Chapter Seven Flashcards
Stratification
The hierarchical organization of a society into groups with differing levels of power, social prestige, or status and economical resources
Conflict Theory
The idea that conflict between competing interests is the basic, animating force of social change, and society in general
Bourgeois
The capitalist class
Proletariat
The working class
Structural Functionalism
A theory in which societies many parts - institutions, norms, traditions and so on - mesh to produce a stable working whole that evolved over time (Talcott Parsons)
Dialectic
A two directional relationship, following a pattern in which an original statement or thesis is countered with an antithesis, leading to a conclusion that unites the strengths of the original position and the counterarguments
Progressive Tax
A tax rate that increases as taxable income increases
Status Hierarchy System
A system of stratification based on social prestige
Socioeconomic Status
An individual’s position in a stratified social order
Social Prestige
measure of various characteristics of an individual that is more highly valued in society
Intersectionality
The idea that our social identities, such as race, gender, class, sexuality, and more, intersect to create unique and complex experiences of privilege and oppression
Standards of Equality
In a Canadian context, the standards of equality are equality of opportunity, equality of condition, and equality of outcome
How is Canada stratified today?
Wealth inequality and poverty rates
- Gender
- Geographical Location
- Ethnicity
Social Reproduction
the process by which existing social inequalities, such as class, race, and gender, are passed from one generation to the next
Social Mobility
The movement between different positions within a system of social stratification in any given society
Horizontal Mobility
social mobility means a group or individual transitioning from one social status to another situated more or less on the same rung of the ladder
Vertical Mobility
social mobility refers to the rise or fall of an individual (or group) from one social stratum to another
Affirmative Action
refers to policies and practices aimed at addressing historical and ongoing discrimination by providing preferential treatment or opportunities to individuals from underrepresented or marginalized groups
Meritocracy
A society where status and mobility are based on individual attributes, ability, and achievement
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Private property = main source of inequality
Ferguson & Millar
Property = motivation for hard work & societal efficiency
Thomas Malthus
Equal resource distribution = unsustainable population & conflicts
Georg W.F. Hegel (dialectic)
Introduced master-slave dialectic, and predicted eventual social evolution towards greater equality
Karl Marx
- Emphasis on historical materialism
- Class struggle: key driver of social change
- Inequality due to exploitation within capitalism
- Stratification is based solely on class
- There are only two politically important classes: the bourgeoisie and the proletariat
Durkheim
Society’s components collaborate for stability, and inequality assigns capable individuals to essential roles
Bourdieu
Education, family background, and social networks
Equality of Opportunity
The idea that everyone has an equal chance to achieve wealth, social prestige, and power because the rules of the game , so to speak, are the same for everyone
Equality of Condition
The idea that everyone should have an equal starting point
Equality of Outcome
The idea that each player must end up with the same amount regardless of the fairness of the “game”
Estate System
A politically based system of stratification characterized by limited social mobility
Caste System
A religion-based system of stratification characterized by no social mobility
Class System
An economically based hierarchical system characterized by cohesive oppositional groups and somewhat loose social mobility
Status Hierarchy System
A system of stratification based on social prestige
Structural Mobility
Mobility that is inevitable from changes in the economy
Exchange Mobility
Mobility resulting from the swapping of jobs
