Soci 301-Lecture 1 Flashcards
power
-the ability to achieve your desired despite the possible resistance
What is the most basic form of power?
-coercion
coercion
-using physical or psychological force that is not legitimate
differential power
-the power a group has is determined by their ability to collect and manipulate power resources such as wealth and influence
Do the lines of power shift in Canadian families?
-yes, the family goal all along has been to train and prepare the children for leaving home when they become young adults
authority
-power people perceive as legitimate rather than coercive
influence
-getting people to do what you want without having to use force
charismatic authority
- power through extraordinary personal abilities
- power through a relationship
- strongest type of power but this power is not transferable; relationship must be in good standing for this to occur
traditional authority
-the power is based on the conventions of past
rational-legal authority
- power based on the right of leaders to exercise their legal power
- only a few societies have this; these societies must have law, justice, courts, policing.
bureaucratic authority
- power legitimated by legally enacted rules and regulations
stratification
-process arranged on a continuum
social stratification
-process and/or the result of a process, where people become differentiated from one another
When do social differences become social stratification?
-when people are ranked hierarchically
What are some of the more important criteria used to distinguish the various forms or levels in the social stratification system? (list 2 of 4)
-family connections; wealth; occupation; education
What are the two systems used to determine stratum membership?
-achievement; ascription
achievement
-stratification is on an individual effort or accomplishment
ascription
- position in the status hierarchy is inherited or assigned
- system changes your position (ie. age)
intra- and inter-stratum membership
-members of the same strata tend to have similar life-chances, similar life-styles, and a sense of communal identity
basic principle(s) of social stratification (4)
1) it is a characteristic of society and is not based on individual differences
2) it persists over generations
3) it is universal and variable
4) it involves beliefs
dominant
-exercising influence or control
dominant group
-the group that has the easiest access to the society’s rewards (ability to access to the good stuff)
What factors tend to be the most significant or important dimensions of inequality?
-dominance can be exerted along any or all of several dimensions of inequality but political, economic and cultural tend to be most significant
What does it mean to say there is a relativity element to dominant and minority status?
- whether a person is a member of the dominant or minority group is a function of the social setting operating at given time and place
- likely depends on context/importance of the situation”
social stratification
- the process and/or the result of a process, where people in a given society become differentiated from one another in terms of power, prestige, and privilege
Is Canada a stratified society?
-yes, the wealthy control most of the good stuff
money, enjoy better health, have access to better schooling, and consume a greater share of most goods and services
What are three factors for why we do not easily notice the stratification and instead see homogeneity in Canadian society?
-primary groups (we spend time with people like us); social context; mass media
What are the two key determinants of stratification in Canada?
-income; wealth
wealth
- money/resources accumulated
- the total amount of money and valuable goods that a person or family controls
When do social differences become social stratification?
-when people are ranked hierarchically
What are some of the ways that the various forms or levels in the social stratification system are distinguished from one another? (list 2 of 4)
- family connections; wealth; occupation; education
Are there consequences to the inequalities found in Canada?
-yes, they can be physical, mental, nutritional, etc.
Who are the poor in Canada?
-any individual or family that spends more than 70% of its income on the necessities of life (food, clothing, shelter)
Among what groups is poverty highly concentrated? (list 2 of 4)
-aboriginals, women, children, disabled, and recent immigrants
poverty
- the state of being extremely poor; the state of being inferior in quality or insufficient in amount
two types of poverty
-absolute and relative
absolute poverty
-a deprivation of resources that is life-threatening
relative poverty
-the deprivation of some people in relation to those who have more
social definition of poverty
-lack of essential items – such as food, clothing, water, and shelter .
What is the connection between wealth and income?
- wealth may generate income (e.g. investments)
- excess income becomes wealth
Is there a great deal of income inequality in Canada?
-yes, there is great income inequality
Is there a great deal of wealth inequality in Canada?
-yes, wealth is more unevenly distributed than income
Is there an agreed upon measure for poverty in Canada?
-no, there is no official government measure of poverty in Canada
low income cut-off measure
-50% of median income, adjusted for family size
basic needs poverty measure
-insufficient income to afford those necessities of life which varies according to where you live
Types of power
- charismatic
- relational-legal
- traditional
- bureaucratic
