Social Stratification

Question 1

What are the three basic emotional reactions to social class according to Nancy Davis?

Answer 1

1) Resistance, resistance to the system. “The rich should not be allowed to be this rich, as the poor should not be allowed to be this poor.
2) Paralysis, unmoving. “There isn’t much we can do.”
3) Rage

Question 2

What is the difference between income and wealth?

Answer 2

Income refers to the economic gain attained by wages, salaries and income transfers from the government. Income is actually money, and in a way, it is quantitative.
Wealth refers to accumulated assets of goods such as buildings, land, farms, houses, factories, etc. Wealth refers to your ownership of goods, and in a way, could be considered qualitative.

Question 3

How does Stats Canada measure incomes?

Answer 3

Using the median income, as the mean would appear lower. The median allows us to see the average without the extremes affecting the statistics.

Question 4

Define net worth.

Answer 4

Net worth is the difference between an individual’s debt and assets.

Question 5

What did Christopher Sarlo state about poverty?

Answer 5

Sarlo argues that we in Canada confuse poverty with a lack of access to middle-class amenities. Sarlo states that real poverty is “stomach-stretching”.

Question 6

What are the two types of poverty?

Answer 6

Absolute poverty, refers to an inability to attain the basic necessities of life. It is measured by the basic needs measure.
Relative poverty, refers to an inability to secure an average standard of living. It is impoverish compared to others. It is measured by LICO.

Question 7

What are the consequences of relative poverty?

Answer 7

Delayed vocabulary development, poor health and hygiene, poor nutrition, absenteeism and low scholastic achievement, behavioral and mental problems (crime/deviance), low housing standards, and a greater likelihood of being poor in adulthood.

Question 8

Which social groups are more likely to face poverty?

Answer 8

People who are: Single parents, under the age of 25, females, visible minorities, and people who has minor disabilities.

Question 9

What are the two types of stratification?

Answer 9

Open, allows for change in social class standings.
Close, does not really allow for change in social class standings.

Question 10

Define Meritocracy.

Answer 10

A system that awards us. It is the idea that you are at your social class standing because it is what you truly deserve.

Question 11

What are the two types of status?

Answer 11

Ascribed, the status you are born with and stays relatively the same throughout your life. Examples include skin colour, your sex, ‘race’, etc.
Achieved, the status you have control over to change. Examples include your education, and your citizenship,

Question 12

What did Davis and Moore state about society?

Answer 12

Davis and Moore where structural functionalists. They stated that:

1) Society was held together by consensus.
2) Inequality is functional for society.
3) Eliminating inequality would be harmful to society.
4) Inequality will continue because it is functional and necessary.

Davis and Moore believed we lived in a meritocracy.

Question 13

What is intrinsic and extrinsic?

Answer 13

Intrinsic refers to the internal benefits/factors, such as how a job makes you feel.
Extrinsic refers to the external benefits/factors, such as how much money you make from the job.

Question 14

What did Karl Marx state about social stratification?

Answer 14

Marx claimed that social class standing was related to the means of production, and that society can be divided into the proletariat and the bourgeoisie.

Question 15

What is the Law of Accumulation?

Answer 15

Marx stated that wealth would become more and more concentrated into less and less hands (the bourgeoisie), and that all capitalist societies were doomed for alienation until the wealth is so unbalanced that the system collapses.

Question 16

What are the two ways capitalism leads to alienation?

Answer 16

1) The proletariat are alienated from the very wealth they themselves create.
2) Social alienation, as capitalism creates an unhealthy competition, that causes individuals to be pitted against one another in an unhealthy manner.

Question 17

What is the difference between the social stratification diagrams of Marx versus that of Wright?

Answer 17

Marx’s diagram consisted of the bourgeoisie on top, with the proletariat on the bottom. Wright’s diagram consisted of the capitalist class (controls the means of production) on top, following with the managerial class (controls the labour of others), the small-business class a.k.a. the petite bourgeoisie (purchased the labour of others), and finally the working class (sale on one’s labour).

Question 18

Explain surplus value.

Answer 18

Surplus value refers to the amount appropriated by the bourgeoisie. It is profit.

Question 19

What did Weber say about social stratification?

Answer 19

Weber claimed that one factor could not explain social stratification, as it is a multi-dimensional aspect of society. Weber argued that we must also look at class, status and party. Weber argued that bureaucracy will dominate forever.

Question 20

What are the four types of feminism?

Answer 20

1) Liberal feminism, original feminism; suffragettes. Laws were changed so women could be one the same playing field as men. Women should be able to vote, run for office, and own property just like men.
2) Socialist feminism, women deserve to be economically and culturally equal as men
3) Radical feminism, fuck men, we hate men, all women are oppressed, kill the fucking patriarchy.
4) Postmodern feminism, fuck gender roles and norms.

Question 21

Explain deference.

Answer 21

An idea of symbolic interactionism put out by Goffman, that states that we behave based on our social class. For instance, we tend to show respect to people with enormous wealth.

Question 22

Relative to other OECD countries, where does Canada’s level of equality stand?

Answer 22

Somewhere in the middle.