GLOBAL

STRATIFICATION
AND THE DIMENSIONS OF
POVERTY

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

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

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

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 worlds poorest people shaped
by hunger, disease, and unsafe housing
Small numbers of elites live very well in
the poorest nations

DISTRIBUTION OF GLOBAL
INCOME
PERCENTAGE OF GLOBAL INCOME

RICHEST 20%
OF HUMANITY
SECOND 20%
THIRD 20%
FOURTH 20%
POOREST 20
PERCENT

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

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

EXTENT OF POVERTY
(CONTD)
COMPARISON
Typical adult in rich nation ex. United
States
- Consumes about 3500 calories a day, an
excess causing health problems and
obesity
Typical adult in low- income country
- Does more physical labor
- Consumes only 2,000 calories a day
- Results in undernourishment due too little
food or not enough of the right foods

POVERTY AND CHILDREN

It is estimated that at least 100 million
children in poor countries, in order to
provide income for their families, will steal,
beg, sell sex, and work for drug gangs
Leads to school drop out along with a high
risk for disease and violence
Girls become pregnant with little or no
medical assistance
Estimated that another 100 million of
worlds children become street children
Half of those children are found in Mexico
City and Rio de Janeiro

POVERTY AND CHILDREN

(CONTD)
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 worlds 1 billion people in absolute
poverty are women

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)

REFERENCES
MACIONIS, J. (2009). Global Stratification.
Sociology. (12th e.d.). Upper Saddle River, NJ
(n.d.) Sociology. Social Stratisfication and
Inequality. Retrieved May 19, 2009 from,
http://www.sparksnotes.com/101/sociology