#2: Social Class Flashcards
How does Marx define Social Class?
Marx: Capitalists (Bourgeois) and Workers (Proletariat)
How does Wright define Social Class?
Wright: Capitalist class, Managerial Class, Small-Business class and working class.
How does Weber define Social Class?
Weber: Multidimensional model (wealth, income, power, prestige)
What is Social Stratification?
Social stratification is the arrangement of large social groups on the basis of their control over basic resources.
What is Social Mobility?
Movement between social classes (upward vs. downward)
What is the Ideology
Ideology is a set of assumptions about how the world works ( a world view)
What is Meritocracy?
Meritocracy is the system of social stratification based on personal merit.
The ideology of meritocracy:
IDEAL vs. REALWORLD:
Equality of opportunity (ideological)
Inequality of condition (material)
Why use the “SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION?”
Because is can help us from “blaming the victim”
what is “Blaming the victim”?
It is a practice suggesting the cause of a social problem emanates from within the individual or group who exhibits the problem, by virtue of some inherent lack or flaw on the part of the individual group.
What is Wealth and Income Inequality?
It is unequal access to: money, food, shelter, safety, security, etc.
The Gap between the rich and poor is growing.
What is poverty?
Poverty: the condition the lowest on the stratification hierarchy.
Absolute vs. Relative Poverty.
Dealing with Poverty:
Welfare State:
A nation in which government intervenes in the welfare of its citizens through various policies, programs, standards, and regulations.
ex: Government funding of programs like EI and Social Assistance.
Dealing with Poverty:
Currently we are witnessing the “_______” of the welfare state.
Retrenchment: meaning decrease, or reduction.
THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES ON POVERTY
Symbolic Interactionist
Meanings, definitions, and labels
Culture of Poverty Thesis
Cultural Capital
Reminder: Blaming the Victim
THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES ON POVERTY
Functionalist View on Poverty
Poverty serves functions:
It motivates people to work hard
We need poverty to keep a pool of people to do shitty work no one else wants to do
and it provides jobs to people who try to “deal” with poverty.
What are the conflicts with Poverty?
There is constant conflict between rich and poor in society, and there is globalized capitalism increasing gap between classes.
Feminization of poverty
Feminization of poverty: women disproportionately affected by poverty.
Socialist Feminism:
Private property lies at the heart of Patriarchy. (defn; hierarchical system of social organization in which structures are controlled by men)
FEMINIST
Intersectionality:
Recognizes multiple colliding forces or social marginalization and disadvantage.
What was the first film we watched? and what was it about?
Things i Cannot Change 1986, and it was about the Bailey family and a documentary of their life as a lower class family struggling in poverty. and the everyday challenges they have to face in terms of social class, and privilege.
In the film “Things I cannot Change” How have things changed for the Bailey Family?
Watch film part 2 (:
