Postmodern Explanations Of Social Inequalities

Question 1

Social class inequalities no longer exist as class is no longer relevant

Answer 1

-Pakulski and Waters
-class inequalities have lost much of their relevance in contemporary society due to the decline of traditional class based social structures and the emergence of postmodernity
-consumer culture has overtaken class has people now express themselves through consumption choices and lifestyles rather than economic roles
-the clear class divisions have given way to more complex and fluid occupational and social structures leaving the traditional working and middle class fragmented and lacking clear boundaries or shared identities

Question 2

Gender inequalities are less relevant as boundaries once placed on men and women are no longer in place

Answer 2

-Butler
-gender inequalities are no longer relevant
-he challenges the notion of gender as a fixed category arguing that is it performative (created through repeated behaviour and societal norms)
-individuals have more freedom to shape their own lives making traditional stricter like gender less restrictive

Question 3

Ethnic inequalities no longer exist as there is no one unified experience of ethnic inequality to challenge due to ethnicity becoming more diverse

Answer 3

-Vertovec
-ethnicity has become more diverse and fragmented making it difficult to define a single, unified experience of ethnic inequality
-super diversity: ethnic groups are not homogeneous as their experiences are increasingly shaped by a variety of factors like migration, social class and individual identity
-ethnic inequality is becoming less relevant because ethnic inequalities are no longer clearly defined.
-as they become diverse, this is no longer a single, overreaching struggle for equality that can unite all people of the same ethnic background
-the focus should shift to understanding the varied, intersecting factors that shape people’s experiences of identity and discrimination

Question 4

Age inequalities no longer exist as the boundaries between age groups have become blurred so specific age groups are harder to distinguish

Answer 4

-Featherstone and Hepworth
Featherstone
-age no longer determines how people experience the work or their social roles as rigidly as it once did
-longer life expectancy, more flexible careers = people are no longer confined to age-specific roles
-people can adopt different identities at different stages of life
Hepworth
-traditional concepts are increasingly outdated
-postmodern society = people have more freedom to define themselves outside of age-based expectations.
-older individuals are not automatically marginalised or seen as passive and youth are not seen as more desirable.
-age inequalities/identities = less relevant