SOCIO 220 CH 11

Refers to a concept or social rank based on a combination of occupational prestige, income, wealth, and level of education

e.g., upper class, middle class, working class, and lower class

(Kornblum, 2012, pp.270, 272)

Weber did not include the level of education a person had.

• Marx                       Weber
• - bourgeoisie            - wealth
• - petit bourgeoisie    - power
• - proletariat             - prestige  
• - lumpenproletariat

Top 5% of households in the USA population with income of $170,00 and above

Has 2 categories: Upper Upper and Lower Upper

(Kornblum, 2012, pp. 273-275)

Top 1% of the USA population

Household income is $170,000 and above

Money has been in the family for at least 3 generations

Top 4% of the USA population

Household income is $170,000 and above

45% of the USA population with a household income between $169,000 and $50,000

There are 2 categories: Upper Middle and Average Middle

(Kornblum, 2012, pp. 275-277)

Household income between $100,000 - $169,000

Household income between $50,000 - $99,000

a.k.a. Lower Middle Class

38% of the USA population with a household income between $11,170 and $49,000

(Kornblum, 2012, pp. 277-278)

There are 2 categories: Working Poor and Non-Working Poor

12% of the USA population with a variety of household incomes varying based on the total members within a household

?

a.k.a. Underclass

$11,170

$15,130

$19,090

$23,050

$27,010

$30,970

$34,930

$38,890

SES

Refers to a concept or social rank based on a combination of occupation, income, level of education, and lifestyle

e.g. wealthy, middle or moderate income, and poor

(Kornblum, 2012, p. 271)

• Social Class              Socioeconomic Status
•                 - occupational prestige 
•                 - income
•                 - level of education
• - wealth (e.g.,           - lifetyle (e.g., type
• difference between     of home, location of
• assets & debt in         home)
• terms of home equity,
• stocks, bonds, savings, etc.

Refers to the honor or prestige attributed to specific occupations by adults in society

It is measured by using surveys of how people rate different jobs

e.g. occupations ranked from high to low in terms of status

(Kornblum, 2012, pp. 263-265)

Refers to people whose income is $3 million a year or higher

e.g. George Bush; John Kerry

There are 2 categories: Old Rich and New Rich

Nob Hill

Objective Method

Subjective Method

Refers to the measure of social class membership using indicators of rank such as occupational prestige, place of residence and type of home, level of education, and income

e.g. A person asks: "Based on your annual income, what is your social class?"

 - person has to use objective criteria to place him or herself in a social class

(Kornblum, 2012, p.270)

Refers to the measurement of social class membership using interviews wherein respondents give their opinions about their social class rankings

e.g. A person asks: "What is your social class?"

 - a person informs the interviewer about the social class to which she or he belongs

(Kornblum, 2012, p. 270)

Refers to the years of school a person has completed

e.g. A person asks: "What is the highest level of education that you have completed?"

 - 8th grade, high school diploma, associate's degree, bachelor's degree, master's degree, or doctorate degree

(Kornblum, 2012, p. 262)

Refers to that which a student has learned such as reading, writing, and mathematics

e.g. the manifest function of the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE) is to measure achievement in the reading, writing, and mathematics

(Kornblum, 2012, p. 263)

• Refers to the relative likelihood that people will have access to the opportunities and benefits that the society values
• e.g., upper class people have better opportunities and benefits than middle class people; etc.
• (Kornblum, 2012, p. 272)

• Refers to a paradigm based on (1) C. Wright Mills concept of the power elite, and (2) the notion that there is a small group of very powerful people who make just about all the important decisions in the USA
• It is based on the notion that there is cohesion among one small group of people who hold top positions in the government, business, and the military (which is also known as the military-industrial complex)
• It is also known as the single power elite model
• e.g., the power elite model holds that there is no real difference between the programs and platforms of the Democratic Party and the Republican Party and that the two have united to control the masses in the USA
• (Kornblum, 2012, p. 275)

• Refers to a pradigm based on (1) C. Wright Mills concept of the power elite, and (2) the notion that there are multiple groups with divergent values, interests, and goals who compete to make the important decisions in the USA
• It is based on the notion that there is no cohesion among the people who are in competition to control the state in the USA
• It is also known as the pluralist power elite model
• e.g., the pluralist model holds that there are real differences in the programs and platforms of the Democratic Party and the Republican Party and that the two have not unified to control the masses in the USA
• (Kornblum, 2012, p. 275)

• Refers to members of the middle class and working class who aspire to be capitalists and in the top 1%
• It also refers to small-business owners who aspire to be large-business owners
• e.g., a person who owns a neighborhood corner store and desires to become bigger than Walmart

• Refers to members of the lower class or working class who survive through the underground economy
• Members of this class tend to hustle in the street to get food, clothing, and shelter
• The person will inform the interviewer about the social class to which she or he belongs
• e.g., a person who sells his or her body to get necessities

• Refers to the equal opportunity to achieve material well-being
• The person will inform the interviewer about the social class to which she or he belongs
• e.g., a situation wherein racism and sexism would not keep people from having access to jobs, contracts, and educational slots
• (Kornblum, 2012, p. 282)

• Refers to actual equality in levels of material well-being and prestige
• e.g., a situation wherein statistical data indicate that racism and sexism have not kept people from having access to jobs, contracts, and educational slots
• (Kornblum, 2012, p. 282)