SOC 1167 Chapter Notes - Chapter 1-4: Upper Middle Class, Meritocracy, Social Class
9 Mar 2016
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Mobility- the movement of families up and down the economic ladder. There is less mobility now than after ww2. Lately has flattened out or even possibly even declined many searchers say. It appears that it"s easier for a few high achievers to scale the summits of wealth, for many others it has become harder to move up from one economic class to another. Americans are more likely to remain in the same class they were born in. Meritocracy- group of people whose progress is based on ability and talent rather than on class or privilege or wealth. Merit has replaced the old system of inherited privilege. 40% of the americans think the chance they can move up and down the classes has gone up in. At most basic, class is one way societies sort themselves out. Even societies built on the idea of eliminating classes have had stark differences in rank.
