Ch. 6 - Social Stratification: Canadian and Global Perspectives Flashcards
social stratification
the way society is organized in layers or strata
human capital
investment in education and training. just as productivity increases by upgrading manufacturing plants and introducing new technology, productivity gains can also result from investment in the skills and abilities of people.
social capital
the networks or connections that individuals possess
cultural capital
the widely shared, high status cultural signals (attitudes, preferences, formal knowledge, behaviours, goals, and credentials) used for social and cultural inclusion and exclusion
poverty
lacks an agreen-on definition. analysts disagree whether poverty should be defined in absolute or relative terms and whether it should be based on income or consumption. Canada does not have an official poverty line.
feminization of poverty
theory that (1) women are more likely to be low-income earners than men are, and (2) the low-income gap between women and men is growing
class
according to marx, a grouping that is determined by a person’s relationship to the means of production or the source of that person’s income. In Weber’s usage, class position is determined by a person’s “market situation,” including the possession of goods, opportunities for income, level of education, and level of technical skill
bourgeoisie
owners of the means of production, including factories, tools, and land, according to marx. they do not do any physical labour. income derives from profits.
proletariat
the term marx gave to the working class. members of the proletariat perform physical labour but do not own means of production. they are thus in a position to earnwages.
functional theory of stratification
argues that 1. some jobs are more important than others, 2. people must make sacrifices to train for important jobs, and 3. inequality is required to motivate people to undergo these sacrifices
status groups
groups that differ from one another in terms of the prestige or social honour they enjoy and in terms of their style of life.
parties
in Weber’s usage, organizations that seek to impose their will on others
social mobility
movement up or down the stratification system
intragenerational mobility
social mobility that occurs within a single generation
intergenerational mobility
social mobility that occurs between generations
ascription-based stratification system
a system in which the allocation of rank depends on the features with which a person is born (Ascribed characteristics)
achievement-based stratification system
a system in which the allocation of rank depends on a person’s accomplishments.
modernization theory
holds that global inequality results from various dysfunctional characteristics of poor socieities: lack of investment capital, Western-style busines techniques, stable Western-style governments, and a Western mentality
dependecy theory
holds that global inequality is the result of patterns of domination and submission between rich and poor countries. from this point of view, rich countries have impoverished poor countries in order to enrich themselves.
core countries
capitalist coutnries that are the world’s major sources of capital and technology (The US, Japan, and Germany)
peripheral countries
the world’s major sources of raw materials and cheap labour (The former colonies)
semiperipheral coutnries
former colonies that are making considerable headway in their attempt to become prosperous
social power
the tools used to influence others. weber defined this as “the ability to achieve one’s goals,even against the resistancce of others.”
gini coefficient
a measure of statistical dispersion intended to represent the income or wealth distribution of a nation’s residents, and is the most commonly used measurement of inequality.
grade A tax system
those who make more are technically paying more taxes
after-tax income
the amount of money earned in a given period after paying income tax and receiving government benefits such as 1) employment insurance 2) child tax credits 3)GST credits 4) welfare payments
neoliberalism
economic paradigm/ideology that rose in the 1980s. “Don’t want government to be too involved in the process of money making.” — 1) self-regulating market (free market, laissez-faire) . 2) individual pursuit of success - meritocracy 3) privatization i.e. nursing homes are private
displacement
people who can’t afford to own businesses
healthy immigrant effect
most people are healthy when they immigrate here but become unhealthy overtime
social darwinism
the theory that individuals, groups, and peoples are subject to the same Darwinian laws of natural selection as plants and animals.
relative deprivation
an unequal split of resources among groups
intersectionality
we are all made up of multiple identities and social power is multi-dimensional
absolute poverty
Don’t have the basics of life, aren’t able to get food
~8% live in abs pov in Canada
indoctrination
the process of teaching a person or group to accept a set of beliefs uncritically. (ex. how hitler created a child soldier army)
