ABSTRACT
This chapter provides the several types of social stratification and discusses the role of social mobility in making some social stratification acceptable to society. It explores what the poverty threshold is in the United States and also discusses several issues that any practical program for meeting the problems of economic inequality must take into account. Political offices must be filled, economic activities must be organized, medical services must be provided, and military forces must be commanded. In order to classify individuals into socioeconomic classes, it is generally necessary to average a variety of characteristics. The chapter explains what is meant by the US class system and how it relates to class consciousness. Advertising takes advantage of our group consciousness, portraying goods as providing group cachet to the buyer. Factor that has tended to reduce class consciousness and discontent is horizontal mobility, the opportunities that exist for moving from one job to another, and often to a better-liked job.
