Assignment 1 Sociology

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SOC101SOCIALSTRATIFICATION.ppt
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Social Stratification

Social Stratification Systems

  • Social Stratification
  • - ranking or levels of societal members
  • How can societies stratify their members?
  • Income, occupation, education, gender, race, religion, etc.

How Can Societies Stratify Their Members?

  • Income, occupation, education, gender, race, religion, etc.

Types of Social Stratification Systems

  • Open Systems v. Closed Systems
  • Social Class v. Caste Systems

(socioeconomic status – SES)

Social Classes in the U.S.

  • 9 classes:
  • Upper – upper, middle, lower
  • Middle – upper, middle, lower
  • Lower – upper, middle, lower
  • Upper - $250K+
  • Middle - $25K - $250K
  • Lower – Below $25K

Social Mobility

  • Ability to move about in the social class system
  • Vertical – between broad categories
  • Horizontal- within a category
  • Intergenerational – children doing better than parents – the American Dream

Meeting Basic Needs

Absolute vs. Relative Poverty

  • Absolute poverty

- cannot meet your basic needs

  • Relative poverty

- can meet your basic needs

but nothing else

Demographics of Poverty

  • Race

- subordinate groups more likely

  • Age

- children more likely

  • Gender

- women more likely

(feminization of poverty)

  • Education

- lowly educated or non-educated

Working Poor

  • 85% of the poor work, they just don’t make enough to meet their basic needs

Rural, Suburban & Urban Poverty

Rural Poverty

  • Poor in Appalachia (rural KY, OH)

Indian Reservation - Arizona

Indian Reservation - South Dakota

Cardboard ‘House’ – Austin, TX

Suburban Poverty

Urban Poverty - Newark, NJ

Camden, NJ

South Bronx, NY

Homeless in Boston

Concomitants (Things that go with) of Poverty

  • When one is poor what else can happen to that person or their family?
  • Housing
  • Nutrition
  • School
  • Healthcare
  • Legal system
  • Transportation, etc.

Consequences of Poverty

  • Biopsychosocial/financial consequences
  • Diminished food, clothing, shelter
  • Diminished health care
  • Diminished education
  • Crime
  • Other social problems

(substance abuse, etc.)

Causes of Poverty

  • Personal vs. systemic causes
  • Lack of motivation - sometimes
  • No education, no training
  • Low self-esteem
  • No jobs
  • No specialized skills
  • Discrimination
  • Tax, credit, and investment systems

Stigma

  • No matter what the cause, even when it is not our fault, large societal stigma
  • Why?
  • Taxpayer resentment
  • Protestant work ethic
  • Believe myths

Welfare/Public Assistance

  • New Jersey's welfare reform program, WorkFirst New Jersey (WFNJ), was initiated in April 1997, following the passage of sweeping federal reforms in 1996, known as the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act. Under the Act, the federal program for families became known as Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF).

    New Jersey's welfare program for families is known as WorkFirst New Jersey Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (WFNJ/TANF).

Requirements

  • After you begin receiving cash assistance, you are required to be at work or in a work activity as soon as possible, or as soon as your caseworker determines you are ready to begin work.

Cap

  • There is a five-year limit of assistance during your lifetime. (1996, Clinton)

500 Social Service Agencies in Bergen County, NJ

  • Bergen County Board of Social Services – 201-368-4200
  • Bergen County Department of

Human Services – 201-336-7100

  • Division of Youth & Family

Services – 201-634-2756

Volunteer Center of Bergen County
201-489-9454

To Make Things More Fair

  • Marx outlined 5 societal stages:
  • Slavery
  • Feudalism
  • Capitalism
  • Socialism
  • Communism

Slavery

  • Looking at labor – labor is free, basic needs are theoretically met

Feudalism
(Indentured Servitude)

  • Labor is not technically free, one works the land and in return gets a piece of the land, basic needs are theoretically met

Capitalism

  • One works, gets paid money and keeps it
  • One must buy whatever one needs
  • No true capitalism b/c we don’t get to keep 100% of the money we make
  • Profit motive; accumulation of wealth

Jane Addams

  • “Over-accumulation at one end of society produces poverty at the other end…”

Socialism

  • One works, gets paid money but must give back some money (taxes) to an overseeing body (i.e., the govt.) to help everyone meet their basic needs

Communism

  • One works for the common good of all people, one makes some money but gives a great deal back to the overseeing body (govt.), who then is supposed to meet the basic needs of the people

Solutions to Solve Poverty –
Personal or Systemic Solutions?

  • Go back to the causes -
  • Education
  • Change tax, credit, investment systems
  • Create jobs
  • Dispel the myths
  • Change the wage

distribution system

in America!!

Limit Executive Compensation & Bonuses

Increase in Food Stamps, Food Lines, and Use of Food Pantries but Pres. Trump’s new SNAP Policy Stops Many from Receiving Assistance

Who Is Eligible for Food Stamps and How Much Do They Get?

President Obama & His Mother
Received Food Stamps

Eva’s Soup Kitchen serves 400+ people a day, Paterson, NJ

Center for Food Action,
Englewood and Mahwah, NJ

The One Campaign

Public or Private Response to Resolve Poverty? Or Both?