ISS 215 Social Differentiation and Inequality Lecture 1 Structural Function Perspective Social Inequality In Class Notes Population depends on Fertility Fatality Migration Individuals are indispensable Temporary imbalances Good because people come together to prevent it from happening again learned your lesson Dysfunctional elements Criminals serve as an example consequences Unifies everybody Society as organic whole social organisms society is a living thing and has life Newborn growth peak declining death repeat In terms reference to society Has will happen to every civilization August Comte 3 stages Theological dominated by supernatural beliefs Metaphysical more logical rational supernatural Scientific Renaissance believing in scientific studies Herbert Spencer Darwinism Societies have living organisms that are best fit to live in environments and survive all others die Spencer thinks best fitted in human society succeed prosper move forward all others are left behind poor Nature tries to keep a balance between living organisms vs environment Difference in structure Everything changed politics religion ethnicity agriculture Ex Same sex marriage gender roles Talcott Parsons Socialization Process of learning everything like a puppet to other individuals Functional Environments create balance between environments and society Goals in every society you must give people dreams aspirations goals Creates competition something to live for Integration rules and regulations to integrate people Latency maintain culture habits as a society Social Differentiation Classifications Race Gender Age Inequality Stratification Every society has valuable things job education home Access Those with valuable things are seen as superior Possession Enjoying having that access Stratification Systems Hindu Caste System Said to have separated his body to pieces to create different groups of people The higher the body parts used to create a group the more superior that group was seen as Harijans untouchables So dirty you have to be purified if touched Lived in separate neighborhoods communities Class system also spreads to Islam Christianity Muslim The Estate System Nobility Brute cruel Clergy Paid to look the other way If a girl wanted to marry she had to get an ok from the nobles To get an ok she had to embrace her youth by spending a night with a noble Dimensions of Social Stratification Economic Wealth all assets Wealth and occupation generate disposable income Status Association Informal a group of people just get together open to anybody Formal must meet certain criteria to be a member Bohemian Club Invitation only no females no minorities Made up of super elite rich and powerful Makes major decisions Atomic bomb war in Iraq etc