Inequalities

Question 1

Explain Social Inequality and Class in relation to income

Answer 1

The richest 20% of society have 40% of the income while the poorest 20% only have 8% of the income.

Wilkinson and Pickett found that poverty brings socioeconomic disadvantages including debt and poor diet resulting into higher levels of illness, low educational achievement, poor housing and disability

Question 2

Explain Social Inequality and Class in relation to education

Answer 2

At all stages of education, WC students achieve less than their MC counterparts. WC are more likely to start school unable to read and to be put in lower sets. 24% of clever but poor girls underachieve at GCSE

Question 3

Explain Social Inequality and Class in relation to health

Answer 3

Wilkinson and Pickett found that WC people are more likely to die before retirement of diseases than MC people. In London there is a 25yr life expectancy gap between the rich and the poor

Question 4

Explain Social Inequality and Ethnicity in relation to employment

Answer 4

Research has found that African-Caribbean graduates are twice as likely to be unemployed than whites. African men with degrees are seven times more likely to be unemployed than whites.

Researchers from the National Centre for Social Research sent out 3000 job applications under false identities using the surnames Mahmood, Namagembe and Taylor and found that Taylor had to send off application 9times before receiving an email for an interview however Mahmood and Namagembe sent 16 before they received a positive response.

Question 5

Explain Social Inequality and Ethnicity in relation to education

Answer 5

Pakistani and black Caribbean young people still have lower GCSE levels that most ethnic groups. African-Caribbeans are 3x more likely to be permanently excluded from school than white pupils

Question 6

Social class inequality: relate to the elderly

Answer 6

Age intersects with structural
influences e.g CAGE experienced by both the elderly and young

Bradley suggests that age is the neglected dimension of inequality as now in industrial contemporary society the elderly lack to contribute meaningfully. This has two major effects : poverty and ageism

Question 7

Explain Social Inequality and Age

in relation to Poverty

Answer 7

ONS found that 16% of pensioners live in poverty. Due to fuel poverty, the elderly felt the need to lower their heating during winter to reduce their gas bills. This resulted into a number of deaths of the elderly exceeded to 40,000.

Question 8

Explain Social Inequality and Age

in relation to Ageism

Answer 8

Elderly may be subject to stereotyping and discrimination

Grengross suggests that age barriers have been set by the state meaning that the elderly are excluded from many civic duties such as jury service

Mass media representations of the elderly are also ageist. Old age is represented as a time of dependency

Question 9

Explain Social Inequality and Age

in relation to globalisation

Answer 9

It is argued that there is a digital generational gap as the elderly are arguably unable to adapt to new forms of DC. Therefore, they are disadvantaged in the sense of communicating online as well as emailing job prospectuses.

Question 10

Explain Social Inequality and Age

in relation to youth

Answer 10

Currently 3.5m children living in poverty within the UK

16yr old minimum wage is £4, whereas adults are £6.50

Question 11

How does Marxism explain ageism

Answer 11

McDonald and Marsh conducted a longitudinal study looking at young adults from England’s poorest neighbourhoods and found that they felt socially excluded from the affluent. Vast majority of them left school at 16 with few qualifications as they felt they lacked status and power in society

Question 12

How can we evaluate marxists, McDonald and Marsh’s explanation of ageism?

Answer 12

Young people form a reserve army of labour as they are easy to fire and hire.

Question 13

Describe the Functionalist explanation of the disengagement theory

Answer 13

The elderly actively remove themselves from their previous roles so the next generation can take over. They become isolated from their children who have now started their own families and therefore the elderly are on the sidelines as they don’t contribute to society.

However, Hunt refutes this and argues that not all elderly people disengage as some continue working and may pass on their skills through training

Question 14

Explain how patterns and trends in social inequality can be explained

Functionalism

Answer 14

Davis and Moore argue stratification and inequality is functional for society. The function of institutions e.g school allocate individuals into their occupational roles that suit their abilities. Roll allocation produces stratification inequality may occur as not everyone is equally talented.

Capitalist Society is meritocratic and rewards such as high income motivate talented people to spend long periods in education

Question 15

Explain how patterns and trends in social inequality can be explained

Functionalism part2

Answer 15

There’s a value consensus that an individual’s social class is a fair reflection of their talent and ability.

Question 16

How can we evaluate the functionalist explanation of how patterns and trends in social inequality can be explained

Answer 16

Exaggerate the degree of consensus about rewards and neglect dysfunctions of stratification such as poverty

Question 17

Explain how patterns and trends in social inequality can be explained by Marxists

Answer 17

Inequalities are rooted in the infrastructure because it is in the interests of capitalist class to keep wages low in order to increase profit. Means of production owned by bourgeoisie exploit the proletariat creating false Class consciousness

Question 18

Explain how patterns and trends in social inequality can be explained by neo-Marx

Answer 18

Workers experience a false Class consciousness. Bourdieu argues children of upper class and MC are ensured educational success as they have cultural capital as parents can provide private education. WC children mostly leave school at 16 and condemn to manual work

Question 19

Explain how patterns and trends in social inequality can be explained by Weber

Answer 19

Main cause of stratification is the status differences. Within broad social classes exist groups that differ. E.g skilled WC enjoy superior lifestyles to that of unskilled WC.

Question 20

Explain how patterns and trends in social inequality can be explained by feminism

Answer 20

Walby’s triple systems theory
Subordination: patriarchal institutions e.g family produce unequal relations between men and women via gender role socialisation

Oppression: women experience sexism because of men patriarchal ideologies

Exploitation: men exploit women’s skills and labour without rewarding them sufficiently e.g. within the home.

Question 21

How can we evaluate feminism using Catherine Hakims rational choice theory?

Answer 21

Argues feminist theories are inaccurate and misleading. Argues women are not victims of
Gender stratification as they make their own choices about their future, some women just believe childcare is just as important as employment. The domination of women in part time work is not due to gender role socialisation or patriarchal ideology, rather it is due their choice to be mothers.