Chapter 5 - Social Inequality and Stratification in Canadian Society

Question 1

What is social inequality?

Answer 1

The unequal distribution of resources such as wealth, prestige, and power.

Question 2

What is social stratification?

Answer 2

Patterns of social inequality that group people based on ascribed traits like race, age, gender and income.

Question 3

What is a closed system? Give an example.

Answer 3

A closed stratification system is when there is little to no movement between social rankings. Someone located in a low social position will remain there their whole life. An example is the caste system in countries like India and Japan. Where people are born into classes and can’t choose who they marry, what jobs they perform, and what they can wear.

Question 4

What are Open systems?

Answer 4

Open systems describe societies where it is possible to move class. Stratification is mainly based on achieved status.

Question 5

What is occupational prestige?

Answer 5

The social value of an occupation, we value more occupations than others. Someone who is a brain surgeon would be in the high class bracket - therefore would have more social value.

Question 6

What is the low-income cut-off?

Answer 6

An annual family income value in dollars below which a family is considerably worse off than the “average” family due to the high proportion of income allocated to food, clothing, and shelter.

Question 7

What is Canada’s official poverty line based on? (Hint: MBM)

Answer 7

based on the Market Basket Measure of low income (MBM). The MBM refers to household poverty based on the money needed to purchase a “basket” of goods and services (e.g., nutritionous food, shelter, clothing and footwear, necessary personal items, and transportation) for a modest living over the course of a year (Heisz, 2019).

Question 8

What is the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child? (UNCRC). What does it call for all children to have?

Answer 8

First legally binding document that sets out the basic rights that children everywhere have:
- Right to survival
- To develop to the fullest
- to safety and protection from harmful influences, abuse and exploitation
- And to participate fully in family, cultural, and social life.

Question 9

Name four consequences on social inequality

Answer 9

Food Insecurity

• High cost of healthy food
• Lack of income to provide for family

Education

• Children in poverty are disadvantaged in school
• High costs of education

Health

• poorer health

Hardships

• Homelessness
• Violation of young people

Question 10

What is a social safety net?

Answer 10

Asocial safety netconsists of services and programs designed to lessen the financial burdens experienced by low-income groups.

Question 11

What is a social class?

Answer 11

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

Question 12

What is Social Mobility?

Answer 12

The movement within and between classes in open systems of stratification

Question 12

What are the six social classes?

Answer 12

• Capitalist class (holds most wealth
• Upper middle class (has some wealth)
• Middle Class (comfortable)
• Working Class
• Working poor
• Underclass

Question 13

What is socioeconomic status (SES)?

Answer 13

Refers to social standing based on a combined measure of education, income, and occupation. effects the level of social mobility someone has.

Question 14

What can affect social mobility?

Answer 14

• Education Attainment
• Ascribed traits (family upbringing)
• Changes in society’s division of labour (Technology)
• Demographic changes (labour shortage)
• Public Policies

Question 15

Why do functionalists think there are class groups?

Answer 15

Social inequality serves an important social function: instills a desire to fill certain social positions and instills the desire to complete duties and obligations,
- instills meritocracy or, advancement based on skill and talent
- the disadvantaged carry out many functions that benefit those who are not poor.

Question 16

What is Max Weber’s perspective on why social inequality exists?

Answer 16

That religion and the rise in capitalism both influenced each other by pushing the importance of economic success

Question 17

What is the elite theory?

Answer 17

explains power relationships in society as residing in a small group that holds positions of authority in economic and political structures. aka the small group that possessed wealth and power, which is called the “governing elite,” the “elite,” and/or the “ruling class.”

Question 18

What is Armstrong and Armstrond’s definition of the double ghetto mean?

Answer 18

Women have dual roles, to work outside and inside the home simultaneously.