Why did sociologists develop the concept of the underclass How is the underclass distinct from the lower class quizlet?

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A form of social stratification in which some people are owned by others as their property.

- A form of social stratification in which some people are literally owned
by others as their property
- People who are enslaved have lost control over most aspects of their lives, such as how and where they live, where and when they work, what they eat, whether they live or die (in other words, they are completely vulnerable to the interests of their owners)
- Slavery has existed in the past, such as in Ancient Greece, Egypt, in the United States and much of the Caribbean, and it still exists in some parts
of the world today, even though it is illegal everywhere and considered a violation of human rights.
- Today we see the enslavement of women and girls connected to the international criminal sex trafficking business.
- Slavery systems have tended to be unstable because enslaved populations resist their subjection.

a) Upper middle class: incomes range from $100k to $200k; about 15% of US population
• consists of relatively highly educated professionals (doctors, lawyers, engineers and professors), mid level corporate managers, people
who own or manage small businesses and retail shops, and even some large-farm owners
• its members are likely to be college educated (as are their kids) with advanced degrees;
• they often own comfortable homes, drive expensive late-model cars, have some savings and investments and are often active in local politics and organizations;
• historically, their jobs have been secure, provided retirement, pension and health benefits

b) Lower middle class: incomes range from $40k to $100k;
about 35-40% of US population
• consists of trained office workers (admin. assistants, bookkeepers) elementary and high school teachers, nurses, salespeople, police officers, firefighters and others who provide skilled services;
• it is most varied of the social strata and may include college educated persons with relatively modest earnings (public school teachers) to highly paid people with just high school diploma who are skilled craftsmen (plumbers);
• they may own a modest home, but may rent; cars can be late models but not the best ones, almost all have HS education and some have college degrees; they want their kids to attend college but that may involve work-study programs and/or student loans

• income ranges from $20k to $40k; 20% of American households;
• primarily blue-collar (manual, often physical labor: factory workers, mechanics,
maintenance, truck driving, construction) and pink-collar jobs (service industry jobs: waiter, florist, librarian, babysitter, maid, nanny, receptionist, nurse, beauty salon employee);
• racially and ethnically very diverse;
• includes those who earn a modest weekly paycheck at a job (just enough to pay
rent/mortgage, put food on the table and perhaps save a bit toward vacation) where they have little control over the size of their income or working conditions and it might mean that 2 members have to work to make ends meet
• they are more likely to rent rather than own houses; might live in lower income neighborhoods and drive older cars
• their kids often bypass college and seek immediate work after high school
• Many working-class Americans feel threatened by globalization since a lot of
their occupations have been outsourced or the factories where they have worked have been shut down due to competition.