Social Class in Canada

Question 1

Income

Answer 1

Earnings from work/investments are unequal; Poorest 20% receive 1/4 of what they should; Richest 20% earn 2x their fair share

Question 2

Wealth

Answer 2

The total value of all assets minus debts is distributed even more unequally; Richest 20% has maybe 4x more.

Question 3

Power

Answer 3

Income and wealth are important sources of power

Question 4

Occupational Prestige

Answer 4

White-collar jobs generally offer more income and prestige than blue-collar jobs; lower-prestige jobs often performed by women, visible minorities, recent immigrants

Question 5

Ancestry

Answer 5

Affects a person’s opportunities for schooling, occupation and income

Question 6

Race and Ethnicity

Answer 6

European ancestry enjoy high social standing based on income and wealth; Aboriginal/visible minority families are disadvantaged

Question 7

Gender

Answer 7

Women have less income, wealth, and occupational prestige

Question 8

Social Classes in Canada

Answer 8

Low status consistency, and high social mobility

Question 9

Upper Class

Answer 9

5%. Upper-upper class (high society) inherited their wealth; lower-upper class (working rich) work at high-paying jobs

Question 10

Middle Class

Answer 10

40-45%. Upper-middle class have significant wealth and almost all attend university; average middles have lest prestige, do white-collar work, and are likely to be high school graduates.

Question 11

Working Class

Answer 11

30-35%. Lower-middle class do blue-collar work; children are less likely to attend university.

Question 12

Lower Class

Answer 12

20%. Lack financial security due to low income; many live below poverty line; some complete high school but university/college attendance is rare

Question 13

Health

Answer 13

Rich people live longer and receive better health care

Question 14

Values and Attitudes

Answer 14

Affluent people display greater tolerance, tend to be more conservative on economic and more liberal on social issues, and are more likely to vote

Question 15

Family and Gender

Answer 15

Affluent families pass on advantages (cultural capital) to children; shapes division of family responsibilities (lower class maintain traditional gender roles)

Question 16

Social Mobility

Answer 16

Common in Canada, but typically only small changes occur between generations; Aboriginal people/visible minorities/women have had less opportunity for upward mobility; average families are struggling to hold onto what they have; marriage encourages upward social mobility; Upward mobility for educated people, but hurt average workers.

Question 17

Intragenerational Social Mobility

Answer 17

A change in social position occurring during a person’s lifetime

Question 18

Intergenerational Social Mobility

Answer 18

Upward or downward social mobility of children in relation to their parents

Question 19

Poverty Profile

Answer 19

12.9% classified as poor; Children under 18 are overrepresented; Aboriginal/visible minorities are more likely to be poor

Question 20

Feminization of Poverty

Answer 20

Poor families are more headed by women; trend of women making up an increasing proportion of the poor

Question 21

Working Poor

Answer 21

Work part-time or full-time but do not earn enough to life a family of 4 above the poverty line

Question 22

Blame Individuals

Answer 22

The culture of poverty thesis states that poverty is caused by shortcomings in poor themselves (Oscar Lewis)

Question 23

Blame Society

Answer 23

Poverty is caused by society’s unequal distribution of wealth and lack of good jobs (William Julius Wilson)

Question 24

Absolute Poverty

Answer 24

A lack of resources that is life-threatening

Question 25

Relative Poverty

Answer 25

The lack of resources of some people in relation to those who have more