Inequality Concepts

Question 1

social Darwinism (Durkheim)

Answer 1

survival of the fittest, those who have natural ability survive in society.

Question 2

social cohesion (Durkheim)

Answer 2

inequality in society is necessary for it to function to create social cohesion and encourage hard work.

Question 3

meritocracy (parsons)

Answer 3

(ladder of opportunity, social mobility, achieved status) the harder you work in society the better you will do.

Question 4

role allocation (davis&moore)

Answer 4

roles are given in society according to effort and ability (achieved status)

Question 5

laissez faire economics (Friedman & Bauer)

Answer 5

letting the economy operate without intervention and under free market principals, letting people fend for themselves.

Question 6

Trickle down economics (Friedman & Bauer)

Answer 6

when those at the top have more they spend more.

Question 7

cycle of deprivation (Murray)

Answer 7

when people are born into poverty they are doomed to repeat the cycle

Question 8

welfare dependency of the unskilled (Saunders)

Answer 8

those who have no useful skills become reliant on welfare and do nothing of worth to contribute to society

Question 9

Economic base (Marx)

Answer 9

Inequality is maintained in society by controlling the superstructure which maintains the economic base.

Question 10

Alienation of workers (Althusser)

Answer 10

Workers become alienated from they work they do because they don’t care about the work they do, (fire and rehire)

Question 11

Existential inequality (Goran Therborn)

Answer 11

restricting freedoms of the working class covertly (Voter id in the UK)

Question 12

Ruling class ideology (Althusser)