**Social Inequality - Defining Inequality

Question 1

Defining Inequality:
Groups / Individuals / Experiences of inequality & areas of social inequality

Answer 1

• Social class
• Age (young & old)
• Gender
• Ethnicity
• Single parents
• Education
  
  • Educational attainment stats
• Family
  
  • Instrumental / Expressive gender roles
• Employment
• Health
  
  • Inverse care law
• Crime & deviance
  
  • CAGE differences

Question 2

Defining Inequality:
Patterns / Trends of wealth inequality in the UK

Answer 2

Official data: all incomes have risen since the 1980s, wealthy incomes = increased significantly more than average incomes

Figures suggest poor paid more of their income tax than the wealthy

• Much tax = hidden: forms part of the price of goods that are brought in shops rather than being deducted from wages

Question 3

Defining Inequality:
A. H. Halsey - Definition of inequality

Answer 3

Equality of Opportunity
Equality of Outcome
Inequality of Opportunity
Inequality of Outcome

Question 4

Defining Inequality:
A. H. Halsey - Equality of Opportunity / Outcome

Answer 4

Equality of Opportunity: All have equal opportunity to succeed

Equality of Outcome: People appear in institutions in society in the same proportion in which they appear in the whole of society

Question 5

Defining Inequality:
A. H. Halsey - Inequality of Opportunity / Outcome

Answer 5

Inequality of Opportunity: People are banned from experiencing certain opportunities because of legalistic or structural reasons

• Becoming increasingly rare in British society as policies and social engineering since 1970s have made it difficult to deny people opportunity for any reason
• E.g. Apartheid in South Africa
  
  • A way of legalisation that upheld segregation against non-white citizens of South Africa

Inequality of Outcome: Restrictions on people become covert so that in theory, there is no limit to how people progress in society, in practical terms, few people from certain groups do actually break through social barriers placed in their way

Question 6

Defining Inequality:
A. H. Halsey Example

Answer 6

Equality of opportunity prevalent in British society: legalisation to prevent discrimination against disadvantaged groups (women have the right to earn the same as men for work)

• Average income for a woman remains 16% that of men in the UK
  
  • Legal equality of opportunity
  • Gross inequality of outcome

Question 7

Defining Inequality:
Ferdinand & Mount

Answer 7

Identified 5 broad areas of inequality (Joseph Rowntree Foundation)
- Inequality of wealth
- Inequality of participation in society
- Inequality of access to power
- Inequality of outcome
- Inequality of opportunity

Question 8

Defining Inequality:
Ferdinand & Mount - Inequality of Wealth

Question 9

Defining Inequality:
Ferdinand & Mount - Inequality of Participation in Society

Question 10

Defining Inequality:
Ferdinand & Mount - Inequality to Access to Power

Question 11

Defining Inequality:
Ferdinand & Mount - Inequality of Outcome

Question 12

Defining Inequality:
Ferdinand & Mount - Inequality of Opportunity

Question 13

Defining Inequality:
Relative / Abstract Concept

Answer 13

Inequality = Relative concept
To be unequal, some must have more than others

Inequality = Abstract concept
Almost impossible to make a direct measurement of inquality