Chapter 6 - Class & Status Inequality Flashcards
What play an important role in shaping our every day experiences?
Class and status inequalities
What are economic power relations complicated by?
Other social factors such as gender, age, race
What are intersectionalities?
Complex intersections and interactions between economic another inequalities
What stresses the lowering of groups of people, according to the relative privilege, into social classes?
Social stratification
What is social research about?
We seek the data facts, and then try to find explanations to tell us why something is happening
What are the basic principles of stratification?
1) A trait of society, not just individual differences
2) passed from generation to generation
3) throughout the world, only the amount and types of inequality varies from place to place
4) involves inequality and beliefs of fairness
What is a system of stratification based on merit or one’s achievement as opposed to one’s a scribe status?
Meritocracy
What stratification system allows grader mobility in terms of social status?
Open stratification
What is social stratification system based on ascription?
Caste system
Explain the difference between endogamy and exogamy
Endogamy - marriage in one’s class exogamy - marriage outside one’s class
How did Karl Marx influence the conflict theory approach to social stratification?
Marks star capitalism’s distinguishing feature as the division of society into two classes based on their relationship to the means of production. The bourgeoisie were owners of the means of production, the proletariat were workers who have to sell their labour and the unemployed are a reserve army ready to be called into work if needed
What was Marx’s work criticized for failing to recognize with social stratification in the conflict theory?
A system of an equal rewards may be necessary to motivate people to perform their social rules effectively
What did Mark’s believe the proletariat class would develop in his social conflict and social stratification series?
Class consciousness, and awareness of their shared interests and ability to act on those interests
What would lead to class conflict and a socialist revolution?
Class consciousness or a collective awareness
Why is western capitalism failed to experience a Marxist type of revolution?
Many payoffs at different levels, higher standard of living for workers, benefits of workers’ unions, more extensive legal protections, and lower income inequality
What is the Davis-Moore thesis on social stratification?
Social stratification is a universal pattern because it has beneficial consequences for the operation of a society. The greater the importance or talent required of a position the more rewards a society attaches to it. Members of society generally agree that the reward system is fair
What does the Davis-Moore thesis say about why we still have poverty?
Social injustice, personal laziness
Why is Canada still stratified?
Basis of market income and wealth
What percentage of peoples control about 40% of Canada’s wealth?
5% of families
What class system are we divided into in Canada although we have open social mobility?
Upper class (5%), middle class (40-45%), working class (33%), lower class (20%)
What is symbolic interactionist’s Theory on social stratification?
How people interpret and represent in a quality, especially through use of status symbols
Who noted how the leisure class of his time engaged in conspicuous consumption, using goods to mark social status?
Veblen
What is the feminization of poverty?
Women are at greater risk of poverty due to gender segregation in labour force, role in providing unpaid labour in the household
What is the single mother poverty rate for Canada?
Second highest rate of single mother poverty in the developed world at 51.6%
Who lives below the poverty line?
15% of all women, 24% of all older woman, 49% of all older and unattached women, and 65% of all lone, parent mothers
What are reasons that women are disadvantaged economically?
Gender wage inequalities, distribution of unpaid work in the household, gender segregation of the workplace, lack of childcare
Who wrote about the coordinated power of elites in the US, inspired by sociological studies of elites in Canada?
C. Wright Mills
Who believed that corporate power in Canada concentrated in the hands of a few, mostly Anglophone nails?
Porter
Who said that elites are more diverse as a group, linked through private schools, family, organizations?
Clement
Who noticed that elites are bound by mechanism such as think tanks, board memberships, form of self-conscious, integrated force?
Brownlee
Who stated the release form social ties and networks that integrate them as a group and with Canadian society?
Carroll
What did you C. Wright Mills believe the elites were doing?
Creating their own subculture
What is a term used to describe situations in which people like many of the opportunities available to the average citizen?
Poverty
What are three measures of poverty that statistics Canada uses, based on income?
1) Low income cut off
2) market based measure
3) low income measure, after tax
What is the deprivation or inadequacy in relation to or is compared to the average living standard of other persons who have more?
Relative poverty
What is the deprivation or lack of basic necessities of life resources that is life-threatening?
Absolute poverty
Who is more vulnerable to poverty than others?
Women, unattached individuals, indigenous people, new immigrants, visible minorities, disabled people, the working poor
Wire indigenous people at greater risk of poverty?
Experience lower incomes, higher rate of unemployment, high rates of food insecurity
Why are new immigrants more susceptible to poverty?
Greater risk of low income, unemployment, lower wages even with higher levels of education
Why are people living with a disability a greater risk of poverty?
Experience lower rates of employment, high rates of reliance on government transfer payments
Who are the working poor?
Individuals age 18 to 64 who are employed but earn less than the LIM-AT
What is the widespread cultural beliefs about poverty?
Everyone has the same chance of obtaining material success, if you work hard you should be able to prosper. This belief is based in classism-bias, prejudice, discrimination
Who found that classism results in blaming the victim-view that holds individuals are entirely responsible for not achieving success
Ryan
What is Lewis’s culture of poverty thesis?
The poor are subculture was different value systems that limit ability to improve situation
Who argued that poverty and inequality is related to wealth distribution rather than individual achievements, characteristics?
Katz
What structural variables is poverty influenced by?
Economic recession, rising cost of living, barriers to opportunities for education and training, digital divide
What spurred new legislation to protect people from harsh consequences of poverty?
The great depression
What policy started to dismantle much of the welfare state?
Neo liberal policies
What does social policy goals focus on in the role of the government in alleviating poverty today?
Redistribution of resources
What is the gap between the poor and the rich?
Economic polarization
