individuals and groups enjoy unequal access to rewards on the basis of their position within the stratification scheme

--> build into the system 

systems of stratification (reasons for division)

--> all socially stratified systems share characteristics 

1. rankings apply to social categories of people who share a comon characterisitc without identifying with each other

2. people's life experiences and opportunities depend heavily o nhow their social category is ranked

 -->opportunities pased on different social ranking

3. The ranks of different social categories tend to change very slowly over time

--> women achieving equality 

social system with no mobility

--> parental caste, race, religion 

-brahmins: scholars+ spiritual leaders

- ksyatriyas: socliders + rulers

- vaisyas: farmers +merchants

- shudras: laborers and artisans

--> dalits: untouchables 

1. class systems are fluid --> established by law or religion --> boundaries aren't clear-->no restrictions on marriage

2. class positions are in some pat achieved --> mobility

3. class is economically based

4. class systems are large scale and impersonal 

a formula showing that inequality increases during the early stages of capitalist development, declines and then levels off

- inequality goes up when economy is indistrial power

- inequality goes down when economy becomes late industrial

- post industrial economy inequality goes up again 

wages and salaries from paid occupations, plus unearned money from investments

--> all richer than past counterparts put unequal distribution of income 

diverse group of occupations, lifestyles, and peole who earn stable and sometimes substantial incomes at primarily white collar jobs (drs, lawyers, professors)

upper middle--> 15%

lower middle --> 40% 

primarily blue collar workers and pink collar laborers

20% 

people who work part time or not at all

15% 

upward mobility made possible by an expansion of better-paid occupations at the expense of more poorly paid ones

--> based on economy where economy creates more or less better paying jobs 

societies become more open to movement between classes as they become more technologically advanced

--> workers increasingy get jobs because of skill not ascription 

poverty is not a result of individual inadaquacies but it the otucome of a larger social and cultural atmosphere into which successive generations of children are socilized

- it refers to the values, beliefs, lifestyles, habits, and traditions that are common among people living under conditions of material deprivation 

class inequality is related to means of production

--> when some people own means of production

--> must socialize 

-agrees with Marx that means of production has impact on equality

 - but also--> status: presige level and

power: peoples influence over others 

Funcationalists

--> consider inequality to be justified part of economic  system

--> harder jobs with more skill deserve better pay

- any soceity has number of jobs to be filled and has alot of peopel so much match talent with jobs