What is stratification?

1. What is stratification? A system in which nations or people within a nation are ranked according to relative power, property, and prestige.

2. 1.4 billion live on less than $ 1 U.S. Dollar per day 1 billion of those are women and children.

3. Why should we look at this? Life chances are impacted by stratification i.e., the extent to which individuals have access to important resources, such as food, clothing, shelter, education, health care

4. What are some systems of stratification that have existed? Slavery -- the owning of other people [no mobility ] ascribed, lifelong, considered property, not human, no rights, controlled via coercion contemporary examples? Child labor, debt bondage, contract labor

5. “Today’s slaveholders have all the benefits of ownership without the legalities.” K. Bales Disposable People: New Slavery in the Global Economy estimates 27 million people due to bonded labor or debt bondage Concentrated in Southeast Asia, Northern and Western Africa, and parts of South America but exists in all countries examples: child prostitution in Thailand enslaved brickmakers in Pakistan domestic slaves in France Gatos - labor recruiters in Brazil Subsistence farming is giving way to cash-crop agriculture loss of common land govt. policies that focus on the production of cheap food for cities threat of physical force desperate conditions of poverty 1.4 billion people live on less than $1 (US) dollar per day.

6. Caste -- lifelong status determined by birth based on parents ascribed status Apartheid India Hinduism [no mobility] Some social scientists see a racial caste system today in the U.S. with long history against interracial marriages

7. Class -- possession of money or material possessions based upon ownership and control of resource [more mobility in theory].... begins as an ascribed status but may have some degree of individual mobility via achievement

8. Gender stratification is found in all societies (although types may vary)

9. How does stratification work in America? Beeghley -- Monopoly Game and American class structure Social Class -- groups who rank about even in power, wealth, and prestige (socio-economic status or ses) Based upon ownership and resources (materialism)

10. Theories of Stratification Marx -- class is determined by person’s relationship to means of production -- labor is sold and a reserve army keeps wages low, Weber-- property (i.e., wealth), prestige, and power dictate class standing

11. Marx’s View of Stratification

12. Davis and Moore - Functional Perspective: 1 - some positions are more important than others 2 - important positions must be filled by qualified people 3 - qualified people have talents which must be translated into skills 4 - for their sacrifice, society must offer them greater rewards 5 - stratification is necessary for society to function properly 6 - stratification is inevitable –it’s universal 7 - inequality should be left to evolve on it’s own

13. Some consensus…… Occupations Occupation is the most important index for stratification in the U.S. How do we Americans rank occupations? 1. Pay 2. Service to Humanity 3. Education 4. Whether the job includes abstract thinking 5. Social Prestige 6. Autonomy (creative decision making opportunities)

14. Occupational Prestige Rankings of Selected Occupations in the U.S. Physician 86 Supreme Court Judge 76 Attorney 75 College professor 74 Architect 73 Aerospace Engineer 72 Astronomer 74 Dentist 72 Bank officer 72 Engineer 71 Clergy 69 Chemist 69 School teacher 64 Nurse 62 and others………. Author 60 Accountant 57 Actor 55 Computer programmer 51 Athlete 51 Bank Teller 50 Electrician 49 Police officer 48 Secretary 46 Mail carrier 42 Plumber 41 Farm owner 41 Dancer 38 Mechanic 37 Bus Driver 32 Cashier 31 Gas station attendant 22 Taxi Driver 22 Garbage collector 28 Janitor 20 Maid 20 shoeshine 9

15. Tumin asks, “But how does one measure the importance of a position?” Who decided that school teachers are less valuable to society than lawyers? Who decided that clergy are less valuable to society than funeral morticians? Why not pay those who do the dirty work (i.e., those jobs the rest of us don’t want to do) more?

16. Stratification

17. Conflict Perspective Rewards are given to those in power or those who serve to keep the powerful as they are (wealth among the richest in the U.S. is inherited – “old” versus “new” money) - There is less consensus than we think - Tasks and rewards are seldom equal, just defined that way by the powerful - It prohibits society from working as well as it would with true meritocracy

18. Modern conflict theorists: Contemporary focus upon consumption and higher standard of living lead to complacency among consumers and fraudulent practices on wall street. The United States filed a fraud lawsuit against Bank of America Corp, accusing it of causing taxpayers more than $1 billion of losses by selling thousands of toxic mortgage loans to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac – 10/24/2012 Reuters Combined these lead to Alienation (a feeling of powerlessness) http://Debt by Credit.....

19. Social mobility the movement of individuals or groups from one level of stratification to another (Intergenerational -- from one generation to the next) (Intragenerational -- over one’s lifetime) Structural and exchange – societal forces.

20. Reasons for Slowed Mobility Shifts in labor market 1 – real wages declined after inflation 2 -manufacturing jobs were lost and not regained at the same level of pay 3 - unions defeated and therefore not able to bargain for higher wages and benefits. 4 - relocation of manufacturing to overseas or states with lower wages- out-sourced

21. 5 - assistance to the poor still being cut wealthy have been given significant tax breaks and incentives - welfare for the rich “wealthfare” 6 - increased use of part-time employees to avoid fringe benefits, health insurance, etc... 7 - job growth - but at the lowest end of skill spectrum. Arkansas – new data reveals growth at minimum wage

22. Class Dismissed.... How TV frames the working class Conflict theorists add: In our society, if you work hard, you might get lucky, but chances are, you will remain in the same social class as your parents unless some structural opportunity allows you to experience upward mobility.

23. Poverty, Race, and Framing of the Working Class Last Part of Class Dismissed

24. How does it look for us?The United States? Arkansas? Have we been effected by these changes?

26. So What do we look like

27. Who are the Poor? About 43.6 Million or 14.3% of our population (1 in 7 Americans) But number of “food insecure” has risen to 56 Million Number of uninsured 50.7 million New Data U.S. Census.gov New Poverty since the recession......

29. So how do we measure poverty relative versus absolute When a low cost food budget cost more than one third monthly income for a family “thrifty food plan” updated each year using the consumer price index

30. What determines poverty…Age is a major factor Kids represent 33 percent of those in poverty One in five kids are poor in the U.S. (20.7%) Children 18 and under in Arkansas 29% Over 65, social security is the safety net [??]

31. Race is a major factor Although most poor persons are white – the within group proportions are much higher for minorities White households have 10 times the wealth of black families 13 % Whites 35 % Blacks 34 % Hispanics 23% Other Source: http://www.statehealthfacts.org/comparebar.jsp?ind=14&cat=1 See also National Poverty Center http://npc.umich.edu/poverty/

32. Education is a factor poverty by race and education

33. Gender is a factor female headed households Feminization of Poverty – women and girls constitute a disproportionate share of the poor. Due to divorce, unwed mothers, lower wages than men Older women are twice as likely to be poor than older men Single Parent Families: 28.3 percent female headed versus 13.6 male headed 4.9 percent for married families

34. Geography is a factor Rural versus Urban Southern region has highest rates with more rural areas – some individual metropolitan areas have high rates

35. Highest earning occupations

36. Jobs are a factor If we start with the 43.6 million Working poor – an additional 10.8 million – those who earn up to 125% poverty = 54.4 Million If we use a more realistic measure (“working class”) of 155% poverty (e.g., 31,000 for a family of 4),the total is 18 million Subtotal of the poor = 62.4 million Add those lifted out of poverty via social security benefits (16 million) Subtotal of poor = 78.4 Million (approximately 1 in 4 Americans are poor or at risk of poverty)

37. Meet the Smiths What would life be like in northwest Arkansas for a family of 4 with two minimum wage earners? Official poverty guideline is $22, 050

38. Working families in Arkansas A full time minimum wage worker in Arkansas working 40 hours a week, 52 weeks a year, will earn $290.00 per week, or $15,080.00 per year. The national poverty line for a family unit consisting of two people is $14,570/year.

39. Roberto, Alice.. and two kids – Both work $30,160 Approximately $6937 in Taxes [federal, state, Medicare and OASDI] Net Income to work with is $23, 223 Divided by 12 = $1935.25

40. $ 1935 to work with…….. • Rent: • Utilities: • Car Payment: • Child care • Groceries: • Insurance: • Clothing: • Medicine: • Entertainment:

41. Living wages are those wages necessary to meet minimum monthly expenses. • Arkansas advocates for Children and Families argues that Roberto and Alice would need to earn approximately $13.70 per hour in order to meet their family’s basic needs