SOC 110 Chapter Notes - Chapter 10: Bourgeoisie, Class Consciousness, False Consciousness
Chapter 10 Social Class
life chances: the likelihood that our success is shaped by our access to valued material, social and cultural
resources MAX WEBER
stratification: a strutted ranking of entire groups of people that perpetuates unequal economic rewards and
power in a society
1. slavery: a system of enforced servitude in which some people are owned by others as property
2. caste: a stratification system in which boundaries between strata are clear, regulations between levels
are regulated, and social status is ascribed. hereditary ranks that are relatively fixed, immobile and
generally religiously dictated.
3. Estates: a system of stratification that divides power in society into 3 primary sectors: the church, the
nobility. and the commoners
4. Social: a system of stratification primarily based socioeconomic status. both real and perceived. 5-class
model
Social Mobility: movement within or between society’s strata. investigates the degree to which a society is
open or closed
Open system: allows for social mobility between strata. of the stratification systems above, class-
based systems have the potential to be more open than others. This becomes an incentive for hard work.
Closed system: does not allow for social mobility between strata. Social positions are ascribed, so
the position that u are born with, you remain throughout life. Caste systems are mostly closed with limited
opportunity for movement within one’s lifetime. societies with religion, gender, race etc barriers are more
closed than others without barriers.
Horizontal mobility the movement of an individual from one social position to another of the same
rank.
Vertical mobility the movement of an individual form one social position to another of a different
rank. e.g. bus driver to doctor
Intergenerational mobility: change in the social position of children relative to their parents.
Downward intergenerational mobility if a son of a lawyer becomes a plumber
Intragenerational mobility: changes in social position within a person’s adult life. Eg. a women
who is a teacher’s aide, and then becomes the super intending of the school experiences upward
intragenerational mobility.
income: money received over some period of time
wealth total value of all material assists minus debts at a single point in time
absolute poverty: a minimum level of subsistence that no family should be expected to live below. EG the
federal governments poverty line
relative poverty: a floating standard of deprivation by which people at the bottom of a society whatever
their lifestyles are judged to be disadvantaged in comparison with the nation as a whole
the total income of US top quintile earns 51 percent
14.5 percent of americans lived in poverty in 2013
class status and party are viewed by max weber as distinct components of stratification
karl marx.. bourgeoisie own the means of production
pierre bourdieu, our tastes, talk, things we like are forms of cultural capital
cultural capital: our tastes, knowledge, attitudes, languages and ways of thinking that we exchange in
interaction with others
class consciousness: the subjective awareness held by members of a class regarding their common vested
interests and need for collective political action to bring about social change
false consciousness: a term used by karl marx to describe an attitude held by members of a class that does
not accurately reflect their objective position
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Open system: allows for social mobility between strata. of the stratification systems above, class- Social mobility: movement within or between society"s strata. investigates the degree to which a society is open or closed based systems have the potential to be more open than others. Closed system: does not allow for social mobility between strata. Social positions are ascribed, so the position that u are born with, you remain throughout life. Caste systems are mostly closed with limited opportunity for movement within one"s lifetime. societies with religion, gender, race etc barriers are more closed than others without barriers. rank. rank. e. g. bus driver to doctor. Vertical mobility the movement of an individual form one social position to another of a different. Horizontal mobility the movement of an individual from one social position to another of the same. Intergenerational mobility: change in the social position of children relative to their parents.
