Module 6 (Chapter 9): Social Inequality Flashcards
05/11-07/11
What is social inequality?
The existence of opportunities and rewards for different people in a society, structured and recurrent, resulting in unequal distributions of goods, wealth, and opportunities.
What are the two main ways to measure social inequality?
Inequality of opportunities and inequality of conditions.
What is inequality of opportunities? Provide an example.
The unequal distribution of life chances across individuals, such as differences in gender, race, age, or disability affecting work, education, and health.
What is inequality of conditions? Provide an example.
The unequal distribution of income, wealth, and material goods, such as differences in housing or generational wealth.
What is a meritocracy?
A system where jobs and incomes are allocated based on talent and achievement rather than social status.
What is social stratification? How does the concept of meritocracy relate to this?
The hierarchical arrangement of individuals in society based on wealth, power, and prestige. While Canada often aspires to be a meritocracy, social stratification can create barriers that prevent equal opportunity, challenging the notion of a purely meritocratic society.
Briefly describe four different systems of social stratification
Three systems of social stratification are caste, clan, and slavery.
Caste systems are rigid hierarchies determined at birth, with no social mobility.
Clan systems are based on kinship and shared status within a network of relatives.
Slavery involves the ownership and exploitation of individuals, a historical system that persists in forms like human trafficking.
Class is a system of social ranking based on economic position within the society, where social mobility is possible.
What characterizes the elite class in Canada?
Wealth, power, and prestige, participation in exclusive social networks, and significant influence over corporate power.
How is the middle class in Canada defined?
Neither rich nor poor, earning between $45,000 and $120,000 annually. It is argued to be shrinking over time.
What percentage of Canadians live in poverty?
10%.
What is hidden poverty?
Earning above the poverty line but being unable to afford necessities like adequate food, utility bills, or childcare.
What is classism?
Bias, prejudice, and discrimination based on social class, often tied to the “Canadian (or American) Dream.” It perpetuates social inequality by reinforcing negative stereotypes about people in lower socioeconomic classes, justifying unequal treatment and limiting opportunities for upward mobility.
What is victim-blaming in the context of poverty?
Attributing responsibility for negative situations to the individual rather than systemic causes like policies or economic systems. This perspective ignores the role of structural inequalities, discrimination, and limited opportunities that can make it difficult for individuals to escape poverty.
How does functionalism view social inequality?
As inevitable and desirable, serving necessary functions in society by rewarding positions that require more skill and education. It argues that inequality motivates individuals to work hard and fill important social roles, with higher rewards allocated to positions that require more skill or training. However, this perspective often overlooks the barriers and systemic disadvantages that prevent equal opportunity.
How does conflict theory explain social inequality?
As a result of powerful groups dominating less powerful ones, maintaining inequality through ideology and norms. Those in power control resources and maintain their advantage through systems that perpetuate inequality, such as economic exploitation, political disenfranchisement, and ideological manipulation.
