SOC 105 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Socioeconomic Status, Class Consciousness, Social Stratification

• School: Ryerson University
• Department: Sociology
• Course: SOC 105
• Professor: Graeme Metcalf

Document Summary

Social class person"s relationship to the means of production. We focus on status (demograph) categories instead of class categories. Which can be ascribed (sex), or acquired (education). Prior to capitalism, class was highly visible now it is invisible because of alienation. Visibly by style of dress and titles from slave and feudal societies. People refer to lower, middle, and upper class. These are referred to as socioeconomic status rather than social class. Weber diverts marx"s attention away from social class. Class (which for weber meant socioeconomic status), status (social prestige), party (power/political). American society moved away from structured class inequality to status or prestige inequality. Social stratification being arranged by status showing the inequalities from top to bottom. Social stratification is opposed to marxist class analysis which sees differences from differing interests instead of status and prestige. Social class change theory, ownership of property, capital.