Social Differentiation and Stratification

Question 1

Theory of the class system

Answer 1

-Society is split into layers of social class.
-Upper class is at the top, below is the middle class and the working class.
-Society can have an open or closed system.
-An open system allows social mobility to happen, whereas in a closed system this cannot happen.
-Social mobility is where people can move up and down the class system.

Question 2

FUNCTIONALIST Views on Stratification

Answer 2

Theory for NEED FOR POVERTY; society needs poverty as a form of motivation - nobody wants to end up in poverty, so this inspires people to do well in life. Upper class receive rewards that everybody wants.

Theory of ROLE ALLOCATION; Davis and Moore presented the idea that stratification does an important job for society as it matches people to the correct jobs. Role allocation fits people in jobs that match their ability and provide the correct rewards.
Davis and Moore states that without rewards, society would not work as it should as rewards encourage people.

CONSENSUS THEORY; functionalists believe that the inequality in society is fair because society is based on consensus.

Question 3

NEW RIGHT view on Stratification

Answer 3

-Peter Saunders said society would struggle without stratification. Saunders said that the best way to organise society is by having unequal rewards.

Question 4

MARXIST View on Stratification

Answer 4

CAPITALISM & EXPLOITATION; Karl Marx suggested that modern societies are lead by capitalism and that because of this wea re divided into 2 groups; the bourgeoisie and the proletariat.
The proletariat consist of the working class that are ruled by the bourgeoisie who employ the proletariats and exploit them by paying little money in relation to the work they do. Because of exploitation, Marx believed that society is doomed to failure. ( Conflict will inevitably take place )

Question 5

WEBER’S View on Stratification

Answer 5

IDENTITY; Weber believed that social class makes up a part of a person’s identity.

MARKET POSITION; Weber states that class is more than an occupation, but it’s also about your market position; how much money you are able to earn.

STATUS; Some positions in society are seen as more important than others.

SOCIAL POWER; Power was important to social class - people with more power are more likely to have a better influence on decisions e.g, political parties.

Question 6

FEMINIST Views on Stratification

Answer 6

PATRIARCHY & SOCIAL CLASS; social class is based on the occupation of the head of the household (men).

DISCRIMINATION IN PATRIARCHY; Different social norms and values for women and men. Women are socialised differently to men throughout the family, peers and media. Feminists argue that women are generally lower down the stratification system and they carry less power, wealth and status in comparison to men.

Question 7

What is SOCIAL DIFFERENTIATION?

Answer 7

Differences between social groups and people which are based on appearance, gender, lifestyle and culture.

Question 8

Theory of IDENTITY & LIFE CHANCES

Answer 8

-Social exclusion or isolation; ethnic minorities are typically excluded from society.
-Black-afro Caribbeans are less likely to achieve good qualifications
-Prejudice and discrimination.
HOWEVER, Equality Act of 2010 + hate crime can be reported.

Question 9

Theory of POWER in Social Life

Answer 9

-Sanctions can be used to prevent unwanted actions from happening again. These can be both positive and negative.

INFORMAL & FORMAL SANCTIONS; Family, schools and workplaces are agents of social control and most of the time, they use informal sources of power to control their members.
HOWEVER, when informal sources of power fail, society can apply formal sanctions to its members. Schools and workplaces have formal sanctions they can exercise when members do not respond to informal sources of power. (Courts, judiciary, police)

Question 10

FUNCTIONALIST View of Power In Social Life

Answer 10

-Functionalists see all of the sources of power as helping to make society work and be in unity. They help to ensure rules are followed and to control people in society who break the rules that are set.

Question 11

What is AUTHORITY?

Answer 11

Having the POWER or RIGHT to give orders or make decisions for society and its members - there are different levels of authority that can be linked to social difference.

Question 12

Theory of WEBER and TRADITIONAL AUTHORITY

Answer 12

Traditional Authority is based on a long-established custom. E.g, British Royal Family.

Question 13

WEBER’S Theory on CHARISMATIC and RATIONAL-LEGAL AUTHORITY

Answer 13

CHARISMATIC; owe a lot of their authority to the power of their personalities. Leaders with charismatic authority tend to gain high levels of popularity.

RATIONAL-LEGAL; most common in modernity. Leaders are followed because they have been elected due to a system. Leaders are usually qualified and capable of being a leader.

Question 14

THEORY of the IMPORTANCE of CLASS

Answer 14

New Right sociologist, Peter Saunders says that we live in a classless society.
However, Marxists disagree with this - they argue that social class still affects people’s chances of success in life.

Question 15

Life Chances and Social Class

Answer 15

Working class children are less likely to have good life chances in relation to those from higher social classes. There is an education success gap between the classes.

Question 16

MARXIST Theory of the Equality Gap

Answer 16

Differences in work are likely to affect the earnings of working class families. Marxists argue that the inequality gap between the classes is becoming greater.

Question 17

THE NEW RIGHT and Inequality

Answer 17

New Right sociologists dont see the rise in inequality as a problem - they believe everybody benefits by increases in wealth.
The bourgeoisie create jobs for the proletariat - they deserve the success as they contribute to society.
For w/c people to move up in society they have to work their way up the system.

Question 18

BOURDIEU’S Theory of Cultural Capital

Answer 18

Children from higher social classes are more likely to live a more comfortable lifestyle - parental encouragement and parents that have connections etc.
Parents have been to university likely, know how to apply etc - higher social classes are more likely to have cultural capital.

Question 19

MARXIST Theory of The Old Boys’ Club

Answer 19

Marxists believe there is an ‘Old Boys’ Network’ in the UK. This is a network of connections that some families have - helps to attend private schools etc.
The network is male-dominated and people treat each more favourably than they do from people outside of the club.

Question 20

THE NEW RIGHT and the Middle Classes

Answer 20

Peter Saunders argues that the inequality in life chances is not about unfairness - he states that middle class children work harder and have more ability and so they are more successful and this is inherited from their parents.
New Right sociologists blame working class attitudes to life due to inequality.

Question 21

Theory of FEMINISM and Media Representation

Answer 21

Feminists challenge media representation of women; women are presented in a certain way in the media.
Media exemplifies the stereotypes of men and women that can be harmful.

Question 22

THEORY of GENDER affecting LIFE-CHANCES

Answer 22

Feminists argue there is still a problem with how women are presented in the media. This is because it causes prejudice.

HOWEVER, gender pay gap was sorted out by the Equal Pay Act of 1970 + Equality Act of 2010, yet there is still discrimination against women in the workplace.

Question 23

What do radical feminists say about patriarchy?

Answer 23

Radical feminists are more extreme and believe that men will not surrender power easily - they say men exploit women in many ways, especially in the family. Men can be intimidating and violent to get their point across.

Question 24

What does SYLVIA WALBY say about the PATRIARCHY?

Answer 24

Men dominate paid work and women are paid less - they dominate the home, but divorce has made this so that women can break free.

Walby says women are controlled by DOUBLE STANDARDS.

Nevertheless, Walby believes that things have improved and that the patriarchy could change further.

Question 25

Theory of CRSIS OF MASCULINITY

Answer 25

Western men are facing the crisis of masculinity - traditional masculine jobs are disappearing. Women are less dependent on men - men are under pressure to be more manly.

Question 26

Theory of CHANGES IN THE UK

Answer 26

Marxists argue that ideas are age based on the needs of capitalism e.g, elderly people may be seen as a burden, especially in the media as they are too old to contribute and so they are exonerated.
In the eyes of capitalism, old people aren’t important.

Question 27

MARXIST Theory of Race and Ethnicity

Answer 27

Marxists argue that employers like immigration because they are able to exploit the migrants for lower wages which boosts the ruling class’s profits.

Question 28

FUNCTIONALIST Theory of Race and Ethnicity

Answer 28

Functionalists see immigration as healthy for society. It provides workers alongside new ideas and has an impact on culture (music, art, food and clothing).
Too much immigration however maybe dysfunctional in society.

Question 29

Moral Panics

Answer 29

Stuart Hall showed that the media created a moral panic about muffing - when it appeared in the media it was strongly linking to black people.
Hall (marxist) believed that it was to draw attention away from the other problems that the government was having at the time.

Question 30

MARXIST View on Ethnicity affecting Life-Chances

Answer 30

Ethnic minorities are usually blamed for problems that are actually the problems of the economy.
Immigrants are blamed for unemployment because they are ‘stealing the jobs’.
Ethnic minorities are made scapegoats for the problems of capitalism.

Question 31

The Medical Model of Disability

Answer 31

Disability is a bad thing; a problem that the disabled person has to cope with. The medical profession might try to fix this problem.

Question 32

The Social Model of Disability

Answer 32

The person’s disability does not affect people, it is the barriers of society that the person faces.
In this view, it is society that needs to change and make adjustments to support disabled people.

Society ignores the needs of the person.

Question 33

MARXIST Views on the Treatment of Disabled People

Answer 33

Marxists argue that they are treated the way they are because they don’t contribute to the needs of capitalism.
They DO NOT create enough wealth.

HOWEVER, Disability Discrimination Act of 1996 and the Equality Act of 2010.

Question 34

What may disabled people face due to discrimination?

Answer 34

Disabled people may also face social exclusion and marginalisation. (lack of access to things, to be included in activities that other people take for granted.)

Question 35

THE NEW RIGHT View on Attitudes to sexuality

Answer 35

Sociologists in the New Right believe that modern attitudes towards homosexuality and transgender show that society has moved away from traditional values.
They point to religion becoming a considerably less important part of people’s lives.
The New Right only agree with conventional nuclear families.

Question 36

MARXIST View on POVERTY 1

Answer 36

Marxists argue that the government aren’t concerned about the health of the workers themselves instead they are worried about maintaining a high level of power or wealth.

Question 37

What is the difference between ABSOLUTE and RELATIVE poverty?

Answer 37

ABSOLUTE: doesn’t have basic needs met (food, clean water, warmth). These should be a person’s humans rights. The UK government have a ‘poverty line’ and they provide benefits to support those who fall beneath it.

RELATIVE; People who can’t afford things such as a television, mobile phone etc are considered to be living in relative poverty.

Question 38

What is DEPRIVATION?

Answer 38

The word ‘deprivation’ means to go without things that are expected for people living in society.

Question 39

What is MATERIAL DEPRIVATION?

Answer 39

Being without luxuries (phones, games etc) are examples of material deprivation. Some of those can affect a persons life chances.

Question 40

What is CULTURAL DEPRIVATION?

Answer 40

Absence of experiences or support needed to become a successful adult/child.

Question 41

FUNCTIONALIST View on Deprivation

Answer 41

Functionalists see cultural deprivation as a result of dysfunctional families, w/c families. As well as failing to socialise their children. Their children lack the experiences, communication skills and intelligence to be successful.
This is only some w/c families, but explains some poverty.

Question 42

What is the CYCLE OF DEPRIVATION?

Answer 42

People become trapped in the cycle of deprivation which they cannot escape. Cultural and material deprivation mean that children find it difficult to gain the education to improve their life chances.

Question 43

MARXIST View on Poverty 2

Answer 43

Marxists say that the low wages paid to the w/c indicates that the ruling class is exploiting the poor. Rich people continue to get richer as they are paying their workers such low wages.

Question 44

FEMINIST View on Poverty

Answer 44

Feminists argue that women living in poverty is due to patriarchy. Men dominate society and get the best jobs even though women outperform men in education - in society, men are favoured:

Question 45

FUNCTIONALIST View on Social Exclusion

Answer 45

Functionalists believe that groups in society should get on together and feel part of a community.
HOWEVER, due to social exclusion this cannot happen.
Functionalists would want institutions to work better and increase social inclusion.

Question 46

What is the CULTURE OF POVERTY?

Answer 46

People living in poverty tend to form their own subcultures to share similar values.
This way of life for poor people has been described as the culture of poverty.

Question 47

NEW RIGHT View of the Underclass

Answer 47

Charles Murray argues that the underclass is a problem for society. Murray blames the culture of the underclass, but also states that the government benefits have created a culture of dependency.
As people from the underclass are able to live on benefits, they don’t have to improve their lives and find paid work.

Question 48

MARXISTS View of the Underclass

Answer 48

Marxists disagree with Murray - they say poverty happens because of capitalism and that capitalism creates winners and losers.
Only a small portion of people are very wealthy and a bigger majority are living in poverty.

Marxists say that the only reason to rid poverty is by changing the system of capitalism.

Question 49

MARXIST Theory of GLOBALISATION

Answer 49

Marxists argue that globalisation needs a labour force able to move from one low-paid job to the next with few employment rights.
These workers work for low pay and tend to live in areas of towns and cities where there are few other job opportunities and less successful schools.

This means that people remain in the cycle of poverty.