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Key Terms Chapter 09: Social Stratification in the US

  • Page ID
    143144
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    Example and Directions
    Words (or words that have the same definition)The definition is case sensitive(Optional) Image to display with the definition [Not displayed in Glossary, only in pop-up on pages](Optional) Caption for Image(Optional) External or Internal Link(Optional) Source for Definition
    (Eg. "Genetic, Hereditary, DNA ...")(Eg. "Relating to genes or heredity")The infamous double helix https://bio.libretexts.org/CC-BY-SA; Delmar Larsen
    Glossary Entries
    Word(s)DefinitionImageCaptionLinkSource
    Caste Systema system in which people are born into a social standing that they will retain their entire lives    
    Classa group who shares a common social status based on factors like wealth, income, education, and occupation    
    Class Systemsocial standing based on social factors and individual accomplishments    
    Class Traitsthe typical behaviors, customs, and norms that define each class (also called class markers)    
    Conspicuous Consumptionthe act of buying and using products to make a statement about social standing    
    Davis-Moore Thesisa thesis that argues some social stratification is a social necessity    
    Downward Mobilitya lowering of one’s social class    
    Endogamous Marriagesunions of people within the same social category    
    Exogamous Unionsunions of spouses from different social categories    
    Global Stratificationa comparison of the wealth, economic stability, status, and power of countries as a whole    
    Incomethe money a person earns from work or investments    
    Intergenerational Mobilitya difference in social class between different generations of a family    
    Intragenerational Mobilitya difference in social class between different members of the same generation    
    Meritocracyan ideal system in which personal effort—or merit—determines social standing    
    Primogeniturea law stating that all property passes to the firstborn son    
    Social Mobilitythe ability to change positions within a social stratification system    
    Social Stratificationa socioeconomic system that divides society’s members into categories ranking from high to low, based on things like wealth, power, and prestige    
    Standard of Livingthe level of wealth available to acquire material goods and comforts to maintain a particular socioeconomic lifestyle    
    Status Consistencythe consistency, or lack thereof, of an individual’s rank across social categories like income, education, and occupation    
    Structural Mobilitya societal change that enables a whole group of people to move up or down the class ladder    
    Upward Mobilityan increase—or upward shift—in social class    
    Wealththe value of money and assets a person has from, for example, inheritance    
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