SOC 1014 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Wealth Inequality In The United States
20 Nov 2016
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Document Summary
The class system is one way a society can be stratified. Weber explains class through the distribution of economic power a) b) Economic power- the ability to control material resources. For weber, class is based on peoples" common life chances and interests within economic markets that is centered on: Ownership of skills and knowledge, or lack thereof i) ii) iii. Property includes wealth and, in the u. s. , wealth disparities perpetuate class inequality. iv. Weber explains that society is stratified based on power in three interrelated spheres; class, status, and party. Status groups are determined by the distribution of social prestige that is based on common lifestyles. The evaluation of social prestige both limits and expands peoples" access to societal resources and rewards. Consumption- includes what we buy or where we shop. 4) one"s class situation does not necessarily indicate one"s social status (prestige). iii. Party- collectively conscious, organized groups that seek to gain political power and influence policy and law.
