Economic Inequalities

Question 1

Proletariat

Answer 1

Working Class: social group that exchange labour for wages and are at the mercy of bourgeoisie (capitalists)

Question 2

Bourgeoisie

Answer 2

Capitalists: social group that possesses capital -> owns the means of production and controls work conditions

Question 3

Class Consciousness

Answer 3

Sense of shared identity and common interests that stem from awareness of similar economic position, particularly relative to the economic position of others

Question 4

Class System

Answer 4

Hierarchical classification system that places individuals in relation to one another based on differences in their command of the means of production, work situations, and life chances

Question 5

Socioeconomic Status

Answer 5

Method of ranking people that combines measures of wealth, authority (or power), and prestige (reputation that commands honour and respect, often irrespective of income, authority, or class position)

Question 6

Social Stratification

Answer 6

A system of inequality that integrates class, status, and domination with other forms of differentiation, such as gender and ethnicity, to describe societal inequality

Question 7

Conspicuous Consumption

Answer 7

The purchasing of valuable goods for the purpose of expressing class belonging and status

Question 8

Cultural capital

Answer 8

A body of knowledge, ideas, tastes, and skills that helps people get ahead socially (often incl. learning about and participating in high culture)

Question 9

Exchange Mobility

Answer 9

Movement within an occupational hierarchy that can only occur when an existing position becomes vacant

Question 10

Structural Mobility

Answer 10

Movement within an occupational hierarchy that can occur as a result of structural growth through the creation of new jobs or positions, and that is commonly associated with organizational or economic growth

Question 11

Secondary/Marginal Labour Market

Answer 11

Sectors in the economy that offer low-paying jobs characterized by fewer opportunities for advancement and insecurity

Question 12

Primary Labour Market

Answer 12

Industries that provide jobs with high wages, good opportunities for advancement, and job security

Question 13

Intergenerational Mobility

Answer 13

The movement of people into positions that are higher/lower than their parents’ positions

Question 14

Intragenerational (Career) Mobility

Answer 14

Social mobility into positions that are higher/lower within a person’s lifespan

Question 15

Downward Mobility

Answer 15

Vertical social mobility into lower-regarded and paid occupational positions

Question 16

Underemployment

Answer 16

Employment in a job that requires far less expertise, skill, or ability than the job-holder has to offer

Question 17

Absolute Poverty

Answer 17

Not having enough income to meet basic survival needs

Question 18

Relative poverty

Answer 18

Having enough for basic survival needs, but living well below the general standard of living in a community/social group/society

Question 19

Low Income Cut-off (LICO)

Answer 19

The method used to measure low income in Canada that identifies income thresholds below which a family will likely spend a larger proportion of its income on necessities than the average family

Question 20

Market Basket Measure (MBM)

Answer 20

The method used to measure low income in Canada that calculates how much income a household requires to meet its needs, including basic needs and the needs to satisfy community norms

Question 21

Low Income measure (LIM)

Answer 21

The method used to measure low income in Canada that calculates the low income threshold of a household as one-half of the median income of a household of the same size in a community of a similar size

Question 22

Gini Coefficient

Answer 22

A measure of the inequality in the distribution of income among households within a country (0 = perfect equality; 1 = perfect inequality)

Question 23

Stigma

Answer 23

Disgrace and marginalization because of life circumstances or characteristics of a person, preventing that person from full social acceptance

Question 24

Poverty Line

Answer 24

An agreed upon income at which a standard of living considered “acceptable” should be affordable. What is considered acceptable is not static, but varies considerably within/across societies and across time

Question 25

Hidden homeless

Answer 25

People without homes who stay with friends/family temporarily rather than in shelters or public spaces

Question 26

Social Determinants of Health (SDOM)

Answer 26

The social factors that affect a person’s health and well-being (e.g. income, education, etc.)

Question 27

Social exclusion

Answer 27

The inability to participate in commonly accepted activities in a given society

Question 28

Safety Net

Answer 28

The public and private services provided to individuals with low incomes or no incomes to prevent them from falling into poverty

Question 29

Biomedical Model of Health

Answer 29

An approach to health that considers only physiological and genetic factors as relevant to a person’s well-being

Question 30

Behavioural Model of health

Answer 30

An approach to health that considers the lifestyle choices of the individual as the only factors relevant to a person’s well-being

Question 31

Biopsychosocial model of health

Answer 31

An approach of health that recognizes how a variety of emotional, mental, and physical aspects associated with a person’s life contribute to their overall well-being

Question 32

Social Assistance

Answer 32

A program that provides money to the lowest earning and some vulnerable groups in society to enable them to meet their basic needs