KENDALL: CHAPER 9: Social Class in the U.S.

Are we a "CLASS" Society? Kendall says YES.
Class is a way of STRATIFYING people. We stratify on the basis of race,
sex, class, and other factors.

Class, for many, reflects things like wealth, social status, and education.

INCOME: Economic gain derived from wages, aid, and other sources, including
ownship of property that brings in money.

WEALTH: The total value of all a persons possesions, personal property
and bank accounts and all other assets of monetary worth.

Income and wealth are NOT equally distributed.

Real median household income remained unchanged between 2002 and 2003 at 
$43,318, according to a report released today by the U.S. Census Bureau. 

At the same time, the nation.s official poverty rate rose from 12.1 percent 
in 2002 to 12.5 percent in 2003. The number of people with health insurance 
increased by 1.0 million to 243.3 million between 2002 and 2003, and the 
number without such coverage rose by 1.4 million to 45.0 million. 

--POVERTY: For a 4 person family unit, about $15,000 (changes annually)

--The percentage of the nation.s population without coverage grew from 15.2 
percent in 2002 to 15.6 percent in 2003

--Official poverty rate in 2003 was 12.5 percent, up from 12.1 percent in 2002.

--In 2003, 35.9 million people were in poverty, up 1.3 million from 2002.

--Poverty rates remained unchanged for Hispanics, non-Hispanic Whites, and 
  Blacks, although it rose for Whites and Asians.

For dollar amounts, see:
    http://www.census.gov/hhes/poverty/threshld/thresh04.html
     (cut and paste the URL in your browse)

DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES:

1) Marx (structural position)

2) Weber: Power, presige, and wealth (SES)

WAYS OF CONCEPTUALIZING:

 --Upper class ("capitalist")
 --Upper-middle
 --Middle
 --working class
 --working poor
 --underclass

Who are the poor?

 --by age: Elderly and children
 --minorities
 --gender/women/divorcees/widows
    (2/3s of all adults in poverty are women)

PERSPECTIVES:
  --conflict
  --symbolic interactionist
  --functionalism
  --feminism

WHO CARES?
  --health issues
  --insurance issues
  --life style issues
  --opportunity issues
  --housing issues
  --life chance issues
  --aging issues
  --child issues (infant mortality, health)
  --crime/safety

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