LU 4: Social Inequality

Question 1

What is social inequality?

Answer 1

• Refers to the unequal distribution of resources, opportunities, & privileges among individuals or groups within a society.
• It occurs when some people or groups have more advantages, such as wealth, education, access to healthcare, & political power, while others have fewer opportunities and face disadvantages.

Question 2

What forms can social inequalities manifest itself?

Answer 2

• economic
• education
• disparities in healthcare
• housing
• employment opportunities

Question 3

What do social inequalities lead to?

Answer 3

Social stratification, where individuals or groups are categorized into different social classes or ranks based on their access to resources & opportunities.

Question 4

What are the 4 stratification systems?

Answer 4

1. Slavery
2. Caste systems
3. Estate systems
4. Class

Question 5

Describe slavery as a social stratification?

Answer 5

Status of master and slavery ascribed by race.

Question 6

Describe the caste system as a social stratification system?

Answer 6

• A hierarchy of ascribed social statuses.
• Social mobility near impossible.

Question 7

Describe estate system as a social stratification system?

Answer 7

It involved royalty and the exchange of land to nobles for loyalty and military service.

Question 8

Describe class as a social stratification system:

Answer 8

Social classes are a way of categorizing & understanding the hierarchical structure of society based on the distribution of resources & opportunities.

Question 9

Describe social inequality under apartheid:

Answer 9

Apartheid was a system of industrialized racial segregation and discrimination that was enforced in SA from 1948 to the early 1990s.
It was a deeply entrenched system of social inequality that systematically oppressed and marginalized non- white racial groups, primarily black SA’s, coloured’s & Indians.

Question 10

Describe a egalitarian society:

Answer 10

A society in which all members are equal.

Question 11

What are the 3 indicators of inequality?

Answer 11

1. Power
2. Prestige
3. Wealth.

Question 12

What was said about inequality & social stratification before 1994?

Answer 12

Read through page 298 and 299 and develop an understanding of the 3 sociological insights captured.

Question 13

What is Karl Marx’s perspective on class inequality?

Answer 13

• In industrialized societies is foundational to the theory of Marxism.
• Marx analyzed the dynamics of class struggle & social inequality within the context of industrial capitalism.

Question 14

Describe Weber’s perspectives on class inequality:

Answer 14

• Weber’s approach to understanding social stratification, known as the Weberian perspective, complemented & expanded upon Marx’s ideas.

Question 15

What are the 6 aspects of Karl Marx’s perspective:

Answer 15

1. Class structure
2. Exploitation
3. Alienation
4. Historical materialism
5. Class struggle
6. Transition to communism.

Question 16

Describe class structure in the context of Marx:

Answer 16

Marx believed that society was divided into 2 primary classes:
1. The bourgeoisie (capitalist class)- owned means of production such as factories & businesses.
2. The proletariat (working class)- laborers who sold their labour to the bourgeoisie in exchange for wages.

Question 17

Describe exploitation in the context of Marx:

Answer 17

• Marx argued that the capitalist system was inherently exploitative.
• He believed that capitalists profited by paying workers less than the value of the goods & services they produced.
• This surplus value, extracted from the labour of workers, constituted the source of capitalist profit.

Question 18

Describe alienation in the context of Marx:

Answer 18

• Workers in industrialized societies became disconnected from the products of the labour and the process of production.
• He saw this as a dehumanizing aspect of capitalism —> powerlessness and alienation among workers.

Question 19

Describe historical materialism in the context of Marx:

Answer 19

• Suggests that the economic base of society (mode of production) shapes its social & political superstructure.
• He argued that changes in the mode of production would drive historical development, including class struggles and revolutions.

Question 20

Describe class struggle in the context of Marx:

Answer 20

• He believed that class struggle was inevitable under capitalism.
• He saw it as a neutral response to the exploitation & inequality inherent in the system.
• He predicted that the proletariat would eventually rise against the bourgeoisie in a proletarian Revolution, leading to the establishment of a classless society.

Question 21

Describe transition to communism in the context of Marx:

Answer 21

• He envisioned communism as the ultimate goal of this evolutionary process.
• In a communist society, there would be no private ownership of the means of production, and wealth would be collectively owned and distributed based on need, not profit.
• This would eliminate class distinctions and social inequality.

Question 22

What are the 8 aspects of the Weberian perspective of social inequality:

Answer 22

1. Multiple dimensions of stratification
2. Class
3. Status
4. Power
5. Life chances
6. Intersectionality
7. Class mobility
8. Critique of determinism

Question 23

Describe the multiple dimensions of stratification in the context of Weber:

Answer 23

Weber argued that social stratification wasn’t solely determined by economic factors, as Marx emphasized, but also by multiple dimensions, including class, status, and power. These 3 dimensions were interrelated but distinct.

Question 24

Describe class in the context of Weber:

Answer 24

• Weber defined class primarily in terms of an individual’s economic position, including their ownership of property & control over means of production.
• Unlike Marx’s binary division of bourgeoisie & proletariat, Weber recognized a more complex class structure within multiple class groups based on various economic interests & positions.

Question 25

Describe status in the context of Weber:

Answer 25

• Weber introduced the concept of status groups, which are based on social prestige, honour and lifestyle.
• Status groups can be linked to occupations, educational backgrounds, or cultural attributes.
• Status often influences a persons social standing & opportunities in society.

Question 26

Describe power in the context of Weber:

Answer 26

• Weber also emphasized the importance of power as a dimension of social stratification.
• Power also refers to an individual’s ability to influence decisions, shape outcomes, & exert control over others.
• It’s not solely tied to economic wealth but can be derived from various sources including political, bureaucratic, and social influence.

Question 27

Describe life chances in the context of Weber:

Answer 27

Highlighted that individuals social position in terms of class, status and power would be significantly impact their life opportunities, including access ti education, healthcare & overall quality of life.

Question 28

Describe intersectionality in the context of Weber:

Answer 28

• Webers perspective recognized that individuals can occupy different positions within each dimension of stratification simultaneously.
• This concept of intersectionality acknowledges the complexity of social identities and how they intersect to create unique experiences of inequality.

Question 29

Describe class mobility in the context of Weber:

Answer 29

While Weber recognized the persistence of class- based inequality, he also noted that individuals could experience mobility between class positions through factors like education, career success & social connections.

Question 30

Describe the critique of determinism in the context of Weber:

Answer 30

• Unlike Marx, Weber didn’t belief in historical determinism, where a revolution would inevitably lead to communism.
• He viewed social change as influenced by multiple factors, including economic, cultural & political forces.

Question 31

Describe social inequality in SA today:

Answer 31

• employment equities policies have contributed to a changed race profile in the hierarchy of professions.
• with regards to the 3 back groups (black, colored, Indian), a small elite group has emerged causing a shift away from racially skewed distribution of income to a class- based one.
• ANC closely aligned with an emergent black capitalist class & committed themselves to a BEE policy aimed at acquiring black ownership & control of productive property through privatization of state assets & selling shares in historic white companies to black investors at discounted rates.

Question 32

What is the impact of the “black middle class?”

Answer 32

• It has however created a larger divide of the black poorer classes with the exception of the “poorest of the poor” who have benefited from social grants.
• Policies favour the black economic elite to fast track their wealth which places their interests above those of the black majority.
• The black elite has steadily risen into ranks of directorships however, upward mobility still needs to be facilitated- AFFIRMATIVE ACTION MEASURES: EMPLOYMENT EQUITY ACT (EEA).