family expenses today than it did previously.

21. Criticisms of the Poverty Index:
Underestimates the Poor
4. Money used to pay taxes, alimony, child
support, health care, or work-related expenses
should be excluded when considering assets
because these sums cannot be used to buy
food or other necessities.
5. There is no geographic cost-of-living
adjustment.
6. Poverty status should be determined by
comparing a person’s financial situation with
that of the rest of society.

22. Number in Poverty and
Poverty Rates, 1959–2004

23. Myths About the Poor
Myth 1: People Are Poor Because They Are
Too Lazy to Work
 Half of the poor are not of working age.
 About 40% are under 18; another 10%
are over 65.
 A person working 40 hours a week at
minimum wage, will not earn enough to
lift a family of three out of poverty.

24. Myths About the Poor
Myth 2: Most Poor People Are Minorities,
and Most Minorities Are Poor
 Most poor people are white, because
there are many more whites than
minorities in the U.S.
 The poverty rate remains considerably
higher for African Americans and
Hispanics than whites.

25. Myths About the Poor
Myth 3: Most of the Poor Are Single Mothers With
Children
 60% of mothers receiving assistance have
never married, however, most people in
poverty live in other family arrangements:
 1/3 live in married couple families.
 Nearly 1/5 live alone or with nonrelatives.
 The remainder live in a male-headed or
other family setting.

26. Myths About the Poor
Myth 4: Most People in Poverty Live in the Inner
Cities
 In 2002, the poverty rate in rural areas was
14.2% compared with 11.6% in urban areas.
 Rural residents have higher unemployment
rates and earn lower wages than urban
residents.
 Rural residents tend to have below-average
educational levels and limited job skills.

27. Myths About the Poor
Myth 5: Welfare Programs for the Poor Are
Straining the Federal Budget
 Since welfare reform in 1996, the number of
families receiving aid has decreased by 50%.
 Assistance programs for the poor cost the
federal government 1/3 as much as other
types of assistance.
 Social Security and Medicare mainly go to
middle-class Americans, not the poor.

28. Question
 The poor are poor because the American
way of life doesn't give all people an
equal chance.
A. Strongly agree
B. Agree somewhat
C. Unsure
D. Disagree somewhat
E. Strongly disagree

29. Government Assistance
Programs
 Government programs that provide
benefits to families or individuals can be
divided into two categories:
 social insurance and cash benefits
going to people of all income levels
 means-tested programs and cash
assistance going only to the poor.

30. Poverty Rates for People over
65 and under 18, 1960–2004

31. Consequences of Social
Stratification
 Low-income mothers are more likely to
have low birth-weight babies.
 The poor have a lower life expectancy,
regardless of race or ethnicity.
 Babies born in poverty are significantly
more likely to die before their first
birthday.

32. Consequences of Social
Stratification
 For the same criminal behavior, the poor are:
 More likely to be arrested.
 If arrested, more likely to be charged.
 If charged, more likely to be convicted.
 If convicted, more likely to be sentenced to
prison.
 If sentenced, more likely to be given longer
prison terms than the middle and upper
classes.

33. Child Poverty Rates in Rich
Countries

34. Functionalist Theory of
Stratification
 Views social stratification as a social
necessity.
 Different positions in society make
different levels of contributions to society.
 Filling the more important positions in
society requires talent that is scarce and
has more training.

35. Conflict Theory of
Stratification: Marx
 Stratification is the outcome of a struggle
for dominance between:
 the bourgeoisie, the owners of the
means of production
 the proletariat, or working class.
 Marx believed the moving force of history
was class struggle, or class conflict.

36. Marx: Distribution of Wealth
 Marx believed that people’s lives are centered
on how they deal with the material world.
 Wealth can be distributed in at least four ways:
1. To each according to need.
2. To each according to want.
3. To each according to what is earned.
4. To each according to what can be
obtained—by whatever means.

37. Max Weber
 Believed there were three sources of
stratification:
 Economic class
 Social status
 Political power.
 Economic classes arise out of the
unequal distribution of economic power.

38. Marx and Weber
 Weber agreed with Marx on the following
issues related to stratification:
1. Group conflict is a basic ingredient of
society.
2. People are motivated by self-interest.
3. Those who do not have property can
defend their interests less well than
those who have property.

39. Marx and Weber
4. Economic institutions are of fundamental
importance in shaping the rest of society.
5. Those in power promote ideas and values
that help them maintain their dominance.
6. Only when exploitation becomes extremely
obvious will the powerless object.

40. Question
 Which of the following is not a view of social
stratification that was shared by Marx and
Weber?
A. People are motivated by self-interest.
B. Economic institutions are of fundamental
importance in shaping society.
C. Those in power promote ideas and
values that help them maintain
dominance.
D. The belief that conflict and inequality will
ultimately be eliminated.

41. Answer: D
 The belief that conflict and inequality
will ultimately be eliminated is not a
view of social stratification that was
shared by Marx and Weber.

42. Modern Conflict Theory: 5
Aspects
1. Social inequality emerges through the
domination of groups by other groups.
2. Those who are dominated have the
potential to express resistance toward
those in power.
3. Conflict will most often center on the
distribution of property and political
power.

43. Modern Conflict Theory: 5
Aspects
4. What are thought to be the common
values of society are really the values of
the dominant groups.
5. Because those in power are engaged in
exploitative relationships, they must find
mechanisms of social control to keep the
masses in line.

44. Comparison of Functionalist and
Conflict Views of Social Stratification:
Functionalist Conflict
Stratification is universal,
necessary, and inevitable.
Stratification may be
universal without being
necessary or inevitable.
Social organization shapes
the stratification system.
The stratification system
shapes social organizations.
Stratification arises from the
societal need for
integration, coordination,
and cohesion.
Stratification arises from
group conquest, competition,
and conflict

45. Comparison of Functionalist and
Conflict Views of Social Stratification:
Functionalist Conflict
Stratification facilitates the
optimal functioning of
society and the individual.
Stratification impedes the
optimal functioning of society
and the individual.
Stratification is an
expression of commonly
shared social values.
Stratification is an expression
of the values of powerful
groups.
Power usually is distributed
legitimately in society.
Power usually is distributed
illegitimately in society.

46. Comparison of Functionalist and
Conflict Views of Social Stratification:
Functionalist Conflict
Tasks and rewards are
allocated equitably.
Tasks and rewards are
allocated inequitably
The economic dimension is
subordinate to other
dimensions of society.
The economic dimension is
paramount in society.
Stratification systems
generally change through
processes.
Stratification systems often
change through revolutionary
evolutionary processes.

47. Quick Quiz

48. 1. Which of the following is a characteristic
of a class system of stratification?
A. Class systems are usually found in
preindustrial societies.
B. Social mobility is not permitted.
C. Class systems encourage striving
and achievement.
D. All of these choices are correct.

49. Answer: C
 The following is a characteristic of a class
system of stratification:
 Class systems encourage striving
and achievement.

50. 2. Which of the following is not a myth
about the poor in America?
A. Most people in poverty live in the
inner city.
B. Most of the poor are single mothers
with children.
C. People are poor because they are
too lazy to work.
D. Most poor people are white.

51. Answer: D
 “Most poor people are white” is not a
myth about the poor in America.

52. 3. Harry is a bank president and his wife,
Cathy, owns a successful gardening
business. They own a home in the
suburbs, and both are college graduates.
They expect their two children to attend
college in a few years. Harry and Cathy
are members of the:
A. upper class.
B. upper-middle class.
C. lower-middle class.
D. working class.

53. Answer: B
 Harry and Cathy are members of the
upper-middle class.

54. 4. The functionalist perspective of social
stratification suggests that:
A. stratification is not necessary.
B. wealth should be distributed according to
the needs of each person.
C. unequal rewards are necessary to make
sure the important positions in society
are filled.
D. stratification is the result of group
competition.

55. Answer: C
 The functionalist perspective of social
stratification suggests that unequal
rewards are necessary to make sure
the important positions in society are
filled.