Ch9: social inequality in Canada Flashcards
habitus
defined by French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu as the deeply seated schemas, habits, feelings, dispositions, and forms of know-how that people hold due to their specific social backgrounds, cultures, and life experiences
social inequality
used to describe the unequal distribution of valued resources, rewards, and positions in a society
social differentiation
does not necessarily imply a division of individuals into a hierarchy of rank, privilege, and power
social stratification
- refers to an institutionalized system of social inequality
- refers to situations in which the divisions and relationships of social inequality have solidified into a system that determines who get what, when, and why
- society-wide system that makes inequalities apparent
equality of opportunity
everyone has an equal chance at success
equality of condition
everyone in a society has a similar level of wealth, status, and power
factors that define stratification
differences in wealth, income, power, and status
wealth
the net value of money and assets a person has
income
a person’s wages, salary, or investment dividends
power
how many people a person must take orders from versus how many people a person can give orders to
status
the degree of honour or prestige one has in the eyes of others
status consistency
used to describe the consistency of an individual’s rank across the four factors
two types of systems of stratification
closed and open systems
closed systems
accommodate little change in social position
open systems
are based on achievement, allow movement and interaction between layers and classes
the caste system
close stratification system in which people can do little or nothing to change their social standing, people are born into their social standing and remain there their whole lives
ascribed status
a status one receives by virtue of being born into a category or group (hereditary position, race, gender)
achieved status
a status one receives through individual effort or merits (occupation, educational level, moral character)
endogamous marriage
means marriage between castes is forbidden
exogamous marriage
a union of people from different social categories
class system
based on both social factors and individual achievement, partially open system
class
consists of a set of people who have the same relationship to the means of production or productive property (the things used to produce the goods and services needed for survival)
bourgeoisie
the capitalist class who live from the proceeds of owning or controlling productive property
proletariat
working class who live from selling their labour to the capitalists for a wage
petite bourgeoisie
shopkeepers, farmers, and contractors who own some property employing a few works but still rely on their own labour to survive
lumpenproletariat
those who are chronically unemployed or irregularly employed who are in and out of the workforce
social inequality in a class system
it is structural, meaning that it is “built in” to the organization of the economy
standard of living
the level of wealth available to acquire the material necessities and comforts to maintain one’s lifestyle (based on factors such as income, employment, class, poverty rates, and affordability of housing)
absolute poverty
a severe deprivation of basic human needs, including food, safe drinking water, sanitation facilities, health, shelter, education and information (marginalized and socially excluded)
relative poverty
refers to the minimum amount of income or resources needed to be able to participate in the ordinary living patterns, customs, and activities of a society