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Ch.8 Sect.2: The American Class System

Ch.8 Sect.2: The American Class System. Determining Social Class. Social inequality exists in all… US has a fairly open system No discrimination Social mobility equal? Many ways to look at class divisions

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Ch.8 Sect.2: The American Class System

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  1. Ch.8 Sect.2: The American Class System

  2. Determining Social Class • Social inequality exists in all… • US has a fairly open system • No discrimination • Social mobility equal? • Many ways to look at class divisions • Most use 6 class system: upper class, upper middle, lower middle, working, working poor, underclass (p. 194) • Reputational method • Subjective method • Objective method

  3. Social Classes in the US • 1% upper class • 14% upper middle • 30% lower middle • 30% working class • 22% working poor • 3 % underclass • Income is major difference! • Lifestyles, beliefs • Tammy Update

  4. The Upper Class • Controls… • “old money” • Rockefellers, Vanderbilts, Du Ponts • Wealthy for generations • Family name… • Born into… • New rich acquire wealth… • Purchase… • Power and influence • Charities • Bill Gates Wealth

  5. Mini Bios • Bill Gates • Steve Jobs • Mark Zuckerberg • Kobe Bryant • Peyton Manning • Richest Americans

  6. Vanderbilt's House

  7. The Upper Middle Class • High income businesspeople • College education • Money buys them… • Career oriented • Power at community level

  8. Lower Middle/Working Class • White collar jobs • Nursing, middle management, sales • Small business owners • Manual labor • Factory workers… • Blue collar jobs • Pink collar jobs • Financial reserves?

  9. Working Poor/Underclass • Lowest paying jobs • Temporary/seasonal • Rarely make living wage • Govt. support • High school dropouts • Unemployment/poverty • Chief income=public assistance • American Dropout

  10. Social Mobility • Social Mobility • Horizontal Mobility • Vertical Mobility • Intergenerational Mobility • All people are free to reach own level of achievement • Majority of Americans achieve…

  11. Upward/Downward Mobility • Factors=technology, merchandising patterns, education • New generation of workers take advantage of technology change • Farming technology • Manufacturing • Credit industry, insurance… • White collar jobs • Level of education 75%-9% • What leads to downward mobility? • Changes in economy #1

  12. Ch.8 Sect.3: Poverty • 31 million below poverty line • Poverty— • Same in all societies? • US Bureau of the Census def. • Poverty level… • How do you calculate it? • Family of 4 • Critics question…

  13. American Poverty • Children have the largest % in poverty • 37%... • Black and Hispanic… • 57%... • Women head ½ of all poor families • Regardless of age or sex… Chart p. 198

  14. The Effects of Poverty • Life chances— • Include… • Lower the social class… • Most important chances are health and length of life • What rates are highest among poor? • Life expectancy— • Poor children… • Bad nutrition/medical care • Health insurance • Work environment • School funding

  15. Patterns of Behavior • Divorce rates higher • Likely to be arrested, convicted, sent to prison • Violent crime • Crimes against property • Also poor more likely to be victims of crime

  16. Government Responses to Poverty • 1964 LBJ • Elderly poverty on decline, why? • Transfer payments— • Govt. subsidies include Food Stamp program • Other subsidies include… • “welfare class” • Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act • Fewer people on welfare?

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