Social class inequality - New right explanations Flashcards
(29 cards)
What are new right ideas also known as?
neo-liberalism
What is the new right linked to?
Functionalism and Right realism
What is the New right based on?
The conservative government of Thatcher, Regan and Bush
What does saunders (1990) look at?
Social stratification and class
How does Saunders (1990) believe makes social equality possible?
If force is used in order to ensure that everyone did their jobs to the best of their ability and would be motivated by something other than economic rewards
What is social inequality caused by?
Economic growth that has raised living standards for people but wages have not increased
What does Saunders believe the capitalist system offers?
Incentives to those with talent in the form of income and wealth because some people can capture the imagination of people via consumer goods
What is Saunders in favour of?
legal equality amongst all and equality of opportunity to compete for the same rewards and opportunities
What idea does Saunders reject?
the idea that everyone should be rewarded in the same way whether they deserve it or not. He agrees with the functionalists that a degree of inequality is desirable and functional to motivate people to compete.
How does Saunders see social class?
as a way of people competing with one another to gain rewards in society that they can work towards and deserve
What is saunders critical of?
Left wing governments that aim to equalise society
What are the disadvantages of Saunder’s work?
- Criticised for wrongly assuming that a capitalist society based on the free market can offer more freedom
- Tumin criticises
What did Murray and Herrnstein (1994) look at?
New right theory, where the US government provided welfare benefits for groups of people like the unemployed
What does welfare benefits create in the eyes of the new right?
A dependency culture on the state
Which two places did Murray identify a underclass developing?
US and Britain in 1989
Where are the underclass in the eyes of the new right?
trapped at the bottom of society and have no motivation to better themselves or find paid work
What does the new right believes develops the underclass?
Inadequate socialisation making lazy people with criminal tendencies and people with feckless behaviour as a result of the welfare state
Why does Murray believe that single mothers should be condemned?
Because they raise young boys who have no father or male role in their life and are more likely to turn to crime
What does Murray believe boys without fathers are like?
They have poor impulse control, become sexual predators and cannot hold down a job which creates conditions for them to commit crime
What does Murray think is the greatest predictor of criminality instead of poverty?
Illegitimacy
How does Murray think girls without fathers are like?
they are emotionally damaged and search for a father substitute so get pregnant early in life
What does Murray think is a strong predictor of poverty?
Having a low IQ which is associated with unemployment and divorce
What does Low IQ increase the chances of?
Dropping out of school, welfare dependency, committing crime
