Social Inequalities November 8, 2011

Race and Ethnicity Race A powerful social and cultural category that differentiates groups of people based on perceived physical characteristics and their presumed relationships to behavioral characteristics Ethnicity A powerful social and cultural category that differentiates groups of people based on perceived linguistic, cultural, religious, or other characteristics (and their presumed relationships to behavioral characteristics)

‘Ethnic’ Characteristics Language Religion History Geography Kinship ‘Race’ Class

‘Ethnic’ Characteristics Language Religion History Geography Kinship ‘Race’ Class But really more about control of resources and access to power!

Chiefdoms and States Permanent political structures Offices Institutions (e.g., legal systems) Differential access to resources Chiefdom: based on kinship State: not based on kinship  STRATIFICATION (the existence of separate social strata)

Sociology vs. Anthropology Two big differences (among others) Scale Methodology Shared questions and social theory

Karl Marx Prussian philosopher ( ) with Engels, The Communist Manifesto (1848)

“Historical Materialism” Social evolution primitive communism (tribal)  feudalism  capitalism  radical socialism (proletarian revolution)  communism (a classless society) Class defined by access to resources Capitalist ownership of means of production

Max Weber German Sociologist ( ) Sociology of Religion The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism (1904)

Stratification Three related dimensions Wealth (economic status) - all material assets, including income, land, property Power (political status) - the ability to exercise one’s will over others Prestige (social status) - esteem, respect, or approval for acts, deeds, or qualities considered exemplary

Pierre Bourdieu French Sociologist/ Anthropologist ( ) Distinction: A Social Critique of the Judgment of Taste (1979)

Cultural Capital Prestige provides people with a sense of worth and respect, which they may often convert into economic and political advantage

Anthropology on Inequality How inequalities are maintained Example: sherpas and sahibs How inequalities are leveled Example: sihk puhn Devices Reciprocity Redistribution