| Social stratification: | | | | assets such as houses, cars, stocks, shares, saved |
| When we speak of social stratification we mean | | | | money, and lands. |
| inequality between various groups of people. Inequality | | | | While United States is the second rich county in the |
| exists in all sorts of societies and cultures. Societies | | | | world, the distribution of wealth is too unfair. The top |
| are consisted of layers that are hierarchical. | | | | 1% of all population owned 38% of the wealth, 10% of |
| The four basic stratification systems are: | | | | population had 71% of wealth and on the other hand |
| 1) slavery | | | | the bottom 40% owned less than 1% of the nation's |
| 2) caste | | | | wealth. |
| 3) estate | | | | Totally, the distribution of wealth is much more unequal |
| 4) class. | | | | than the distribution of income (what people receive in |
| Stratification systems of slavery, caste and estate | | | | the course of a year by working). |
| have been demolished in modern societies except | | | | According to these basic elements (income, wealth, |
| some tribal societies. | | | | occupation and education) which determine the social |
| The social class system is mainly a description of how | | | | class of individuals and households, Americans believe |
| scarce resources (wealth, income, education and | | | | in three- class model that includes the rich, the middle |
| occupation) are distributed in society. In other words | | | | class and the poor, while, in reality American society is |
| Class could be explained as an indication of the | | | | more diverse, economically and sociologically. It means |
| positions a person may occupy within society, positions | | | | that there is no clear class distinction between |
| which are not equal.Thus, in order to analysis social | | | | socio-economic strata. |
| classes in a society, it is necessary to explain that how | | | | Social mobility: |
| these resources are distributed and make social | | | | The most important concept in a class system of |
| classes. | | | | stratification is social mobility. In class system, social |
| In spite of the fact that some scholars argue that in | | | | stratification based on both birth and individual |
| developed countries, inequality has reduced rather than | | | | achievement; personal merit becomes more important. |
| previous societies but, social stratification, inequality and | | | | In fact, Industrial societies move towards meritocracy |
| class conflict have increasing rate today. In the United | | | | and in this kind of societies status consistency is lower |
| States Inequality between rich and poor has increased | | | | than in other sorts of societies. Since societies became |
| to the extent that the gap among them is larger than | | | | more competitive and more meritocratic some |
| any point in the past 75 years. United States has the | | | | elements such as energy, social skills, character, |
| largest wealth disparity of any industrialized nation in | | | | ambition, physical attractiveness, talent, and luck played |
| the world and this disparity is growing larger every | | | | great role in social mobility and changing social position. |
| year. | | | | Now the question is that "How much mobility |
| In the United States, income is obviously one important | | | | Americans have experienced during their life?" |
| scarce resource. Clearly, it is occupation that provides | | | | Social mobility refers to changes in social position |
| income, and it is education that determines the sort of | | | | which occur during a person's lifetime. There are two |
| occupation. At the more extent level, income is related | | | | ways to study social mobility; Intragenerational Mobility |
| to life consequences, such as the quality and quantity | | | | and Intergenerational mobility. |
| of education, health care, and housing one obtains, and | | | | By the first concept, we mean upward and downward |
| even the how long one lives. So, there is | | | | movement in social ladder and by second one we |
| interrelationship between accesses to each of these | | | | refer to upward and downward movement in social |
| sources.in the United States individual income depends | | | | hierarchy compared with the previous generation. |
| on educational characteristics; in 2005 most people | | | | In order to explaining occupational mobility, mostly, |
| with doctorate and professional degrees were in top | | | | scholars focus on father-child or household head-child |
| 15% of income earners. Those with Bachelor degrees | | | | occupational persistence (Intergenerational mobility). |
| had incomes considerably above the national median | | | | If we distinguished six general occupational categories |
| and people with college degree had less income. | | | | including upper professional or manager, lower |
| The noticeable point is that, while the population of the | | | | professional or clerical, self-employed, technical or |
| United States is becoming increasingly educated on all | | | | skilled trade, farm, unskilled and service workers, in |
| levels, the conspicuous link between income and | | | | united states, among men whom born after 1950, 32 |
| educational attainment remains. | | | | percent of men were immobile (their occupation was in |
| Another point is that tertiary education is rarely free; | | | | the same category as their father's), 37 percent were |
| education in elite private colleges for a four year | | | | upwardly mobile, and 32 percent were downwardly |
| program costs $120,000 approximately. While public | | | | mobile. About women, data show that 27 percent |
| colleges and universities costs much less but they are | | | | were immobile, 46 percent were upwardly mobile, and |
| not free. Scholarships and low interest loans by | | | | 28 percent were downwardly mobile. Then, in |
| government and universities are available too, but still | | | | occupation upward mobility was more common than |
| the cost of education is high for many people. | | | | downward mobility and Comparisons with other |
| Overall, educational attainment serves as one of the | | | | industrialized countries occupational mobility in the |
| most essential class feature of most Americans, which | | | | United States is reasonably high. |
| is directly linked to income and occupation. | | | | According to studies, intergenerational elasticity (IGE) in |
| On one hand occupational status is consequence of | | | | income between fathers and sons was estimated 0.4 |
| educational attainment, personal or family income and | | | | or higher. Totally, actual association between parents' |
| on the other hand it defines access to other resources | | | | and children's incomes is high. |
| including income and health. | | | | Wealth mobility is totally different from occupational |
| Low-wage jobs are associated with those people | | | | and income mobility; at first, wealth is important |
| who have less education. Workers in these areas are | | | | because its distribution is more unequal than the |
| unskilled because it does not require education in order | | | | distribution of income and on the other hand it effects |
| to perform these jobs. But, White collar jobs require | | | | on other aspects of family well-being, especially |
| more human capital, skill and knowledge and therefore | | | | homeownership and investment in children's education. |
| produce higher earnings. With higher education it is | | | | Also, there is substantial intergenerational persistence in |
| more likely for one to occupy a professional-level job | | | | family wealth and the correlation is in the neighborhood |
| wherein he or she may earn a higher salary. | | | | of 0.50. The disparity in wealth persists between the |
| Therefore, those with less education are more likely to | | | | generations. Thus, people who have no wealth loose |
| be working in Low-wage jobs. | | | | opportunities. As an example, inherited wealth can put |
| Each particular job influences on lifestyle; income and | | | | families in better neighborhoods and school districts |
| prestige that gained from a job determine living | | | | than they could afford if they had to rely just on their |
| environment, the kind of foods, medical care, sort of | | | | incomes. |
| social networks, entertainment, spare times, and | | | | Social class in the United States is affected by |
| behavior. | | | | individual achievement, as I said, Occupation, |
| It is education that makes upper-middle, middle and | | | | educational attainment and income can be earned and |
| lower-middle scores on occupational spectrum; | | | | increased through a lifetime, but still it is undeniable that |
| unskilled employees, employees with less than seven | | | | the rich have more money, more education, better |
| years of schooling, high school graduated ones, college | | | | occupation, better health, and consume more. |
| graduate, licentiate, MS holders, professionals and | | | | As a conclusion we should say that without the |
| experts with Doctorate degree located on different | | | | concept of social stratification, it is impossible to |
| scores of occupational spectrum. So while all functions | | | | understand people's behavior, because social class |
| and positions in society do not determine with | | | | determines all aspects of our life...., our happiness, our |
| occupation, the job role is one of the most important | | | | religious beliefs, our customs, our interests and hobbies |
| status features in the United States. | | | | our health and even how long we will live and totally |
| Another feature that determines individuals' position in | | | | our life style. |
| the society is wealth. Wealth is what people own in | | | | |