Inequality and Achievements

Question 1

• Distinguish between wealth and income
• Explain four areas that affect children’s life chances
• Describe the cultural and structural perspectives on the reproduction of the class structure
  o Culture of poverty
  o Compare and contract consequences of tracking amongst different ability groups
   What teacher say are their goals for students in high and low tracks
   What students report they learn in high and low tracks
• Describe symbolic interactionist perspectives on reproduction of inequality and achievement

Answer 1

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Question 2

Describe functionalist perspective on social stratification

Answer 2

Functionalist perspective / ideology

• social inequality necessary so people will be motivated to fill functionally important positions
• does not explain the disparity between rich and poor

Question 3

Describe conflict perspective on social stratification.

Answer 3

Conflict perspective

• Human beings prone to conflict over scarce resources such as wealth, status and power
• Stratification is major source of societal tension
• Leads to instability and social change

Question 4

What is the difference between absolute poverty and relative poverty?

Answer 4

Absolute Poverty
- minimum level of subsistence that no family should live below

Relative Poverty
- floating standard by which people at the bottom of a society are judged as being disadvantaged in comparison to the nation as a whole