Social Stratification Slides

Question 1

reactions to social class

Answer 1

according to Nancy Davis of DePauw University, there are three basic emotional reactions - resistance, paralysis, and rage

Question 2

income

Answer 2

refers to the economic gain attained by wages, salaries, and income transfers from the government

Question 3

wealth

Answer 3

accumulation assets of goods such as buildings, land, farms, houses, factories, etc

Question 4

a person’s net worth

Answer 4

difference between all debts and assets

Question 5

wealth inequality (2015)

Answer 5

the top 20% of Canadians own 67% of all wealth
the bottom owned nothing

Question 6

child poverty (2016)

Answer 6

roughly 1.2 million children living in poverty, the majority First Nations (50%) and 15% of all other children are considered impoverished

Question 7

child poverty - First Nations

Answer 7

approximately 50% of all First Nations children (60% on reserves)

Question 8

child poverty (2016)

Answer 8

roughly 1.2 million children living in poverty, the majority of First Nations (50%) and 15% of all other children are considered impoverished

Question 9

Christopher Sarlo

Answer 9

economist at Nipissing University
- says that true poverty is “stomach stretching poverty”
- says that we confuse poverty with lacking access to middle-class amenities
- truly impoverished do not have things such as coffee, ketchup, jam, television, or DVD players
- he believes that we exaggerate the level of poverty in Canada

Question 10

absolute poverty

Answer 10

inability to attain the basic necessities of life (basic needs measure)

Question 11

relative poverty

Answer 11

inability to secure an average standard of living (low income cut off point)

Question 12

consequences of relative poverty

Answer 12

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

*single parent females under the age of 25 are highly impoverished

Question 13

what social groups are at risk?

Answer 13

family structure is the most important poverty cause
age: 18-25
sex: females
race & ethnicity: visible minorities

Question 14

social stratification

Answer 14

the system of social class you live in, may be an open or close system

Question 15

meritocracy

Answer 15

the idea that hard work can improve social class

Question 16

status

Answer 16

ascribed (the one you’re born with) and achieved (the one you achieve by hard work)

Question 17

Davis & Moore

Answer 17

1. Society is held together by consensus; not based upon conflict
2. Inequality is functional for society
3. Eliminating inequality would be harmful
4. Inequality will continue because it is fun
   - Believe we live in a meritocracy

Question 18

Erik Ohin Wright (conflict theory)

Answer 18

There are more than two classes in contemporary capitalist societies based upon:
1. Control of the means of production (capitalist class)
2. Control of the labour of others (managerial class)
3. Purchase of the labour of others (small business class)
4. Sale of one’s labour (working class)

Question 19

Karl Marx (conflict theory)

Answer 19

2 societal groups: “haves” and “have-nots”
- the social relationships to the means of production refer to people’s position in society (ex. proletariat & bourgeoisie)
- not high, middle, or low class, but 1% & the rest
- the proletariats are exploited and experience alienation
- the “law of accumulation” suggests that as the bourgeoisie obtain more wealth, the proletariat will eventually have no money to purchase products and the system will collapse

Question 20

Max Weber (conflict theory)

Answer 20

1. one factor cannot explain social stratification
2. we should take a multidimensional approach to social stratification
3. society will be increasingly controlled by bureaucrats
4. inequality will continue

Question 21

liberal feminism

Answer 21

equal rights under the law

Question 22

radical feminism

Answer 22

status of women

Question 23

socialist feminism

Answer 23

dual system theory - capitalism and patriarchy work together

Question 24

postmodern feminism

Answer 24

gender is socially constructed