Social Stratification Flashcards
Define income
Economic gain attained by wages, salaries, and income transfers (ex. gov’t benefits)
Define wealth
Accumulated assets of goods, such as buildings, lands, farms, etc.
What is net worth?
The difference between an individual’s debts and assets
What is poverty according to Christopher Sarlo?
“Stomach stretching poverty”, without middle-class amenities (TV, coffee, etc.), believes we exaggerate the level of poverty, and that the state should be a limited resource
Define absolute poverty
An inability to attain basic necessities of life (food, clothing, shelter)
Define relative poverty
Inability to secure and average standard of living
What does the Basic Needs Measures measure?
It is an indicator of absolute poverty, can be sensitive to cost of living
What does LICO stand for and measure?
Low Income Cut Off Point and relative poverty (extra: which determines poverty cannot be eliminated)
What are the 7 consequences of relative poverty?
Delayed vocal development, poor health and hygiene, poor nutrition, absenteeism and low scholastic achievement, behaviour and mental problems, low housing standards, and a greater likelihood of being poor in adulthood
Which groups are most at risk of poverty?
Single parents, those 25 years old or younger, seniors, women, people of colour, and disabled people
Explain Milgram’s experiment
Occurred in 1960s, attempted to explain why German’s allowed Nazi control; a teacher (the patient) “electrocutes” a student (part of experiment) under the watch of the experimenter (authority figure), resulted in most people going to “fatal” shock due to pressure from authority
What is the “Genovice effect”?
A woman was murdered outside an apartment building, 38 witnesses, but not one did anything; “diffused responsibility”
Explain the Standford experiment
Occurred in 1971; group of boys was split into prisoners and guards, the latter of which was given free-reign to control the prisoners, quickly lost control of experiment as guards became vindictive
Explain Abu Ghraib
The dehumanization of prisoners (specifically Iraqis), guards were informed to get confessions with vague instructions, “soften them up”, guards were threatened (told they were responsible) to encourage them
Compare open systems to closed systems
In an open system, an individual is able to change their class, this is not possible in a closed system
Define ascribed status
A status that an individual is born with and which rarely changes (ex. sex, skin colour)
Define achieved status
A status that can change due to an individual’s control over it
Explain the 4 aspects of structural functionalism
(extra: Davis and Moore)
1) Society is help together by consensus, not based on conflict, 2) inequality is functional, 3) eliminating inequality would be harmful, and 4) inequality will continue because it’s functional and necessary
What are some critiques of Davis and Moore’s approach?
Unclear if “inequality” is that of opportunity or outcome, possible lack of applicability to modern society (“bootstrap approach”)
What is Marx’s conflict theory approach to poverty?
Belief in 2 groups, “haves” and “have-nots”, person’s relation to means of production dictate their social position, proletariat is exploited and alienated, bourgeoisie takes labourers’ surplus value
Define “law of accumulation”
(Part of conflict theory) In which the bourgeoisie obtaining more wealth and the proletariat losing money results in societal collapse
What is Erik Ohlin Wright’s conflict theory approach to poverty?
Believed in more than 2 groups: 1) control of means of production (bourgeoisie/capitalist), 2) control labour of others (managerial), 3) purchase labour of others (small business), and 4) sale of one’s labour (proletariat/working)
Wright’s theory developed due to what critique?
Marx did not consider economic growth; petite bourgeoisie (small businesses) and limpen proletariat (“mega poor”)
What is Weber’s conflict theory approach to poverty?
More factors dictate stratification, analyzed multiple dimensions (class, status, political party, etc.), and the idea that bureaucrats will increasingly control society
Explain liberal feminism
“1st wave” in 1900s, focused on rights to own property, right to vote, run for office, and alcholism
Explain radical feminism
“2nd wave” in 1960s, focused on women-based institutions or whole society to reconstruct its equality
Explain socialist feminism
“2nd wave”, focused on making women equal in reality, ties to dual system theory
Explain postmodern feminism
“3rd wave” in modern times, focused on idea that gender is made-up, analysis of forces that constitute being a woman
Explain symbiotic interactionism as it pertains to poverty
Focuses on micro-level concerns, analysis of experience of being impoverished
