Social inequality Flashcards
Feudalism
In the Middle Ages society was divided into different layers
King at the top, Lords, knights and peasants at the bottom
Slavery
Where individuals are owned by others
Caste system
Still found in India today
A Hindu based systems which has the untouchables at the bottom of society
Achieved status
Where your position is based on your efforts and achievement
Open societies
Social mobility is possible
All citizens have the same legal rights
There are no legal restrictions on marriage between members of different social classes
There are no official distinctions between social classes
Registrar general’s scale
A way of measuring social class which divides occupations between manual and non-manual
Issues with the registrar general scale
The very rich you do not work are not included how much people own is not included students and retired people are not included
The underclass
Those at the bottom of society you are not fully part of society
(Long-term unemployed, disabled and chronically ill)
Dependent on welfare payments,
criticised for causing crime and social problems
Social mobility
Movement up and down the class system
Intergenerational mobility
A child of working class parents become middle class
Intragenerational mobility
When movement occurs within one generation E.g a person who starts off within a working class occupation and gets promoted to middle class
Embourgeoisement
The idea of working classes have moved up in the social class system to become middle-class
Due to: educational qualifications, marrying someone of a higher status and gaining promotion
Proletarianisation
When The middle class have to do non-manual work which is becoming increasingly low-paid and having more in common with manual work
Absolute mobility
Total numbers of people moving up and down the social class hierarchy
Relative mobility
Looks at the life chances of one individual from one class being mobile being compared to an individual from another class being mobile
Sex
Biological differences between men and women
Gender
Cultural and social differences between men and women
Glass ceiling
Women finding it difficult to reach top positions in the workplace
Double/triple shift
Women still do most of the housework as well as working and looking after children
Gender quake
A shift in gender relations
Ladette culture
Young women behaving like men
Landowning aristocracy
Titles with Lord or Duke, upper class because of the land they own
Pop aristocracy
Those in media or sport who have acquired lots of wealth
Entrepreneurs
Those who have amassed fortunes through their businesses
Upper middle class
Professional occupations and managers
Lower middle class
Occupations such as office workers and telephone operators
Petty bourgeoisie
Owners of small businesses and self-employed within the middle class
Old working class
Traditional Labour supporters who depend on public services
New working class
More likely to vote Conservative and higher incomes and B house owners
Racism
The belief one racial group is naturally superior to another
Institutional racism
Racism carried out by an organisation
Examples of racial discrimination
Verbal abuse
name-calling
racial attacks
harassment
Minority ethnic group’s higher rates of unemployment
Minority ethnic groups more likely to be excluded from school and underachieving
Minority ethnic groups more likely to be in poor housing
Ageism
In the treatment of older people as different and inferior because of the age rather than any qualities and individual house
Can occur through unemployment and refusal of medical treatments
Groups likely to suffer from poverty
Lone parents and their children Woman ethnic minority asylum seekers Chronically ill disabled elderly dependent on benefits long-term unemployed
Absolute poverty
When someone does not have enough income to buy things needed to survive like food
Relative poverty
When someone is poor, cannot afford luxuries that others have but can afford food
Environmental poverty
When someone lives in an environment which cannot provide a quality of life such as being near Parks, good schools and the shops and services
Subjective poverty
When an individual feels deprived when comparing themselves with someone else
Immediate gratification
Living for the moment rather than preparing for later in life
Fatalism
Giving up and not doing anything to improve your situation
Cycle of deprivation
Shows how poverty can be passed on from one generation to another
Dependent on welfare
Relying on benefits rather than getting a job and improving the situation
Poverty trap
Were being poor means that many things are more expensive and therefore the poor are stuck in poverty
Beveridge report, defeat the the five Giants
1945
Want - introducing old age pensions and benefits
Disease - introducing NHS
Ignorance - providing free secondary education up to 16
Squalor - knocking down slums and building council houses
Idleness - trying to ensure there was full employment
Universal benefits
Benefits given to everyone
Means tested benefits
Benefits only given to those who need it
Informal voluntary care
Relatives and members of community
Formal voluntary sector
Charities and similar groups
Private sector
Businesses providing services that people have to pay
Stratification
The way different groups of people are places at differs levels of society, based on social class, gender, ethnicity, age and disability
Economic stratification
Some people have more money than others
E.g. People who own their own home rather than rent
Power stratification
The ability to get people to do something
E.g. People who can arrest others
social status stratification
In society we value some things people have
E.g. People like celebs
Why is there limited social mobility in Uk?
- culture
- internships
- self imposed barrier
- family and friends
Social exclusion
When poor people are socially excluded from the normal past times and pleasures the majority of population take for granted
e.g. Holidays, school trips
What are the Effects of poverty
- lack in meals
- jealousy
- breathing problems
- no dreams - negative
- low self esteem
Poverty trap
When the individual becomes trapped in poverty - when people have no incentive to get better paid jobs or work more hours
Structural cause of poverty
Society is to blame, not the individual
Functionalist view on poverty
Society is meritocratic
Marxist view on poverty
Rich get rich and poor get poorer
Culture of poverty
The idea poor people have no particular culture that keeps them in poverty
Fatalism
The attitude some people have where they don’t think they can do anything to help theirselves or to improve their situation
Immediate gratification
An attitude which believes you should enjoy life Now by spending rather than saving
Cycle of deprivation
Shows how the culture of poverty can be passed o from one generation to the next
