Critical Theories Social Inequality

Starter Think of 10 different occupational groups in society Now discuss the status of the people in those occupations in society. How much supply is there of people who can do that job? How much demand is there for that skill? Is there a difference between the status of occupations and the money they earn? Fluctuations in these things lead to each occupation have a ‘market situation’ and it is this that leads to inequalities Rank your 10 for Market situation.

Weber and inequality Weber was aware of Marx's writing and disagreed with him. Weber said that inequality is more complex than that. He described power as being the ability to influence others to do your will and claimed that power had a number of sources such as ownership of land and capital, social status, physical strength and education.

Weber saw stratification in terms of the relationship between Class (wealth) Status (position in society) Party (Power to influence) Look at your booklets and work out the difference between these ideas.

The disadvantages of belonging to a low status group, such as membership of an ethnic minority, can leave people in poorly paid, low status occupations and with little hope of advancement. They also lack the influence (power) or associations (party) to mount any real resistance or appeal for change.

Weber suggested that the increasing bureaucracy (red tape) that accompanies capitalism leads to status differences between those members of the working class who are manual workers and those who offer services to capitalism through the exercise of professional skills such as the middle classes.

Weber’s view of social class. Karl Marx believed that the social classes would polarise, with some people becoming ever more rich and powerful while others would become poorer. Weber said that there would be ever more social classes developing in capitalist society. Class would depend on our life chances and our life styles. Class would be characterised by such things as accents, education, locality, leisure habits and spending. Do you agree with this analysis ? Use the booklet to identify some of Webers class categorisations

Weberian explanations 1.Dual Labour Market (Barron and Norris) Primary Job Market - Well paid secure jobs with pensions, benefits, maternity rights, prospects etc. Secondary Job Market - Insecure, low paid, frequently changing, no promotions 2. Market Situation (David Lockwood ) What we can sell our skills for at any given time 3. Unfair distribution of Welfare disadvantages some (Smith, Smith and Wright 1997)

Task Answer questions 1-5 in back of booklets Discuss answers

Presentations Group 1 – Weberian theory of inequality Group 2 – Feminist theory of inequality Group 3 - Post Modernist and social exclusion Produce a 5 minute presentation on powerpoint or film (could be a song, poem or rap) on key points from the booklet. Writers and research Evaluation of the viewpoint. Upload your work onto the blog by

Call my bluff! Two Teams Four key words and definitions per team Some are true and some are bluffs Read out the definition and let the other team guess if it is true or a bluff.