2. GLOBAL STRATIFICATION Patterns of social inequality all over the world Denoted by three broad categories: most industrialized nations, industrializing nations, and least industrialized nations Each category differ in amounts of three basic components of American stratification system: Wealth (defined by land/money) Power Prestige
3. MOST INDUSTRIALIZED NATIONS United States Canada Japan Great Britain France Other Western European countries People on average are provided with sufficient materials due to a highly productive economy
4. INDUSTRIALIZING NATIONS On the high end – Mexico (Latin America), Botswana (Africa), where annual income is about $9,800 At the low end – Bolivia (Latin America), Lesotho (Africa), and Vietnam (Asia), with a roughly $3,000 annual income Most of the Countries in former Soviet Union/nations of Eastern Europe
5. LEAST INDUSTRIALIZED NATIONS Consist of half of the land on earth and includes 70% of the worlds people Poverty is severe and widespread Lives of the world’s poorest people shaped by hunger, disease, and unsafe housing Small numbers of elites live very well in the poorest nations
7. THE SEVERITY OF POVERTY Poverty is more severe in its poor countries than rich countries Regions where population growth is highest, economic productivity is lowest Relative poverty – lack of resources that are taken for granted by other individuals Absolute poverty – a life-threatening lack of resources
8. THE EXTENT OF POVERTY Most people in lower income countries live no better than the poor in the United States or far worse Absolute poverty is greatest in Africa due to high death rate amongst children About 1 billion people in the world as a whole suffer from chronic hunger which leads to less ability to work and high risk for disease
12. POVERTY AND CHILDREN (CONT’D) Darfur, region of Sudan, children are subjects of abuse as well as unspeakable abuse Forced to work as sex slaves, physical labor for no pay, and join militia groups In poor societies, women make up the majority of sweatshop workers and it is tradition that keeps them out of many other jobs 70% of world’s 1 billion people in absolute poverty are women
13. CONCLUSION “THE CONCENTRATION OF WEALTH IN HIGH INCOME COUNTRIES, COUPLED WITH THE GRINDING POVERTY IN LOW-INCOME NATIONS, MAY WELL BE THE BIGGEST PROBLEM FACING HUMANITY IN THE TWENTY- FIRST CENTURY” (MACIONIS, P.353)
14. REFERENCES MACIONIS, J. (2009). Global Stratification. Sociology. (12the.d.). Upper Saddle River, NJ (n.d.) Sociology. Social Stratisfication and Inequality. Retrieved May 19, 2009 from, http://www.sparksnotes.com/101/sociology
