Chapter 5; Social Inequality

Question 1

social inequality

Answer 1

An unequal distribution of wealth

Question 2

what is social stratification and what is it based on?

Answer 2

socially sanction patterns/classes of social inequality in society based on distinguishable attributes such as race, age, gender, income, or occupation

Question 3

closed systems of stratification

Answer 3

little or no movement between social rankings, ex. slavery

Question 4

what is the caste system and what does it result in?

Answer 4

a closed system of stratification; hierarchical, based solely on inherited social standings. Result in social reproduction, ex. caste system in India

Question 5

social reproduction

Answer 5

the tendency of people to remain in their social classes of origin and to reproduce the experience of their parents

Question 6

endogamy

Answer 6

marriage occurs within castes

Question 7

open systems of stratification

Answer 7

possibility of moving from one level to another

Question 8

class system

Answer 8

open system of stratification, dominant system, based on achieved and ascribed economic measures such as annual income or possession of resources

Question 9

social class

Answer 9

a group whose membership is based on economic measures such as annual income

Question 10

social mobility

Answer 10

movement within or between social classes in a stratification system

Question 11

vertical mobility

Answer 11

movement up or down the social ladder

Question 12

horizontal mobility

Answer 12

changes in social positions within the same level of class

Question 13

intragenerational mobility

Answer 13

changes in social class that occur within a person’s lifetime

Question 14

socioeconomic status (SES)

Answer 14

social standing based on a combined measure of education, income, and occupation

Question 15

intergenerational mobility

Answer 15

changes in the social classes of children relative to their parents

Question 16

financial wealth

Answer 16

corresponds to economic assets derived from income, real estate, savings, investments, ect.

Question 17

median after-tax yearly income

Answer 17

55,500

Question 18

how to measure financial wealth

Answer 18

by lining up all of the after-tax incomes for Canadian economic families/individuals and partitioning them into 10 equal groups each containing 10% of the population (deciles), so we can see how income denotes class structure

Question 19

ultra rich

Answer 19

> 1% of income earners, millions

Question 20

high class

Answer 20

10% of society, 100,000+ annual salary

Question 21

middle class

Answer 21

20% of society 44,400-82,400 annual salary

Question 22

lower middle class

Answer 22

10% of the population

Question 23

shrinking middle class

Answer 23

the growing income equality, due to structural changes in the labour market

Question 24

lower class

Answer 24

bottom 30% of the population, >39,300 annual salary, working poor, little to no social mobility

Question 25

cost of living

Answer 25

a measure of the average price for essential goods and services in a given area, including transportation

Question 26

food insecurity

Answer 26

the inability to acquire or consume an adequate diet quality or sufficient quantity of food in socially acceptable ways, or the uncertainty that one will be able to do so, 57% of households in Nunavut experience food insecurity

Question 27

net worth

Answer 27

total assets calculated by subtracting all existing debts from assets

Question 28

Canada’s official poverty line

Answer 28

the amount of money needed to purchase a market basket of goods and services to meet basic needs and allow for a modest standard of living in a community over a year, 37, 542/year for a family of 4, based off MBM

Question 29

official poverty line for 1 person

Answer 29

16,436-20,389

Question 30

MBM - market based measure

Answer 30

an absolute measure of poverty

Question 31

low - income cutoff

Answer 31

an annual family income value in dollars below which a family is worse off than average due to the high proportion of income allocated to food, clothing, and shelter; LICO families spend about 63% of their income on necessities

Question 32

what do poverty measures also look at?

Answer 32

unmet housing needs (12.7% of population), unmet health needs (11.2% of the population), and food insecurity (8.3% of the population)

Question 33

relative low income

Answer 33

measure based on incomes that are less than half the median after-tax income adjusted for family size (1 in 10)

Question 34

average poverty gap

Answer 34

measure based on an income that is 75% or more below the poverty line (5% of the population)

Question 35

Groups at high risk of poverty

Answer 35

single unattached people aged 45-64
lone-parent families
recent immigrants
Indigenous peoples
persons with disabilities

Question 36

feminization of poverty

Answer 36

females experience a higher-than-average risk of poverty

Question 37

stats for kids that live in low income families

Answer 37

18.6% of all kids
53% of Indigenous kids living on reserves
35% of kids of recent immigrants

Question 38

Negative consequences of social inequality/ being impoverished

Answer 38

do worse in school
must forgo certain healthcare practices
are vulnerable to predatory lending
go hungry/malnourished
higher risk of obesity, heart disease, and stroke
vulnerable to homelessness

Question 39

homelessness

Answer 39

a state in which a person in unable to secure stable, safe, and permanent housing

Question 40

ranges of homelessness

Answer 40

1. unsheltered: living on the streets
2. emergency sheltered: staying in a homeless shelter
3. provisionally accommodated: accommodation is temporary
4. at risk of homelessness: people whose current economic/housing situation doesn’t meet public health standards

Question 41

What are the 2 main factors that contribute to homelessness

Answer 41

inadequate income and lack of affordable housing

Question 42

social safety net

Answer 42

services and programs designed to lessen the financial burdens experienced by low-income groups; take the form of supplemental financial supports ex. income benefits for seniors and child tax benefits) and employment benefits (ex. EI to cover periods of unemployment)

Question 43

the problem with social safety nets

Answer 43

they cost money that isn’t in the budget so they must be funded through cutbacks, increased taxes, or deficit expenditures

Question 44

The functionalist perspective on stratification

Answer 44

stratification is beneficial because it leads to meritocracy. Social stratification is functional because it motivates people to achieve higher education and develop their skills. It also ensures the most capable people end up occupying the most important positions in society.

Question 45

Meritocracy

Answer 45

a condition of advancement based on worth derived from experience, skills, and education.

Question 46

The conflict perspective on stratification

Answer 46

stratification is a byproduct of capitalism
Marx- private ownership of property and surplus create alienation
Weber-the spirit of capitalism emerged from Protestantism
Elite theory- power resides in a small group of authority in economic and political structures
Porter- predominance of the corporate elite

Question 47

An intermediate view

Answer 47

stratification produces surplus value and societal rewards are distributed according to both societal needs (functionalist view) and power (conflict view)