| A | B |
|---|
| social stratification | the ranking of individuals or categories of people on the basis of unequal access to scare resources and social rewards. |
| social inequality | the unequal sharing of social rewards and resources. |
| caste system | scarce resources and rewards are distributed on the basis of ascribed statuses. |
| exogamy | marriage outside of one's own social category. |
| endogamy | marriage within one's own social category. |
| class system | the distribution of scarce resources and rewards is determined on the basis of achieved statuses. |
| social class | a grouping of people with similar levels of wealth, power, and prestige. |
| socioeconomic status | a rating that combines social factors such as educational level, occupational prestige, and place of residence with the economic factor of income. |
| wealth | made up of his or her assets and income earned through salaries and wages. |
| power | the ability to control the behavior of others, with or without thier consent. |
| prestige | the respect, honor, recognition, or courtesy an individual receives from other members of society. |
| reputational method | individuals in the community are asked to rank other community members based on what they know of their characters and life-styles. |
| subjective method | individuals are asked to determine their own social rank. |
| objective method | sociologists define social class in terms of factors such as income, occupation, and education. |
| social mobility | the movement between or within social classes or stratais an important feature of the system. |
| vertical mobility | movement between social classes or strata. |
| horizontal mobility | movement within a social class or stratum. |
| poverty | a standard of living that is below the minimum level considered decent and reasonable by society. |
| poverty level | minimum annual income needed by a family to survive. |
| life chances | likelihood individuals have of sharing in the opportunities and benefits of society. |
