M2 Class and Occupation

Question 1

Even though social classes have evolved, what do they still matter for?

Answer 1

• structuring economic life chances

- shaping political/social/economic values

Question 2

What is the death of class?

Answer 2

-research suggests class has less of an impact on politics now a days

Question 3

How is the death of class seen?

Answer 3

• levels of class voting have declined
• most people see themselves as middle class today regardless of reality
• politics is less about class

Question 4

Why do some argue the death of class is occurring?

Answer 4

• it is not less important rather a result of

- the apathy of elites with respect to class issues

Question 5

Who argues that class no longer matters?

Answer 5

• post-modern
• postindustrial
• postmaterialists

Question 6

What do post-industrialists say about the death of class?

Answer 6

• class interests have been replaced by other oppressive structures
• race, gender etc

Question 7

What do post-modernists say about the death of class?

Answer 7

• there are no longer relevant structural cleavages

- social movements have replaced class

Question 8

What do Pakulski and Waters say about the death of class?

Answer 8

-class is no longer a meaningful thing

Question 9

Why do Pakulski and Waters believe this about the death of class?

Answer 9

1. The economy is too complicated for clear class divisions
2. More differences within classes than between them
3. No clear class interests
4. No basis for solidarity

Question 10

What 3 important conditions resulted in a traditional class structure according to Marx?

Answer 10

1. Changes in production process
2. Power in numbers (many workers)
3. Organization

Question 11

What are some critiques of functional theory of stratification?

Answer 11

• why there are wide differences between top-paid and bottom-paid workers that are still growing
• why some people get high salaries regardless of the practical benefit for society

Question 12

What is the vertical mosaic?

Answer 12

-some ability for people to cross class lines from education or hard work that puts them in contact with those who inherited wealth and power

Question 13

What are opportunity structures?

Answer 13

-they’re more open for individuals to move classes

Question 14

What are the two competing perspectives of class identification?

Answer 14

• class is dead and is no longer an important predictor of politics and attitude
• class continues to matter for a wide variety of attitudes and behaviours

Question 15

Does class matter according to our Prof?

Answer 15

• yes

- people hold sensible class identities based on their income and occupation

Question 16

What else matters besides class according to our prof?

Answer 16

-economic and political context

Question 17

The effect of income on class identities depends on what?

Answer 17

• level of income inequality

- as people on both ends of the income distribution are more likely to report class identities that match their income

Question 18

What does economic inequality do?

Answer 18

-drives class awareness

Question 19

What relationship is gendered?

Answer 19

-income and class