Chapter 2 Flashcards
Economic Inequality
the differences in income and wealth across individuals and groups
Social Class
the division in society based on education, income, and wealth
Socio-economic Status
the education and income of individuals
Social Stratification
the differences in access to wealth and power
- the stratification can also be based on factors such as gender, race, and ethnicity
Absolute Poverty
individuals lack the necessities for survival
- ie; lacking food, shelter, medicine
Ging Coefficient
- higher coefficient, less wealth distribution, more inequality, large gap between rich and poor
- vice-versa
Relative Poverty
individuals have the basics to survive but their living standards are far below that of most people in society
Poverty can:
- lead to feelings of stigmatization and disempowerment, a loss of connection to others
- those in poverty may conceal their situation due to shame or fear, further preventing them from receiving support
Feminization of Poverty
the greater risk of poverty experienced by women
- senior women and lone mothers are especially vulnerable
- laws and policies historically discriminated against women
Groups at higher risk of poverty in Canada
- LGBTQ+
- racialized groups
-indigenous peoples - individuals with diabiities
Intergenerational Reproduction of Social Class
children who grew up in poverty are more likely to experience poverty and vice-versa for those in wealthy families
The Culture of Poverty Thesis
low-income groups embrace cultural values that reinforce their own poverty and create intergenerational poverty
Limitation: The Culture of Poverty Thesis
it blames groups for their own poverty and neglects the role of historical factors and social structures in creating poverty
Marxist Theory
laid the foundations of this theory through his observation during early industrialization
- workers are exploited by capitalists who derive enormous profits at the expense of their health and well-being
Limitation: Marxist Theory
it neglects other resources that affluent families pass on to children
- bourdieu’s theory compliments this gap
Pierre Bourdieu’s Theory
identified non-financial skills and resources that families can provide to their children
- social capital and cultural capital
- by developing these capitals, children can become financially successful as adults
Social Capital
social networks and connections
Cultural Capital
exposure to high class culture
Intragenerational Social Mobility
change in social class that an individual experiences in their own lifetime
- can be upward or downward
What influences social mobility?
social structure
- it can provide or limit economic opportunities
- it varies by location and by time
ie; immigrants to Canada reveal the importance of social structure in social mobility
John Porter (1965)
wrote “The Vertical Mosaic”
- challenged Canada as a land of equal opportunities
- demonstrated how race and ethnicity shape income and occupational status
- showed how different racial and ethnic groups have relatively constant social hierarchy over time
- revealed the power of social structures in shaping socio-economic status
Global Inequality
the unequal distribution of power, wealth, and resources between countries
- rooted in the history of colonialism
- European colonial powers blocked the economic development of regions in the global south through historical exploitation of natural resources and slave labor, and currently through unfair trade practices
