Social Inequality: Global & National Perspectives Chapter 6

Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education Canada. 6-2 Social Stratification A way of ranking large groups of people into a hierarchy that shows their relative privileges Systems of Social Stratification Slavery Caste Clan Class

Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education Canada. 6-3 Slavery The ownership of some people by others Once a common practice Logic of Pre-Modern Slavery Debt Violation of the law War and conquest

Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education Canada. 6-4 Slavery in the “New World” Indentured Service Ideology A system of beliefs that justifies social arrangements Slavery today

Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education Canada. 6-5 Caste Status is determined by birth and is lifelong, e.g., India Caste based on religion (in order of privilege) 1.Braham 2.Kshatriya 3.Vaishva 4.Shudra 5.Harijan

Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education Canada. 6-6 India’s Caste System

Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education Canada. 6-7 Clan A large network of relatives Common in agricultural societies

Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education Canada. 6-8 Class Based on material possessions Social Mobility Movement up or down the class ladder

Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education Canada. 6-9 What Determines Social Class? Karl Marx ( ) The “means of production” Bourgeoisie and Proletariat Class Consciousness False Consciousness

Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education Canada Max Weber: Property, Prestige, & Power Max Weber ( ) Property Prestige Power

Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education Canada Weber’s Three Components of Social Class

Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education Canada Different Ways of Defining & Measuring Social Class Measuring Social Class Subjective Methods Reputational Methods Objective Methods

Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education Canada The Components of Social Class Wealth Property and income

Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education Canada Inequality of Canadian Income

Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education Canada The Components of Social Class Power The ability to carry out your will in spite of resistance “power elite” Prestige Respect or regard

Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education Canada Status Status Inconsistency Maximizing Status (Gerhard Lenski)

Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education Canada Why Is Social Stratification Universal? Functionalist View Society must make certain that its positions are filled Some positions are more important than others The more important positions must be filled by more qualified people To motivate the more qualified to fill these positions, society must offer them greater rewards

Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education Canada Critical Response to Functionalist Perspective Justifies, rather than explains social inequality 1. How do we measure “importance”? 2. Ability does not predict success or status (not a meritocracy) 3. Financial reward is not the sole reason for success 4. Social stratification is not “functional”; does not serve “society” – only elite

Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education Canada The Conflict Perspective Conflict, not function, as the basis of social inequality/stratification Ruling classes seek to ensure and naturalize relative power and benefits

Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education Canada Maintaining Social Inequality Ideology versus Force Controlling ideas: ideology e.g., Divine Right of Kings Controlling Information Social Networks Technology

Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education Canada Global Stratification: Three Worlds of Development First World Second World Third World Modifying the “Three Worlds” Model

Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education Canada An Alternative Model of Global Stratification

Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education Canada How the World’s Nations Became Stratified Imperialism and Colonization World System Theory Immanuel Wallerstein Capitalist World Economy “Globalization” Dependence Theory Dependence of least industrialized nations on most industrialized nations “Culture of Poverty”

Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education Canada Maintaining Global Stratification Neocolonialism The market, not military, as tool for controlling least industrialized nations Multinational Corporations Companies that operate across many national boundaries Technology and Global Domination

Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education Canada The Canadian Social Class Ladder

Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education Canada Models of Analysis: Marx and Weber Marx Contradictory Class Locations Weber The Capitalist Class Old Money New Money The Upper Middle Class Lower Middle Class The Working Class The Working Poor The Underclass The Homeless

Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education Canada Consequences of Social Class The New Technology Physical and Mental Health The Reach of Social Class Choice of Spouse Divorce Child-Rearing Education Religion Politics Crime and the Criminal Justice System

Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education Canada Social Mobility: Three Types Intergenerational Mobility Upward Social Mobility Downward Social Mobility

Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education Canada Social Mobility Structural Mobility Exchange Mobility The Ignoring of Women New Technology and Fears of the Future

Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education Canada Gender, Class, & Race Ignoring Women New technology

Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education Canada Poverty The “Poverty Line” Who Are the Poor? Geography Race/Ethnicity Education Age Seniors Children Women People with Disabilities

Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education Canada Dynamics of Poverty The “Culture of Poverty” Welfare Reform in Canada Individual versus Structural Explanations of Poverty

Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education Canada Poverty Deferred Gratification Giving up things in the present for the sake of greater gains in the future A middle-class virtue Pull yourself up by your own bootstraps A myth?