Social Class Inequality Flashcards
Define ‘stratification’.
The hierarchical layering of society into distinct groups with different levels of wealth and status.
What is Marxist’s definition of ‘social class’?
Our relationship to the means of production in which we are either the owner or the worker.
What is Weber’s definition of ‘social class’?
Our market position, status, and party.
List 2 social class scales.
1) Registrar General’s Classification
2) The Great British Class Survey (2013)
Give 2 strengths of the Registrar General’s Classification.
1) Easy to compare due to long-term use
2) Simple
Give 3 weaknesses of the Registrar General’s Classification.
1) No upper class due to assumption they don’t work
2) No underclass for people who are long-term unemployed
3) Occupations changed status overtime
Give 2 strengths of the The Great British Class Survey (2013).
1) More detailed classification
2) Not specific to occuptations
List 5 theories who explain the changes to social class systems.
1) Functionalism
2) New Right
3) Marxism
4) Weberianism
5) Postmodernism
Identify Functionalism’s explanation for changes in the social class system.
Parsons identified it as being due to different professions having different rewards, e.g. lawyers and nurses. There would therefore be more incentive for certain jobs with more functional jobs being in higher demand due to changing society, moving away from industrialisation.
Identify New Right’s explanation for changes in the social class system.
Murray (1980s) and Saunders (1990s) stated that the underclass was created due to people choosing not to work due to being too lazy and creating a dependency culture due to relying on the welfare state.
Identify Marxism’s explanation for changes in the social class system.
Marx predicted a polarisation between upper and lower class with the prediction of the gap widening. Braverman (1974) stated that technology replacing working class makes them deskilled and leaves them behind so they cannot progress.
Identify Weberianism’s explanation for changes in the social class system.
Emergence of middle class due to new jobs post-war with these jobs controlling knowledge and labour market to their advantage and so lower class jobs don’t demand higher rewards due to their inability to do the same.
Identify Postmodernism’s explanation for changes in the social class system.
Concept of social class is dead due to Bauman’s idea of ‘liquid modernity’ allowing for constant changes in society affecting the different choices we make with Baudrillard stating patterns of consumption identify our class instead of jobs.
Define ‘social mobility’.
The upward or downward movement/opportunities of movement between different social classes.
List 4 different types of mobility.
1) Intergenerational mobility
2) Intragenerational mobility
3) Absolute mobility
4) Relative mobility
Define ‘intergenerational mobility’.
The upward or downward movement between generations within workplace.
Give an example of ‘intergenerational mobility’.
A son’s upward mobility from working class (due to father’s factory job) to middle class.
Define ‘intragenerational mobility’.
The movement of an individual within the workplace.
Give an example of ‘intragenerational mobility’.
An individual wokring their way up as a teacher.
Define ‘absolute mobility’.
The overall number of people from specific origins ending up in different classes.
Define ‘relative mobility’.
The chance of someone being born in one class and ending up in a different one, through comparison with different generations to establish meritocracy.
Give a piece of evidence relating to social mobility.
Oxford Mobility Study (1972) - found that middle class children were 4x as likely to get middle class jobs as their working class counterparts.
List 5 theories about social mobility.
1) New Right - Intelligence Theory
2) Neo-Marxism - Myth of Meritocracy
3) Bourdeiu - Cultural Capital
4) Feminism
5) Ethnicity
Describe the New Right’s theory on social mobility.
They believe in absolute mobility with society being meritocratic in the notion that it is unequal but fair due to people achieving being rewarded. Murray (1984) introduced ‘intelligence theory’ in that it is a predictor of mobility instead of class with the reality of it giving people motivation to move up.