Chapter 8 : Stratification, Class and Inequality

As you have been learning in this chapter, the stratification that exists among different groups of individuals is not only real but also has important consequences. These structured inequalities influence your opportunities for achieving economic prosperity, referred to as life chances by sociologists. As the authors of your textbook point out, in our society the social class of the family into which you are born and the community in which you grow up will affect your life chances. Regardless of their own social class location, individuals living in upper class, or upper middle class communities, have many more resources and opportunities than individuals living in lower middle class or lower class communities. In this exercise we will look at how communities in this country differ in terms of the income, wealth, education, and occupation of the residents of the community. You will also analyze the social class of your own community.

Part I:

Wealth, defined as all of the assets an individual owns, is difficult to measure because many times it is hidden. Here we will be using the median value of homes, and the degree to which this value appreciates over time, as approximate measures of wealth. At the time the census was done in 2000, the median value of homes for the U.S. as a whole was $119,600; however, housing values reflect local markets, so we can expect to see wide variations in the different communities we're researching. Table 1 provides information on housing values for the four communities we are investigating.

Writing Assignment 1:

After comparing these communities, summarize the differences among them, as well as how each stands in relation to the national median housing values.

As a generator of wealth, housing is important if it increases in value over time. Table 2 provides you with information on the housing values for these same communities in both 1990 and 2000, as well as the percentage change in the values between these two points in time (the percent change was calculated by subtracting the value in 2000 from the value in 1990, dividing this amount by the 1990 value, then multiplying by 100).

Writing Assignment 2:

Which of the communities had the greatest appreciation in housing values over the ten year period? Overall, what was the pattern of change? What conclusions can you make about the accumulation of wealth by individuals within these four communities?

Finally, before we turn to some of the other indicators of social class, let's spend a minute and look at the patterns of home ownership among these communities. Table 3 gives you information on the percentage of housing units that are owner-occupied as well as those that are renter-occupied. As you can see, there are clear differences among our four communities in terms of these two types of households. Using concepts associated with stratification, how can you explain this pattern of differences?

We will now investigate the differences in median and mean income, as well as the way in which income is distributed among the residents of the community. Without a doubt, income and wealth are related; those with higher incomes have more money with which to invest in property as well as other forms of wealth. Income refers to the wages and salaries earned from paid labor, plus unearned money from investments. For the U.S. as a whole, the median household income in 2000 was $41,994. You will be analyzing the incomes of households living within each of these communities.

Writing Assignment 3:

As you look at the numbers, what conclusions can you draw about the differences in income levels between these communities? What impact do the differences in income levels and distribution have in terms of the overall quality of life? Go back and explore the websites for each of these communities and see if you can find some evidence of differences.

Let's try to further penetrate the social class differences between the individuals living in these places. Specifically, let's look at their educational differences and the kinds of jobs they hold.

Writing Assignment 4:

How would you characterize the patterns of educational attainment for each of these communities? How about their occupational structures? What conclusions can you draw about the relationships between education, occupation, and income?

Part II:

Now let's examine the differences between these four places in terms of a few other social attributes. We suspect that a community's patterns of income, wealth, education and occupation would be influenced by several other factors as well. There are a number of different hypotheses that we could test. For instance, a community with a high percentage of middle-aged residents is likely to be wealthier than another with a higher percentage of children and/or old people. Having higher percentages of children or elderly reduces the potential work force. Given the patterns of discrimination found within our society (something about which you will learn more in subsequent chapters), we are likely to find that concentrated "minority" communities have more concentrated poverty. Also, a community with a higher percentage of foreign-born residents is likely to be poorer than one composed of predominantly native-born residents.

The following table contains information taken from the 2000 Census and found on the U.S. Census website .

1 In combination with one or more other races listed on the 2000 Census form. The percentages add to more than 100 percent because individuals may have reported more than one race and the "Hispanic" category includes individuals of any race.

Writing Assignment 5:

Having examined the information in the table consider whether the hypotheses are supported. Are there other attributes of socioeconomic status that contribute to the socioeconomic differences between communities? Try generating some hypotheses and then testing them out with data from the U.S. Census website, using the American Fact Finder link (http://factfinder.census.gov). Overall, how would you classify these four communities within the U.S. social class system? You might want to refer back to the discussion in your textbook of the characteristics of the four social classes - upper, middle, working, and lower classes - to help you decide what the social class character is for each of them.

Part III:

Before you end this exercise, your final project is to research your own home community and compare it with the communities you've been working with up to this point. If you haven't been to the U.S. Census website yet, you will need to go there now in order to complete the assignment. You will be using the American Fact Finder .

• At the main page for the American Fact Finder, click on "Fact Sheet" for community profiles.
• At the Fact Sheet page, fill in the information in Part 1; your street address is optional, but you must fill in the name of the town and state. Click on "Go."
• The Results are organized under four different headings: General Characteristics, Social Characteristics, Economic Characteristics, and Housing Characteristics.
• If the information you need is not displayed within one of these four categories, you can click on the "show more" option next to any of the main headings and more information relevant to that heading will be displayed.

Writing Assignment 6:

Based on what you find out, how would you rate your community, as mostly upscale, mostly middle class (upper or lower), or mostly working class? What did you learn about social stratification in America and in your community from doing this assignment?

Part IV:

Writing Assignment 7/Essay:

Based on what you have learned in this activity regarding the social class characteristics of communities, write a final essay in which you discuss how our individual opportunities for economic success are affected by the wider social environment in which we live. Use some of the evidence that was provided in this exercise in making your case.