MCAT Psychological Social Foundations Flashcards: 10a Social Class Ses Stratification

What this deck covers

This deck focuses on 10a Social Class Ses Stratification, giving you a quick way to review the definitions, rules, and examples that matter most for MCAT Psychological Social Foundations.

How to use these flashcards

Work through these flashcards in short sessions. Try to answer each prompt before flipping the card, then revisit any cards you miss until the explanation feels automatic.

Flashcard 1: What is meritocracy?

Answer: A system where rewards and status are based on individual achievement. It emphasizes talent and effort in allocating positions, ideally reducing inherited inequalities.

Flashcard 2: What is the poverty line?

Answer: An income threshold used to classify individuals or families as poor. This metric, often set by governments, determines eligibility for social welfare programs.

Flashcard 3: What is horizontal social mobility?

Answer: Change in social position without major change in class rank. It involves shifts in roles or occupations without altering overall socioeconomic standing.

Flashcard 4: What is socioeconomic status (SES) as used in MCAT sociology and psychology?

Answer: A composite of social standing based on income, education, and occupation. Combines three key indicators to measure social position.

Flashcard 5: What is intergenerational social mobility?

Answer: Change in social position between parents and their children. Compares family generations across time periods.

Flashcard 6: What is social mobility?

Answer: Movement of individuals or groups within a social hierarchy. Can be upward, downward, or horizontal in direction.

Flashcard 7: Identify the stratification theory that emphasizes power, exploitation, and class conflict.

Answer: Conflict theory (Marxian perspective). Sees stratification as exploitation by dominant classes.

Flashcard 8: What is an open stratification system?

Answer: A system with relatively high mobility based on achieved status. Merit and effort determine social position.

Flashcard 9: What is a closed stratification system?

Answer: A system with low mobility; status is largely ascribed at birth. Birth determines lifelong position with little change possible.

Flashcard 10: What is intragenerational social mobility?

Answer: Change in social position within an individual's lifetime. Occurs during one person's career or life course.

Flashcard 11: What is the difference between ascribed status and achieved status?

Answer: Ascribed is assigned at birth; achieved is earned through choices and actions. Birth gives ascribed; effort creates achieved status.

Flashcard 12: What is a caste system?

Answer: Closed stratification with little mobility; status is largely ascribed. Such systems enforce rigid, hereditary divisions, limiting opportunities for social advancement.

Flashcard 13: What is a class system?

Answer: An open stratification system with mobility based on achievement and SES. Most modern societies use this flexible system.

Flashcard 14: What is intergenerational social mobility?

Answer: Change in social class between parents and children. It measures status differences across generations, influenced by inheritance and opportunities.

Flashcard 15: What is structural mobility?

Answer: Mobility caused by changes in the economy or occupational structure. Broad societal changes create new opportunities or diminish others, enabling group-level shifts.

Flashcard 16: What is vertical mobility?

Answer: Upward or downward movement that changes social rank. Results in higher or lower social standing.

Flashcard 17: What is the difference between social class and socioeconomic status (SES)?

Answer: Class is a broad group position; SES is a measured rank using key indicators. Class is categorical; SES provides numerical measurement.

Flashcard 18: What is a class system?

Answer: Open stratification with possible mobility; status is more achieved. These systems promote mobility through individual efforts, reducing reliance on birth status.

Flashcard 19: What is structural mobility?

Answer: Mobility caused by changes in the economy or society (not individual effort alone). Societal shifts create mobility beyond personal control.

Flashcard 20: What is class consciousness in Marxist theory?

Answer: Awareness of one's class interests and shared economic position. It fosters solidarity and potential for collective action against exploitation.

Flashcard 21: What is cultural capital in Bourdieu's theory?

Answer: Nonfinancial assets (knowledge, tastes, credentials) that confer advantage. Bourdieu argues it reproduces inequality by providing subtle advantages in social fields.

Flashcard 22: In Weberian theory, what three dimensions can determine social position?

Answer: Class, status, and party (economic, social prestige, political power). Weber's model incorporates multiple axes, allowing for nuanced analysis of stratification.

Flashcard 23: What is social stratification?

Answer: The hierarchical arrangement of individuals and groups in society. Creates layers of inequality based on resources and power.

Flashcard 24: What is a class system as a form of stratification?

Answer: A more open system with social categories based on achievement and resources. Permits mobility through education, work, and wealth accumulation.

Flashcard 25: What is social mobility?

Answer: Movement of individuals or groups within a stratification system. It indicates potential for change in socioeconomic position through factors like education or economic shifts.

Flashcard 26: What is the difference between absolute poverty and relative poverty?

Answer: Absolute: basic needs unmet; relative: below societal standard of living. Absolute lacks necessities; relative lacks compared to others.

Flashcard 27: What is cultural capital?

Answer: Nonfinancial assets (knowledge, tastes, skills) that promote social mobility. Education and refined tastes enable class advancement.

Flashcard 28: What is intragenerational social mobility?

Answer: Change in social class across an individual's lifetime. It reflects personal trajectory changes due to career advancements or setbacks over time.

Flashcard 29: What is relative poverty?

Answer: Poverty defined in comparison to others in the same society and time period. Based on social context, not absolute survival needs.

Flashcard 30: What is relative poverty?

Answer: Poverty defined compared with typical living standards in a society. It highlights disparities relative to community norms, affecting social inclusion and well-being.

Flashcard 31: What is social stratification in a society?

Answer: A hierarchical arrangement of groups with unequal access to power and resources. Creates inequality through differential distribution of resources.

Flashcard 32: Identify the stratification theory that argues inequality is functional and stabilizing.

Answer: Structural functionalism (Davis–Moore thesis). Views inequality as necessary for societal functioning.

Flashcard 33: What is a caste system?

Answer: A closed stratification system with hereditary status and minimal mobility. India's traditional system exemplifies this rigid structure.

Flashcard 34: What is socioeconomic status (SES) in sociological research?

Answer: A composite measure of social standing using income, education, and occupation. Combines three key dimensions to quantify social position objectively.

Flashcard 35: What is cultural capital in the context of SES and stratification?

Answer: Nonfinancial assets (knowledge, tastes, skills) that enable social mobility. Education and refined tastes can facilitate upward mobility.

Flashcard 36: What is meritocracy?

Answer: Allocation of status and rewards based primarily on individual ability and effort. Assumes talent and hard work determine social outcomes.

Flashcard 37: What is socioeconomic status (SES) as used in sociological research?

Answer: A composite ranking based on income, education, and occupation. SES integrates these indicators to assess position in societal hierarchies and predict outcomes like health and education access.

Flashcard 38: Identify the concept: unequal health outcomes by SES due to differential exposure to risks and resources.

Answer: Health disparities (social gradient in health). Lower SES correlates with poorer health outcomes.

Flashcard 39: What is absolute poverty?

Answer: Inability to meet basic needs for survival (food, shelter, clothing, health care). Lacks resources for physical survival regardless of society.

Flashcard 40: What is the Davis–Moore thesis about stratification?

Answer: Stratification is functional, rewarding roles that are more important or scarce. Justifies inequality as necessary for society's functioning.

Flashcard 41: What is vertical social mobility?

Answer: Movement to a higher or lower social class position. This type alters hierarchical ranking, often through personal achievement or economic changes.

Flashcard 42: What is horizontal mobility?

Answer: Change in social position without major change in social rank. Like switching jobs at the same level or prestige.

Flashcard 43: What is downward social mobility?

Answer: Movement to a lower socioeconomic position. Results from job loss, illness, or economic downturns.

Flashcard 44: What is absolute poverty?

Answer: Inability to meet basic needs (food, shelter, safety) at a minimum level. This threshold ensures survival but ignores societal context or quality of life variations.

Flashcard 45: What is social capital?

Answer: Resources gained through social networks, connections, and group membership. Who you know matters for accessing opportunities.

Flashcard 46: What is social class in sociology, and how does it differ from SES?

Answer: A group sharing similar status and power; broader than the SES composite. Encompasses lifestyle and culture beyond just economic measures.

Flashcard 47: What is social stratification?

Answer: A structured hierarchy of unequal access to resources and power. It creates persistent inequalities by organizing society into ranked groups with differential privileges.

Flashcard 48: What is social mobility?

Answer: Movement of individuals or groups between social strata. Can occur upward, downward, or horizontally in society.

Flashcard 49: Identify the concept: education, income, and occupation are combined into one index.

Answer: Socioeconomic status (SES). These three factors create a composite social position measure.

Flashcard 50: What is a class system?

Answer: An open stratification system with possible mobility based on achieved status. Allows movement through education and effort.

Flashcard 51: Which Gini coefficient indicates greater inequality: $0.20$ or $0.45$?

Answer: $0.45$. Higher values reflect greater income disparity, as the coefficient measures deviation from perfect equality.

Flashcard 52: Which theory argues stratification is driven by exploitation between bourgeoisie and proletariat?

Answer: Marxist conflict theory. Views class struggle as the engine of social change.

Flashcard 53: What is intergenerational mobility?

Answer: Social class change between parents and their children. Compares offspring's status to their parents' status.

Flashcard 54: What is relative poverty?

Answer: Poverty defined in comparison to societal standards and typical living conditions. Based on social context rather than survival needs.

Flashcard 55: What is exchange mobility?

Answer: Mobility where some move up as others move down, net change is $0$. This zero-sum process maintains overall distribution while allowing individual positional exchanges.

Flashcard 56: What is false consciousness in Marxist theory?

Answer: Misunderstanding of one's class interests, often supporting the status quo. This ideology sustains inequality by obscuring true class relations and interests.

Flashcard 57: What is a closed stratification system?

Answer: A system with restricted mobility based on ascribed status. Birth circumstances largely determine life outcomes.

Flashcard 58: What is an open stratification system?

Answer: A system with relatively high mobility; status can be achieved. Allows movement between social positions through effort.

Flashcard 59: What is the key difference between social class and socioeconomic status (SES)?

Answer: Class is a broad social grouping; SES is a measurable position using indicators. Class is conceptual; SES is quantifiable with specific metrics.

Flashcard 60: In Marxist theory, what defines social class most fundamentally?

Answer: Relationship to the means of production (owners vs workers). Marx views class as rooted in production control, leading to exploitation and conflict.

Flashcard 61: What is social stratification in a society?

Answer: A hierarchical arrangement of groups with unequal access to resources and power. Creates layers of inequality in society's structure.

Flashcard 62: What is social reproduction (of inequality)?

Answer: Transmission of social and economic inequality across generations. Institutions like education perpetuate advantages, maintaining class structures over time.

Flashcard 63: What is meritocracy in the context of stratification?

Answer: A system where status is based primarily on individual ability and achievement. Rewards talent and effort rather than inherited privilege.

Flashcard 64: What is socioeconomic status (SES) as used in sociological research?

Answer: A composite measure of social standing, typically income, education, and occupation. Combines multiple indicators to quantify social position.

Flashcard 65: What is social capital in the context of SES and stratification?

Answer: Resources gained through social networks, norms, and social connections. "Who you know" can provide opportunities and advantages.

Flashcard 66: What is upward social mobility?

Answer: Movement to a higher socioeconomic position. Improves class position through achievement or opportunity.

Flashcard 67: What is intragenerational mobility?

Answer: Social class change within a single individual's lifetime. Occurs when someone changes class during their own life.

Flashcard 68: What is the Gini coefficient used to measure?

Answer: Income or wealth inequality within a population. The index quantifies disparity, with values from 0 (equality) to 1 (maximum inequality).

Flashcard 69: What is absolute poverty?

Answer: Inability to meet basic needs for survival (food, shelter, sanitation, health). Lacks resources for physical survival, not just relative deprivation.

Flashcard 70: What is a caste system?

Answer: A closed stratification system with little mobility and ascribed status. Birth determines lifelong position with rigid boundaries.

Flashcard 71: What is a caste system as a form of stratification?

Answer: A closed system with hereditary, rigid social categories and minimal mobility. Birth-based ranks are permanent and often endogamous.

Flashcard 72: What is social class (in sociology) as distinct from SES?

Answer: A group position defined by shared economic and social standing. Social class groups individuals with comparable lifestyles and opportunities, contrasting with SES as an individual metric.

Flashcard 73: What is horizontal social mobility?

Answer: Movement to a similar-status position (role change without class change). Same prestige level but different occupation or location.