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Social Stratification in the U.S. definitions

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  • Upper Class
    A small segment of society often distinguished by inherited or newly acquired wealth, significant influence, and control over major institutions.
  • Middle Class
    The largest social group, typically associated with white collar employment, home ownership, higher education, and financial stability.
  • Working Class
    A group primarily engaged in blue collar jobs, often with limited savings, lower educational attainment, and less stable access to benefits.
  • Lower Class
    A segment facing low-wage work or unemployment, struggling to afford basic needs, with minimal savings and limited educational opportunities.
  • Class Traits
    Behaviors, customs, and norms—such as housing, dress, and language—that signal social standing and influence perceptions.
  • Social Mobility
    The capacity for individuals or groups to shift between social classes within an open hierarchy.
  • Upward Mobility
    A rise in social standing, often achieved through education, career advancement, or marriage into a higher class.
  • Downward Mobility
    A decline in social status, commonly resulting from job loss, reduced income, or family changes like divorce.
  • Structural Mobility
    A collective shift in social position caused by broad societal changes, such as economic booms or disasters.
  • Intragenerational Mobility
    A change in an individual's social status occurring within their own lifetime.
  • Intergenerational Mobility
    A shift in social standing observed between parents and their children across generations.
  • Absolute Poverty
    A condition where resources are insufficient to meet basic living standards, measured by fixed thresholds like the federal poverty level.
  • Relative Poverty
    A state where individuals lack resources compared to others in their society, often defined as earning less than half the median income.
  • Feminization of Poverty
    A trend where women experience poverty at higher rates than men, influenced by wage gaps and single-parent responsibilities.
  • Individualistic Explanation
    A perspective attributing poverty to personal choices, values, and attitudes, emphasizing individual responsibility.
  • Structural Explanation
    A viewpoint focusing on societal barriers, such as job scarcity and unequal opportunities, as root causes of poverty.