SOCIOL 1101 Chapter Notes - Chapter 9: Social Stratification, Upper Middle Class, Lower Middle Class

• School: Ohio State University
• Department: Sociology
• Course: SOCIOL 1101
• Professor: Vincent Roscigno

Document Summary

Ch 9 - social stratification in the u. s. Social stratification: a socioeconomic system that divides society"s members into categories ranking from high to low, based on things like wealth, power, and prestige. Is used to describe the system of social standing. You can think of stratification like how rock layers are stratified. In most societies, stratification is based on wealth (the value of money and assets a person has from, for example, inheritance) and income (the money a person earns from work or investments) It can also be based on gender, race, religion, and age. 3 key aspects = class, status, and power - from max weber. Societies cultural beliefs reinforce the inequalities of stratification. Parents pass social standing onto their kids. All large societies have a system of stratification (it is universal) Institutions tend to reproduce the existing stratification order.