ethnicity, stratificaton and inequality

Question 1

what are neo-weberian explanations for inequality?

Answer 1

1. class - ethnic minories are over represented in low pay, low skill, non-unionised work, as well as haviing a dispropportionate prescence amongst the unemployed, leading to a lower market position
2. status - racial discrimination is a form of status discrimination and ethnic minorities + women have less social power
3. party - ethnic minority groups tend to be more politically marginalised

Question 2

what evidence is there to support ethnic inequality in power and stratification?

Answer 2

Heath and Li comteporary study - 2014:

• ## 43% of white men and 45.6% of white women moved up to a higher socio-economic class than their father

Question 3

what are neo-weberian explanations for inequality? - [rex and tomlinson]

Answer 3

• studied commonwealth immigrants who had come to work in 1970s Britain in certain industries because of opportunities in the labour market
• ethnic minorities become trapped in the secondary labour market because of their lack of social and political power
• white working class people were more likely to be in more skilled jobs and white collar work
• the class, status and part position of ethnic minority group tends to be low, contributing to their low market position and place in the “underclass”
• individuals, therefore, are unable to escape this “underclass” mainly because of the way which employment policies, laws and labour markets have developed

Question 4

what are marxist explanations for inequality? [castles and kosack]

Answer 4

• they argued that ethnic minorities aren’t part of the underclass, but of the working class
• ethnic minorities are blamed for problems, such as unemployment and housing shortages caused by capitalism
• therefore, attention is diverted from the failings of capitalism
  and this keeps the working class divded and unable to recognise class consciousness

Question 5

what are marxist explanations for inequality?

Answer 5

1. legitimization - racism helps justify the low pay and poor working conditions of most ethnic groups
2. divide and rule
3. scapegoating

Question 6

what are explanations for inequality?

Answer 6

• [saunders] argues that society is meritocratic, therefore any inequality is down to the indiividuals’ own efforts and failure of culture

Question 7

what are postmodernist explanations for inequality?

Answer 7

• postmodernists argue that ethnicity is no longer a singular issue
• “hybrid identities” may be produced by globalisation, people’s awareness of other cultures through media and living in a diverse society
• choice a consumption patterns allow us to “choose” and “pick and mix” our identity
• olf forms of identity become less clear, so racism will therefore diminish as society becomes less homogenous

Question 8

what are explanations for inequality?