KENDALL: CHAPER 8: 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 in 2010 is about $47,400. (NOTE: THIS FIGURE
VARIES DEPENDING ON HOW CALCULATED). 
 SEE CENSUS FIGURES)

(note also - 2007 figure is higher than 2010 figure because of recession)

--POVERTY: For a 4 person family unit, about $22,000 (2008 - changes annually)

--The percentage of the nation.s population without health coverage contiues
to grow, and is at about 16.7 percent of the population.

--Official poverty rate in 2003 was 12.5 percent; It's now over 14.3 (2008
figures, more in 2010 because of recession)


--In 2003, 35.9 million people were in poverty; In 2008, it's over 43 million.

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

-- The top 10% own 71% of all private wealth.
-- The top 1% now own more than the bottom 90%
-- one fifth of the population has no wealth or negative income
--average wealth in US around $70,000

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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