2. INTRODUCTION
Social classes are economic or cultural arrangements of groups in
society.
Social class is defined as the division of members of a society into
a hierarchy of distinct status classes
Members of each class have relatively same status
3. Social class categorizes group of people within a
society who possess the same socioeconomic status
4. Social class is measured in terms of social status
Social status is measured in terms of wealth(economic
assets),power(the degree of personal choice or influence over
others) and prestige(the degree of recognition received from
others)
5. Dynamics of status consumption
It’s a process by which consumers endeavor to increase
their social standing through conspicuous consumptions
and possessions
6. The Measurement of Social Class
Subjective Measures
Reputational Measures
Objective Measures
7. Subjective Measures
In the subjective approach to measuring social class, individuals
are asked to estimate their own social-class positions.
Reputational Measures
The reputational approach requires selected community
informants to make initial judgments concerning the social-class
membership of others within the community.
Objective Measures
A method of measuring social class whereby individuals are asked
specific socioeconomic questions concerning themselves or their
families On the basis of their answers, people are placed within
specific social-class groupings.
8. Objective Measures
Single-variable indexes
The use of a single socioeconomic variable
(such as income) to estimate an individual’s
relative social class.
Occupation
Education
Income
Other Variables
Composite-variable indexes
An index that combines a number of socioeconomic variables (such as
education, income, occupation) to form one overall measure of social class
standing.
Index of Status Characteristics
Socioeconomic Status Score
9. Social Mobility
Definition
Social mobility is the extent to which people move up or down in the class
system.
Measure of social mobility:
Intergenerational social mobility is movement up or down the in
the class system from one generation to the next.
Intra generational social mobility is movement up or down in the
class system in a single generation
10. Social Stratification
Definition
Viewed as social inequality, which is a universal phenomenon.
Inequality is viewed in terms of the distribution of scare goods.
Elements of Social Stratification
CLASS – as defined by Marx, it is the division of people in society
by their relationship to the means of production: those who own a
large portion of society’s wealth.
STATUS – For Weber, prestige rather than position itself is
important. Individuals are ranked in society as high, middle, and
low as determined by how the role attached to their status is
valued.
POWER – refers to the ability of an individual to get other people
to do “what he wants them to do with or without their consent.
11. demographics clustering
In demographics, clustering is the gathering of various population based
on ethnicity, economics, or religion.
In countries that hold equality as important, clustering occurs between
groups because of polarizing factors such as religion, wealth or
ethnocentrism. Clustering is often considered an enriching part of free
cultures in which one can visit a Chinatown or a French quarter for
restaurant choices. Other sociologists assert that clustering of like minded
individuals leads to political polarity and intolerance of contrary opinions,
as the United States has allegedly been trending since the 1950s
12. Social class role
Social class has a complex relationship with consumption behavior.
Various classes behave differently, even people within the same class
have quite different consumption pattern depending on whether the
wealth is acquired or earned.
13. some other roles and issues
Cultural capital
Non-affluent consumer
Old money and nouveaux riche
Techno class
Status symbol
