1. Social Inequality

2. Social inequality
“…all animals are equal here, but some are more equal than others.” – George Orwell, Animal Farm

3. What does Social Inequality Mean?
Differential Access to
Wealth
Power
Prestige

4. In what areas does Social Inequality Exist?
Gender
Race
Age
Ethnicity
Religion
Kinship

5. How does differential access to wealth, power and prestige arise from differences between people
Differences are accorded varying degress of value
Those are most similar to “me” have the highest value
Those who are the most unlike “me” have the lowest value
Making that which is most like me a social value requires hegemony.
Hegemony is the domination of culture by one particular cultural group, resulting in the empowerment of certain cultural beliefs, values, and practices over others.
To some extent, it also requires the “buy in” of the lower ranked group.

6. Classification of societies based on the equality-inequality continuum
Egalitarian Societies
Ranked Societies
Stratified Societies

7. Egalitarian Societies
Hadza of Tanzania, Kung bushmen of the Kalahari, and Batek of Malaysia
Foragers with few possessions, no land ownership, and little specialization, other than a division of labor based on gender and age.
Lack any clear organizational structure
There is a continuing debate as to whether there is inequality between men and women in foraging societies.

8. Egalitarian Societies
Marx and Engels argued that the real basis of social and political inequality was property, and that since there was no private property in primitive societies, there was no state and no class or inequality… Kung bushmen of the Kalahari.

9. Foragers recognize individuals with special skills, but those who possess them are not seen superior in other respects.
Leaders have influence, but no authority
The people possess norms that emphasize sharing and ideals of interpersonal equality.

10. Ranked societies
Common in horticultural societies where surplus gives rise to resources and privileges.
People are divided in hierarchically ordered groups that differ in terms of prestige and status, but not significantly in terms of access to wealth or power.
It is possible to identify persons we can label as chiefs whose inherited position has prestige.

11. Ranked societies
With ranked societies, comes the need to organize labor beyond the household level and the potential for major construction projects (cooperative labor)
Individuals can achieve power and prestige.

12. Stratified Societies
Societies divided into horizontal layers of equality and inequality.
Marked inequalities in access to wealth, power, and prestige.
Passed from generation to generation
Has a significant effect on individuals “life chances.”
Found almost exclusively within complex societies with centralized political systems and large populations

13. Stratified cont. Ranked divisions are called strata
Stratification systems vary in..
The number of ranked groups
The degree to which there is agreement regarding their hierarchical placement.
The size of the strata
The ability of individuals to move within strata
Supporting ideology

14. Examples of Stratified
Chinese
Kings and nobles, scholars, peasants, craftsmen, merchants
Egyptians
Nobles, aristocracy, priests, merchants, craftsmen, wealthy farmers, scribes, laborers, slaves

15. Stratified Control of wealth and power in the hands of a few
Status and rewards are heritable
Social mobility is limited

16. What is class Class is essentially a theoretical concept
Classes are strata of a particular kind
Defined primarily in terms of roles and economic relationships.

17. What types of things does class effect?
Lifestyles and interests
Tastes
Language
Self Image
Values
Political Orientation
Access to such resources as education, healthcare, housing and consumer goods.
How long you live and how healthy you will be.

18. Karl Marx’s Concept of Class
Communist Manifesto – the history of class struggles
Linked the emergence of class society to the rise of private property and the state
Class position is defined in terms of the relationship of people’s labor to the means of production.
Once the lower class becomes aware, they will create their own culture and a clash of cultures will begin.

19. Weber’s Three dimensions of stratification
He attempted to modify Marxism
Stratification is not only economic….
The Three P’s
Property (class)
Prestige (status)
Power (party)

20. Property
Weber defined class as a group of people with similar life chances
Their material possessions and their opportunities for income were as important as ownership
Managers and high officials have control of firms that they do not own.

21. Prestige Weber called status the control without ownership
Persons with high prestige may have little or no property e.g. poets and saints may have huge prestige while remaining penniless.

22. power
Power is the ability to get one’s way despite the resistance of others.
People may be powerful without acquiring property.
Power may be exchanged for economic advancement.