talking about work through the concepts of class. roderick graham – city college of new york
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Talking about work through the concepts of class.
Roderick Graham – City College of New York
The Caste System A Caste System- is a social system based
on ascription, or birth. A pure caste system is closed because
birth alone determines one’s destiny, with little or no opportunity for social mobility based on effort.
Caste systems exist in agrarian societies because life long routines of agriculture depend on a rigid sense of duty and discipline.
Characteristics of Caste Systems First, traditional caste groups have specific
occupations, so generations of a family perform the same type of work.
Second, maintaining a rigid social hierarchy depends on people marrying within their own categories; “mixed” marriages would blur the ranking of children.
Third, caste norms guide people to stay in the company of “their own kind.”
Fourth, caste systems rest on powerful cultural beliefs.
The Class System
Class System- social stratification based on both birth and individual achievement.
Categorizing according to their color, sex, or social background comes to be seen as wrong in industrial and post-industrial societies, and all people gain political rights and roughly equal standing before the law.
The Class SystemMeritocracy- social stratification based on
personal merit.
In a class system the belief is that where you end up is based on “merit,” which is the job one does and how well one does it.
Our course will focus on the class system.Our course will focus on the class system.
The Class System: Major Theorists
Karl Marx Max Weber
Marx: Capitalism and Class Conflict 1) Two large groups with different access to the means of production 2) Antagonistic social relations
Marx: Capitalism and Class Conflict What do we mean by owning the means of
production? Owning the resources we need to produce goods
in society
What are the types of ways that someone can own means of production? Money Land Machinery Stocks
Class is only one of several types of stratification groups
The importance of class can be reinforced or undermined by status groups and parties
Weber: Competing Principles of Stratification and Group Formation
Weber: Three Dimensions of Inequality
Weber: Three Dimensions of Inequality
The contribution of Weber is that along with your class, other factors go into determining your place in society
1.The amount of prestige given in society is unequal, and some have more prestige than others (status)
2.The amount of political power in society is unequal, and some groups dominate politics (party)
All three (class, status, party) are important dimensions, but Weber’s main contribution is status
Spheres (types) of Status in the U.S.
Spheres (types) of Status in the U.S.
Marx or Weber In this course, we are focusing on the
relationship between work and family. This means that a Marxian view that focuses
mainly on occupation is the one I will refer to the most.
However, understanding that the world is more complex than that helps us explain our world
Marx or Weber
Ex. We will read about the lifestyles of lower income women. From a Marxian view, all racial groups should have similar views, attitudes, and behaviors. However, it is clear that this is not the case. By using a Weberian understanding, we can see that race/ethnicity is also important.
(Social) Class DefinedClass is a relative social rank in terms of income, wealth, education, status/position, and/or power. Class is also called “social class.”
Sociologists measure class through income, education, occupation, and also social values. Generally, we combine one or more measures.
Measuring Class - Income Level of income is a rough measure of
class because people with similar incomes generally have similar jobs
Does a professional athlete making $20 million belong in the same social class with a physician making $150,000? Or a plumber and a government administrator?
Growing income disparity…
Differences in net worth between racial groups
Measuring Class – Education The education one receives strongly affects the
kind of work one receives
Also, those with higher levels of education may have different attitudes, beliefs, and lifestyles than those with lower levels of education
Formal education can increase the level of cultural and social capital that a person has
Cultural and social capital can be passed on to offspring
The relationship between education and income
Measuring Class - Values, Attitudes, and Lifestyles Sometimes sociologists measure class through
values and attitudes (although generally not the case)
Attitudes toward family life, raising children, the role of women, etc. vary from class to class.
People in various social classes exhibit markedly different lifestyles.
In your reading of Unequal Childhoods, you will see how class affects parenting styles
Example: Anheuser-Busch Positioning to Social Class Segments
Michelob - Upper-middle-class product position: super
premium price; prestige themes; status/professional backgrounds
Upper-classlifestyle
Upper-middle-classtarget market (12.5%)
Upper-middle-class lifestyle
Middle-classlifestyle
Working-classlifestyle
Middle-classtarget market (36%)
Working-classtarget market (38%)
Budweiser - Middle-class product position:
premium price; achievement, sharing themes; middle-class backgrounds
Busch - Working-class product position:
popular price; sports themes; working-class backgrounds
Measuring Class - Occupation What a person does for a living.
It is an indicator of other signs of class membership: income, personal associations, and status.
For this class, occupation will be our most important measure of class.
Measuring Class – Occupation and Income
Measuring Class - OccupationThe Upper Class Earn at least $185,000 The upper class can be divided into the upper-
uppers and lower-uppers. Lower uppers generally did not inherit their
money and are currently working for their money…
Measuring Class - OccupationThe Middle Class Are most of the population (45%) Separated into upper middles ($100,000 to
$185,000) and average middles ($45,000 to $100,000)
Are the “symbolic” class of the United States…all politicians talk about the middle class
Generally white collar workers Build wealth over time Ethnically and racially diverse
Measuring Class - OccupationThe Working Class Make between $25,000 and $45,000 Have little or no wealth Sudden unemployment and illness is
disastrous Jobs for the working class offer few benefits
Measuring Class - OccupationThe Lower Class 20% of the population Low educational levels Society segregates the lower class (especially
minorities)…through housing in trailer parks and urban ghettos
Lower class families live in inner cities and in the rural south
From Class to Work: Class and JobsOccupation is the main measure of class…in other
words, the work you do is a good measure of class.
Dual Labor Market ThesisThere are two distinct labor markets in America. These two labor markets are associated with two distinct economic sectors.
What is a market? What is an economic sector?
From Class to Work: Dual Labor Market Thesis
From Class to Work: Dual Labor Market Thesis
Minorities and women are disproportionately found in the peripheral/competitive sector. This means they have less benefits and lower salaries.
There is very little movement between these labor markets and sectors.
Although two workers can have the same skills, they may end up in different labor markets, and thus different economic sectors.
From Class to Work: Dual Labor Market Thesis The type of work done in each sector has a
certain effect on the family
Generally speaking, being in the core/monopoly sector puts one in the middle to upper class, while being in the peripheral/competitive sector puts one in the middle to lower classes
Work in the peripheral/competitive sector may make it difficult to raise a family or take care of that family
Conclusion/Wrap-Up Two types of stratification systems - Caste
and Class
Two main theorists of class – Marx and Weber
Four main ways to measure class – income, occupation, education, and lifestyle
Work can fall in the core or peripheral sector
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