Last lesson… Social Class and the Underclass

A way of grouping people based on their job and status Social class A way of grouping people based on their job and status

Occupational scale The Registrar General’s social class scale

A new classification system was introduced in 2001 Office of National statistics NS-SEC - (National Statistics Socio-economic Classification – NS-SEC) A new classification system was introduced in 2001 Occupation but has 8 points – including unemployed people and newer types of jobs such as IT. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QWmi3WRT6o

Group below the working class and left out of society Underclass Group below the working class and left out of society

Underclass Low status Socialised into poverty Poor quality of life Includes long term unemployed Homeless Some disabled people

Cycle of Deprivation The idea that people who are poor cannot escape poverty and their children will continue that pattern

1. Some children born into poor and deprived, families Cycle of Deprivation 1. Some children born into poor and deprived, families 2. The children have a deprived childhood . Lacking material items due to financial problems and possibly cultural deprivation 3. As a result of the financial and cultural deprivation the children are less likely to get good qualifications and may leave school earlier than others. 4. As young adults their futures are limited, they tend to take low paid, unskilled jobs or experience unemployment. 5. As adults they live in poverty 6. Many will become parent of deprived children and the cycle of poverty continues over time.

Culture of Poverty Is the way of life of the underclass which dooms them to remain in the underclass

Concerned with the effect of the underclass on society. The New Right A theory which is concerned that things are going wrong in society and that changes need to be made Concerned with the effect of the underclass on society.

Murray New Right and the Underclass The underclass is the group at the bottom of society Teenage girls get pregnant for houses and benefit Benefits encourage people to depend on the state rather than get jobs because it is easier for them Murray The norms and values of the underclass are a disease that threaten society Lone mothers are bad parents and allow boys to be criminal. They are bad role models Young men are involved in crime and do not work for their families.

Cultural explanations of poverty Blames the existence and persistence of poverty on the individual’s culture/behaviour/ way of life. The New Right perspective, Culture of Poverty and the Cycle of Deprivation theory agrees with this view.

Can you identify any problems with this explanation of poverty?

General criticisms of Murray and the New Right theory Ignores the lack of jobs - people may not be unemployed out of choice! ‘Victim blaming’ – poverty could be the fault of society/the government The assumption that ‘marriage is best’ is subjective. The majority of people living in poverty actually have a job.

Owen Jones

Lesson 9: Learning objectives To be able to define and give examples of theories of inequality – including Marxism, Functionalism and Feminism

Theories of inequality: What do theories say about inequality? Sociologists often disagree with each other and this is generally because they have a different theory or idea about how society works. If you understand theory – it will help you to learn more at a higher level of study. You need to start to think about which theory makes the most sense to you!

Functionalism A major theory in sociology which looks at the way different parts of society help to keep it healthy

Functionalists see society as being similar to the functions of a human body. Each part of society (institutions) fulfil functions that contribute to the health and well being of the whole of society. They promote stability and social integration

Functionalism and inequality Functionalists say that everything in society has a job and that inequality is important in motivating people to work hard and be winners. Therefore inequality is needed by society and helps it to run well because if we were all equal nobody would try to do anything.

Marxism A conflict theory which sees society as divided into two classes – the ruling class and the working class

Who is this guy?

Marxists Inequality is not a good thing. Meritocracy is a myth The ruling class has the power – controlling big business, factories, the media This control means that the working class don’t realise that they are being used Marxism ideas are linked to communism – Russia, Cuba and other Eastern European countries

About Marxism… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0GFSUu5UzA

Capitalism An economic and political system in which a country's trade and industry are controlled by private owners for profit, rather than by the state.

Very few countries would now claim to be Marxist/Communist but Marxist ideas are still influential

Explain and outline one sociological reason why we have inequality in our society?