Sociology test 3 1 Social inequalities 2 Family budget exercise 10 29 2014 10 29 2014 1 Stratification a Social stratification Structured inequality in society Doesn t change from one year to the next A system by which a society ranks categories of people in a hierarchy Caste Can t leave your caste regardless of how hard you work vs Class Can leave your class systems i Strata Different layers b Distribution of income in the US i Normal distribution Mean median mode are the same ii Positively skewed Mean is pulled toward the tail because of the very wealthy Actual distribution of wealth in America Median is a better determinate of wealth in this distribution iii Negatively skewed Mean is pulled toward the tail because of the very poor 2 Income wealth inequality in the US a Federal poverty line Relative poverty b Poverty rate dropped between 1959 to 1975 via the LBJ War on Poverty social spending to help the poor c Poverty rate has stayed around 10 15 because we have cut poverty programs 15 1 in 2010 were in poverty a Each layer represents 20 of the population b 1 wealth means that they are in debt c The poor aren t necessarily getting poorer but the richer are definitely getting richer 3 Income Quintiles 10 29 2014 a Rich are getting richer but the poor are pretty much staying the b Taxes for the very wealthy have gone down Used to be 70 and 1 Theories of inequality same now it is closer to 33 2 Functionalist view a What purpose does having wealth inequality serve b How does a stratified social structure contribute to the well being of society i Davis Moore Thesis 1 All societies face the problem of motivating their best and brightest to fill the most functionally important social position 2 A system of unequal rewards solves this crucial problem 3 Talented hard working individuals receive top rewards high salaries 4 Less motivated less talented settle for less demanding roles with lower rewards Lower salaries 5 Stratification functions as an incentive system and has beneficial consequences for society 6 The rank of any social position within depends on 3 factors a Functional importance of the task How important is this job for the function of the society i Ex Without doctors everyone gets sick Without painters we don t have painted houses b The pleasantness of the task If you like to do it without being paid a lot then you wouldn t have to pay a lot for it c The scarcity of personnel How many people can 7 Don t have a reason for the growing difference between do this job job salaries 3 Conflict view a How does a stratified social structure benefit some at the expense of others b Karl Marx Focused on class inequality i ii Inequality is rooted in capitalism He was an economic determinists In capitalism there are 2 great classes 1 Bourgeoisie capitalist owners Own the means of production property land factories businesses etc earn a living through profit 2 Proletariat workers labor Do not own must sell their labor to the capitalists for a wage iii Traditional production Carpenter 1 Raw materials lumber 2 labor and tools finished product chair 10 a 8 surplus value That the carpenter received in a traditional production iv Capitalism Factory owned by capitalist 1 Linen 2 labor wage 1 overhead 2 Coat 10 a 5 profit That goes to the capitalist the owner of the means of production Before capitalism the producer got all the extra money Wealth gathers in the hands of the owner v Conflict theory The bourgeoisie accumulate wealth through the exploitation of labor Process by which the capitalist owner extracts profits by paying the workers a wage that is less than the value of the commodities the workers produce vi Through the continual exploitation of labor wealth in society becomes concentrated in the hands of the owners at the expense of the workers whose wages stay relatively low Just high enough to survive Inequality does not benefit society as a whole it leads to conflict It benefits the wealthy Capitalists vii viii CEO vs worker pay 1 In japan 1 16 2 In Germany 1 21 3 UK 1 33 4 USA 1 120 1980 5 USA 1 420 Now ix Weber agreed with Marx that economic class position is important but believed that there were two other dimensions on which people were ranked in a stratified society 1 Status Cultural prestige 2 Power Political x Max Weber Social Class 1 Category of people who share the same economic class cultural status and political power xi Socio Economic status SES 1 Upper upper 2 Lower Upper working rich Lebron James 3 Upper Middle 4 Average Middle 5 Working class Lower Middle 6 Lower class working poor underclass 1 Social clan 2 People like us 10 29 2014 10 29 2014 1 The sociological imagination revisited a Social class identity Class stratification influenced by our economics culture and politics 2 Ethnicity in the U S a Racial and ethnic identity Pattern of racial and ethnic inequality White Europeans have been at an advantage non white groups have been at a disadvantage b Gender i Sex and gender identity Pattern of gender stratification Men on top when it comes to wealth and power c Race class and gender are the 3 major forms of social inequality d Ethnocentrism the tendency to use the norms and values of our own culture as standards against which to view others i Positive ethnocentrism leads to in group pride ii Negative dysfunctional ethnocentrism can lead to out group prejudice e Bigotry treating other people with hatred contempt or intolerance because they are different from you based on ethnicity religion national origin gender sexual orientation disability socioeconomic status etc i Forms 1 Sexism Dislike of women being misogynist male chauvinist 2 Racism Dislike of people of color being anti black brown white supremacy 3 Homophobia Fear or dislike of gay lesbian bisexual and transgender people being heterosexist belief that only heterosexuals are acceptable 4 Classism Dislike of poor people making fun or exclusion of poor people elitism ii Hate speech Using words that convey bigotry f E Pluribus Unum Original national model And out of many one i Out of the many groups that came to America there is one nation ii Many different religions and may different European groups iii The US has always been very ethnically heterogenous Made up of many different groups iv Ethnically homogenous North and South Korea and Japan are the most ethnically homogenous countries but even they have some heterogeneity g Ethnicity Shared cultural heritage i Ethnic group Group that shares a common