Unit 1 - Studying Social Inequality Flashcards
Define and provide examples of these terms: social inequality social structure system of stratification social identity ascribed and achieved status social mobility status hierarchy allocative and authoritative resources
social inequality: the unequal distribution of valued resources, rewards, and positions in a society
Social structure: A pattern of inequalities of within a given society
System of Stratification: Refers to the set of social relations and hierarchy that are beyond ones control such as race or gender.
Social mobility refers to the ability to change positions within a social stratification system. When people improve or diminish their economic status in a way that affects social class, they experience social mobility. This is a key concept in determining whether inequalities of condition limit people’s life chances or whether we can meaningfully speak of the existence of equality of opportunity in a society. A high degree of social mobility, upwards or downwards, would suggest that the stratification system of a society is in fact open (i.e., that there is equality of opportunity).
In most modern societies, what are the four factors commonly used by sociologists to indicate systematic differences within a system of stratification?
differences in wealth, the net value of money and assets a person has, and income, a person’s wages, salary, or investment dividends. It can also be defined by differences in power (how many people a person must take orders from versus how many people a person can give orders to) and status (the degree of honour or prestige one has in the eyes of others).
According to both the Marxist and Weberian models, what are the three objective components of social class?
a group’s position in the occupational structure, a group’s position in the authority structure (that is, who has authority over whom), and a group’s position in the property structure (that is, ownership or non-ownership of capital)
According to contemporary sociologists, what are some of the subjective components of social class?
subjective components of class include recognitions of status, distinctions in lifestyle, and ultimately how people perceive their place in the class hierarchy.
Key Concepts
Note that while sample definitions are given here, for the rest of the course you will be expected to produce your own definitions.
caste system: a system in which people are born into a social standing that they will retain over their entire lives
class: a group who shares a common social status based on factors like wealth, income, education, and occupation
class system: social standing based on social factors and individual accomplishments
class traits: the typical behaviours, customs, and norms that define each class, also called class markers
conspicuous consumption: buying and using products to make a statement about social standing
cultural capital: cultural assets in the form of knowledge, education, and taste that can be transferred intergenerationally
Davis-Moore thesis: a thesis that argues that some social stratification is a social necessity
downward mobility: a lowering of one’s social class
endogamous marriages: unions of people within the same social category
equality of condition: a situation in which everyone in a society has a similar level of wealth, status, and power
equality of opportunity: a situation in which everyone in a society has an equal chance to pursue economic or social rewards
exogamous marriages: unions of people from different social categories
global stratification: a comparison of the wealth, economic stability, status, and power of countries as a whole
income: the money a person earns from work or investments
intergenerational mobility: a difference in social class between different generations of a family
intragenerational mobility: a difference in social class between different members of the same generation
living wage: the income needed to meet a family’s basic needs and enable them to participate in community life
Lumpenproletariat: in capitalism, the underclass of chronically unemployed or irregularly employed who are in and out of the workforce
means of production: productive property, including the things used to produce the goods and services needed for survival: tools, technologies, resources, land, workplaces, and so on
meritocracy: an ideal system in which personal effort—or merit—determines social standing
petite bourgeoisie: in capitalism, the class of small owners like shopkeepers, farmers, and contractors who own some property and perhaps employ a few workers, but rely on their own labour to survive
power: how many people a person must take orders from versus how many people a person can give orders to
primogeniture: a law stating that all property passes to the firstborn son
proletariat: those who seek to establish a sustainable standard of living by maintaining the level of their wages and the level of their employment in society
proletarianization (the act of being proletarianized): the process in which the work conditions of the middle class increasingly resemble those of the traditional, blue-collar working class
social differentiation: the division of people into categories based on socially significant characteristics, identities, and roles
social inequality: the unequal distribution of valued resources, rewards, and positions in a society
social mobility: the ability to change positions within a social stratification system
social stratification: a socioeconomic system that divides society’s members into categories ranking from high to low, based on things like wealth, power, and prestige
standard of living: the level of wealth available to acquire material goods and comforts to maintain a particular socioeconomic lifestyle
status: the degree of honour or prestige one has in the eyes of others
status consistency: the consistency, or lack thereof, of an individual’s rank across social categories like income, education, and occupation
structural mobility: when societal changes enable a whole group of people to move up or down the class ladder
upward mobility: an increase—or upward shift—in social class
wealth: the value of money and assets a person has from, for example, inheritance
Define and provide examples of the following terms: empathy gulf bootstrapping ideologies anecdotal distractions segmented democracy framing effects distributive politics
Empathy Gulf: The huge social and psychological distance that invariably separate the rich from the poor
Bootstrapping ideologies: The individualistic belief that the person alone is responsible for their social position
Anecdotal Distractions: Accounts or stories that help to solidify stereotypical images of the rich and poor
Segmented Gulfs: Is the distance between the rich and poor that results from psychological and physical distances
Framing effects: help segregate different stratas from eachother
distributive politics:
What is meant by the term redistributive thesis?
the assumption that majority rule and universal suffrage in a society marked by extreme inequality would result in progressive taxation and income and wealth redistribution policies.
Distinguish between the different types of “framing effects” outlined in this reading and provide an example for each type.
(1) backward-looking: When the individual is framed to look at their individual past, thereby suggesting that an alternative politics to the present could result in loss.
(2) inward-looking: Frames the individual to blame himself rather then the surrounding institutions.
(3) downward-looking framing effects: Directs attention to those less fortunate in the social order and causes fear through: they may threaten violence, be a tax burden, and the possibility of unemployment would cause the person to plunge into their ranks. Hatred of the lowest classes disincentives’ any redistributive efforts.
Explain what is meant by an empathy gulf and provide an example that illustrates this gulf.
the situation in which those in different strata of society (both rich and poor) find it difficult (or impossible) to imagine the resources available, and conditions experienced, by those at different socio-economic levels in the stratification system.
Define and explain the concept of a segmented democracy.
a liberal democratic society in which different socio-economic strata are separated (and segregated) by both psychological (empathy, framing effects, anecdotal distractions) and by physical and spatial (gated and gentrified communities) gulfs or barriers.
Why does Shapiro criticize Marx’s concept of false consciousness as an explanation for the failure of the working class to challenge social inequality?
Shapiro suggests that the empathy gulf and social distance that separate the rich from the poor in societies characterized by extreme inequality make it difficult or impossible for those at the bottom of the social pyramid to even imagine the privileges and luxury enjoyed by those at the top of society. This inability to enter into the “frame” of a much higher social class means that those at the bottom either blame themselves for their own misfortune, or blame those just above them in the social system. In other words, rather than adopting a revolutionary ideology (to challenge those at the top and overthrow the unequal social system), those at the bottom are more likely to internalize the “bootstrapping ideology”—the belief that only through their own efforts and hard work can the poor ever pull themselves up by their own “bootstraps.” This ideology is likely to accept and endorse the prevailing system of inequality, and to counter any revolutionary ideologies of social change. This is why Shapiro invalidates Marx’s theory of false consciousness.
