2: social class identities Flashcards
BIG 4- validity (true insight)
An indication of how sound your research is. Validity in data collection means that your findings truly represent the phenomenon you are claiming to measure. Controlling all possible factors that threaten the research’s validity is a primary responsibility of every good researcher.
BIG 4- reliability (replicable)
The extent to which results are consistent over time is referred to as reliability and if the results of a study can be reproduced under a similar methodology, then the research instrument is considered to be reliable.
BIG 4- representativeness (characteristics)
A representative sample is a small quantity of something that accurately reflects the larger entity. In a classroom of 30 students, in which half the students are male and half are female, a representative sample might include six students: three males and three females.
BIG 4- Generalisability (wider claims)
Generalisability describes the extent to which research findings can be applied to settings other than that in which they were originally tested.
Ethics
Moral principles that govern a person’s behaviour or the conducting of an activity. In sociological research ethics are governed by the British Sociological Association (BSA) and cover issues such as confidentiality, protection from harm and informed consent.
Operationalise
The process of defining a concept so that it is measurable. The
researcher takes a ‘fuzzy’ concept and makes it clearly distinguishable or
measurable
Rapport (from qualitative data)
Rapport is the ability to relate to others in a way that creates a level of trust and understanding
Verstehen (from qualitative data)
Empathic understanding of human behaviour. A goal of interpretivist research so that they truly understand the behaviour from the point of view of the person being researched.
Reflexivity
An awareness that values will always affect research findings and goals of the sociologist then to ‘reflect’ on how their values have affected findings.
Could be through respondent validation. Have benifit of improving validity
stratification
The division of society into heirachy ordered layers or strata with the most privileged at the top and least favoured at the bottom.
The current system of stratification in our capitalist society based on CLASS.
the registrar generals scale
descriptive approach to measuring social class.
used from 1911-1990s based on occupational skill
the NS SEC
national statistics socio-economic classification, descriptive approach based on occupations according to their similarity of qualfications, training, skills and experience
objective definitions of class
people placed in a social class by using a scale or measurement device (e.g. NS-SEC classification)
subjective definitions of class
where people place themselve &how they define themselves.
stratification
the division of a society into heirachy ordered layers- or strata with the most priveleged at the top and least favoured at the bottom.
the system of stratification currently existing in a capitalist society is based on CLASS
the registrar generals scale
descriptive approach to measuring social class, used from 1911-1990s
based on occupational skill.
the HS SEC
National statistics socio-economic classification, descriptive approach based on occupations according to their similarity of qualifications, training, skills and experience.
used from 1997
objective definitions of class
people paced in a social class by using a scale by using a scale or measurement device (e.g. NS-SEC classification)
subjective definitions of class
where people place themselves & how they define themselves
ascribed status
position born into e.g. member of the royal family
achieved status
position a person has worked to get e.g. teacher
traditional working class
dominant for most of the 20th courtyard still influential in some parts of the uk today
new working class
seen to be replacing the traditional working class as new types of jobs replace old manual ones.
the under class
those at the bottom of the socioeconomic hierarchy who have low education, low income, and low status jobs.
middle class
individuals and households who typically fall between the working class and the upper class within a socio-economic hierarchy.
traditional upper class
a group of individuals who occupy the highest place and status in society
super rich
those who are upper class but do not behave like a traditional upper class (giddens)
jet set pop aristocracy
earned money through sport, media & entertainment. e.g. the furys, molly mae (giddins)
entrepreneurial rich
have earned money through business enterprise
immediate gratification
associated with traditional working class-
live for the moment attitude where individuals are willing to sacrifice anything for a better life
deferred gratification
when individuals are willing to sacrifice now for benefits in the future. e.g. working hard in education in order to be more socially mobile.
instrumental attitudes
work is a means to an end- a way of gaining money
meritocratic
a fair society that gives people opportunities based on their ability.
social mobility
the possibility to change social groups
popular culture
the set of practices, beliefs, and objects that embody the most broadly shared meanings of a social system
capitalism
society based on a minority ruling class owning the means of production
crisis of masculinity
the shift in our societal structure that has changed what it means to be masculine. Due to a shift in gender norms and power structures, women now have more independence and professional status and no longer need to fulfill traditional roles
child centeredness
keeping the child in focus when making decisions about their lives and working in partnership with them and their families.
social capital
networking and socialising with others in a similar economic position to advantage them.
e.g. can secure work experience placements or school places
economic capital
the amount of money/ material goods that a person or group possesses.
e.g. can pay for extra curricular activities or trips
yummy mummy
an upper class mother, stay at home mother from the top 10% of society
often attractive and well put together
conspicuous consumption
the purchase of goods or services for the specific purpose of displaying one’s wealth. Conspicuous consumption is a means to show one’s social status, especially when publicly displayed goods and services are too expensive for other members of a person’s class.
old boy network
(scott) network of contacts used to further each others careers and influence. networks formed with people sharing similar cultural characteristics
social closure
(mackintosh & mooney) the upper class practice this
preventing outsiders from joining in the lifestyle and and culture of that class e.g. invite only events and inter-marriage
high culture
cultured, a person needed to be associated with high social status, wealth, intellect, power, and prestige. High Culture is the subset of experiences that defines those in the highest class of society.
theoretical approach
sociologist have different ideas about which classes exist & why
e.g. marxists suggests there are only 2 social class groups
1. those who own the means of production
2. those who need to sell their labour power
descriprive approach
ranking ppl into a heirachy based on a number of social indercators.
e.g. the registrar generals scale
what are the 4 socialisations into class identities
- family (primary)
- peers
- education
- media
hidden curricculum
to create and reinforce middle class identity which rewards middle class values
SCOTT
upper class
sociologist
OLD BOY NETWORK
Believes that our social identity is shaped by the judgements made of the job we have.
E.g. we would feel self conscious around those with better jobs, worried of what they may think.
he suggests the ‘old boy network’ is made up of people who share the same cultural assets. They use long term friendships and networking to further their careers. It suggests they maintain an integrated elite
suggests social closure through encouragement of children marrying those of the same class and immersion of children into a culture of privilege.
MACINTOSH AND MOONEY
upper class
sociologist
SOCIAL CLOSURE
the upper class operate ‘social closure’: their education, leisure time and daily lives are separated from the rest of the population.
KENWAY
upper class
sociologist
found that even that private school girls maintained their high levels of self esteem by devaluing the status and achievements of state-educated young people.
KING AND RAYNOR (family)
middle class
sociologist
Suggest that parents socialise middle class identities by reinforcing attitudes and values about the importance of educational success through: role models, sanctions and imitation.
Child centeredness is a distinctive feature of middle class families
BOURDIEU (education)
middle class
sociologist
Suggests that school helps to socialise people into middle class identities through use of: role models, imitation, rewards and sanctions.
Middle classes have values, knowledge, leisure interests, levels of language and skills at home that are similar to how school is set up. This serves as an advantage in the education system. = ‘CULTURAL CAPITAL’
GOODWIN (peer group)
middle class
sociologist
Suggests that many middle class mothers define their identities by **peer approval **
SAUNDERS (media)
middle class
sociologist
Study on consumption (buying patterns) suggests that those who satisfy their needs through ownership of varied goods are influenced heavily by advertisement and media
The media targets the middle class as they are the group with the highest disposable income.
WRIGHT (work place)
middle class
sociology
Middle class occupy a **contradictory class position **
Both exploited by upper class
They are in this position due to the fact due to they often hold **managerial or supertivory roles. **
3 different types of resources needing to be controlled:
* Investment
* Means of production
* Labour power
WILLIS (family/workplace)
working class
sociologist
studied 12 working class boys in a midlands secondary school to study ‘learning labor’
* argued that these ‘lads’ formed distinctive** ‘counter-school sub-cultural grouping’ **
* lads tried to identify with an adult, non school world by drinking/smoking/swearing
* took part in deviant behavior, “having a laff” became their objective of the day.
* lads saw manual work as superior to education and displayed strong masculinity
* influenced by home backgrounds such as fathers where manual labor was the norm.
MAC AN GHAIL
working class
sociologist
Carried out an ethnographic study within a working class, studying a range of subcultures within schools and noted boys (macho lads) who followed their fathers into tractional working class, heavy, physical, manual labor jobs.
DO NOT have the academic qualifications needed in order to move into new working class job roles.
Crisis masculinity
BOWLES AND GINTIS (education)
working class
sociologist
Argue that educations function is to maintain, legitimise and reproduce class inequalities in wealth and power.
Done by:
Transmitting ruling class values disguised as common values in the hidden curriculum.
* Education is designed by and for the ruling class and **encourages children from working class backgrounds to be obedient and passive workers in the future **
* Teaching next gen workers to except exploitation and conformity to a ruling class ideology
BOURDIEU
working class
sociologist
suggests that school helps to socialise people into middle class identities (through use of rolemodels, imitation, rewards & sanctions)
- serves to advantage their children in education system (cultural capital)
- education system could be to reinforce a middle class identity that has already been constructed by the family and other agents of socialisation , middle class parents being able to give their parents an advantage educationally by having social & economic capital
MERTENS AND D’HAENENS (media)
media
sociologist
Studied the digital divide in brussels and found a clear link between class and internet usage
Those from a lower social class use tech as entertainment while middle classes used them to boost their knowledge.
They claim that **social class was the biggest factor affecting digital inequality as opposed to issues based on gender or ethnicity. **
MURRAY
underclass
sociologist
- Defines the underclass as poor people who live off mainstream society, without participating in it, they take jobs sporadically if at all.
- suggests they are dishonest, disrespectful and undeserving
- emergence of underclass was after people were left unemployed after the elimination of manufacturing jobs in the 1970s
- he blames illegitimacy on ‘incompetent’ mothers as it is skyrocketing
- there are higher levels of criminality amongst black males (police, institutional racism and racial profiling)
volentary unemployment
large number of healthy males who choose not to work’
JORDAN (evaluation)
underclass
sociologist
Underclass in the media are portrayed as:
Rough
Stupid
Chavvy
Rude
Use foul language
Under educated
HE DISAGREES WITH MURRAY
Argues that the underclass have the same values and attitudes as everyone else in society but dont have the opportunities.
Suggest They feel a sense of shame as they cannot provide for their families.
family/peers/ community are important to them
PAKULSKI AND WATERS
postmodernism (has social class identity changed?)
sociologist
Suggest there has been a shift from production to consumption.
We are now defined by what we buy, not what we do (our occupation)
OFFE
postmodernism (has social class identity changed?)
sociologist
Argues that in todays society,** fewer and fewer individuals share unifying experience of full time work**- the experience that used to shape the culture of social classes.
We are able to create our own identities regardless of occupation or social class.
Numbers of those employed in traditional manual labor have decreased rapidly and the ‘new’ working class is introduced.
SKEGGS
postmodernism (has social class identity changed?)
sociologist
- found working class women had instrumental attitudes to work, jobs didn’t influence their identities
- new working class saw capitalism as effective in raising their living standards, have no sense of class injustice or political loyalty( marxists suggest)
- see society as meritocratic, believe all individuals have equal chance of success, can experience social mobility
- new working class believe in individualism, putting themselves and immediate family first rather than collective or community develop identities based around popular culture, conspicuous consumption & consumer culture
- new working class look to role models in media who had similar backgrounds but are successful, these role models usually advertise goods
