Paradigms of social stratification

Paradigms: views of the world (perspective), way of filtering the world

Two types: competing and rival
Social order or functional order:
1) Unit of analysis society as a whole
2) How is society possible, concerned with basis of social order with respect to
distribution of goods (how is order maintained
3) Concerned with roles not individuals
4) Some roles are considered more important functionally than others
5) Those roles that contribute to the greater functioning of society are better
rewarded because of the training required
6) Assumes those who are the brightest take up the advanced jobs
Criticism: best and brightest dont always assume best roles EX. Poor dont always
become doctor. Also, who determines what roles are important
Competing, conflict paradigm:
1)
2)
3)
4)

Unit of analysis subunits of society such as age, income, political alliance

Concentrated on how conflict and strife is created
Focusses on individual more than roles
Rules and laws are negotiable and are often times created around sub
groups self interest
5) Those who have greater will and resources will succeed (competition, scarce
resources, struggle and strife, power)
Marxism and Weber???
This is all I gotExamples of the conflict paradigm are:
1) Marxism
2) Weber
a. Labor market
b. Arena of politics
c. status

Social attainment and occupational mobility

-how open is our society?
-how much opportunity is out there?
3 types of trends

1) General
2) Race
3) Gender
Statistics from 1985???

Among those who were poor in 1985, 66% ended up in poverty, 20% ended
up in working class, 14% ended up in middle class
71% poor, 15% working class, 14% middle class

General
1) Upper mobility rates are higher than only 3 of top 27 industrial countries
2) If there is mobility, usually on basis of finite degradation (only move up 1
class usually, not poor to wealthy
3) Mobility usually occurs in the middle(workingmiddle)
4) Downward occupational mobility
Race
1) Rates of upward mobility are lower for ethnic groups than whiteys
2) When mobility takes place among ethnic groups, usually happens in one step
to a greater degree
3) Among minorities, when mobility takes place, greater proportion occurs in
middle
4) Rates of downward mobility are greater among minorities
Gender
1)
2)
3)
4)

women
women
women
women

Rates of upward mobility becoming lower because of factors such as robotics,

downsizing, deindustrialization, globalization
Blackeys are more vulnerable to losing jobs because whites have seniority due to
being in that particular job for a longer time.
Why are mobility rates so low?
Status attainment theory: social, physiological, supply side theory that focuses on
the individual, white male sample in Wisconsin
Fathers education and occupation very strong predictor forsons education and
aspirationseducation predicts your occupation

Criticism: really high aspirations arent always made correctly because of

uneducated ideology of how to attain
New structuralism: adds aspects that mediate differences in expectations for the
theory that education and high aspirations will lead to occupation (other factors
come into play)