Inequality and Society Flashcards
Gilbert’s Class Ladder Model
- Upper upper class - 0.05% investments/ inheritence
- Lower upper class - 0.05% Executive/ tv personalities
- Upper Middle- 14%- proffesionals
- Lower Middle- 30% white colar
- Working Class- 30% factory, clerical, retail
- Working Poor- 20% laborers, service industry
- Under Class - 5% temporary, seasonal, parttimers
How does the structure of a society relate to its poverty?
Some people will have more power than others in every society.
Gains in economy go to top of social ladder, rich get richer
Working class lacks autonomy
Differences for those in upper and lower classes
Besides the obvious, money, they types of jobs and schooling in each class. The available resources: health care, good schools, child care, nutrition, time spent with caregivers, stress, job security, ect.
Structural factors related to stratification in modern economy
Univeral health care
Minimum wage
Citizens United
Trends in Inequality
1930’s New Deal Era- social programs, highly taxed
1945-1970’s Post WWII Boom
Labor unions, civil rights, family income grew, middle class expanded, closing gap between rich and poor
Post 1973
inequality increased deamatically, most gains to top 20%. esp. top 1%
Two earners in families
Stratification
hierarchical layering
“full range of inequality, inequalities arising from economic markets as well as between groups and those rooted in, or reienforced by social and political institutions as well as global, social, and economic trends (pg. 5).”
Variation in Stratification
Economic- wealth or income
Political
Social- gender, race, religion, ethenticity, status & prestige
Stratification system
How different types of inequality are linked.
Adam Smith
Economist
Supply and demand
if Supply = Demand, then = Happiness
equilibrium
invisible hand moves the market just like the wishes of all the good little boys and girls moves santa to deliver presents on christmas eve
but santa isn’t real
and niether is that hand
and no one is happy
Income
The money that you bring in.
money from jobs, investments illegal undergrond economy, government benefits, rental income
Wealth
the net value of your assets
ex. property, houses, ect.
wealth gives oppertunity, safety, connections, and influence
Importance of income and wealth to social inequality
With wealth you can build capital
Capital = ASSets - liability
With capital, you can do shit, like get loans so you can start a buisiness
Also wealth gives you oppertunity, safety, connections, and influence
Social mobility
Ones ability to move out of your social class.
Welfare state: U.S. v other countries
american needs to up there game. they kinda suck.
How do political policy issues affect stratification?
Citizens united
the rich make the policies so they get richer increasing inequality
