Weberian Theories Flashcards
Weber
Society is fragmented and divided between multiple social groups, with social inequality depending on ones class, status and party power. Class power is determined by both market and work situations- the demand for your chosen skill or service and the potential for a promotion. Those in a job not in high demand, and with no promotion opportunities experience inequality in society.
Weber Evaluation
This theory takes in a number of factors contributing to ones social inequality, meaning it is more relevant, and is also more contemporary than Marx’s theory.
However, Weber provides no explanation for those who are part of several status groups- for example someone who is a CEO, meaning they have high status power but also homosexual therefore they have low status power.
Barron and Norris
Barron and Norris theorise that there are two forms of labour: Primary and Secondary. Those part of the primary labour market are in well paid jobs with progression opportunities, whereas those in the secondary labour market have low power, low status work such as retail or zero hours work, and they are often women and BME due to racism of employers. Those part of the secondary labour market experience social inequality.
Barron and Norris Evaluation
Difficult to categorise all jobs into primary and secondary market- for instance a poet may be high status and have power to influence others, but be low paid.
Although, it is true that ethnc minorities tend to get the lower paid jobs- British ethnic minority graduates are between 5% and 15% less likely to be employed than their white British peers 6 months after graduating.
Rex and Tomlinson
Ethnic minorities experience low power and status in British society. As a result, a black underclass has developed in many cities, with the black members feeling frustrated and alienated from society, emphasised by the racist attitude of the police in England.
Rex and Tomlinson
An example of the inequality experienced by these ethnic minorities is that in Dorset, police are 17x more likely to stop and search a BME, than their white counterparts.
