Social Stratification

Question 1

Social Stratification

Answer 1

persistent patterns of social inequality

Question 2

Absolute Poverty

Answer 2

Existence of those who have so little income that they can barely stay alive

Question 3

Achieved Status

Answer 3

Changeable status that is acquired on the basis of how well an individual performs a particular role

Question 4

Ascribed Status

Answer 4

Status such as age, gender or race, that is assigned to an individual typically at birth

Question 5

Low income cutoff (LICO)

Answer 5

• “poverty line”
• estimate of income level below which a person/family might be considered to be living in relative poverty
• more than 63% of income is spent on basic needs

Question 6

Relative Poverty

Answer 6

Individual’s have significantly less income than most others in their society, causing their lifestyle to be more restricted and life chances to be substantially curtailed

Question 7

Groups most likely to be poor:

Answer 7

• visible minorities and aboriginals
• women and children
• disabled Canadians
• seniors and young adults

Question 8

Theoretical Perspectives:

Answer 8

1) Stages of Development
2) Modernization Theory
3) Dependancy Theory
4) Marxist Theory

Question 9

Stages of Development

Answer 9

• influenced by Charles Darwin
• Rostow - poor countries never “take off” because they fail to move through all necessary stages of development
• flight stage is not reached - no economic growth
• all poor regions have always been poor
• Critique: archaeological evidence doe snot always support this

Question 10

Modernization Theory

Answer 10

• values, norms and beliefs will shape economic success
• value high achievement and innovation
• focuses on how people think about themselves and the world and believe these thoughts will determine their development
• Critique: will blame poor people for their own poverty and putting blame on people is not sociological

Question 11

Dependancy Theory

Answer 11

• opposes modernization theory
• development does not depend on people’s deficiencies, but it depends on uneven global development and other regions
• metropolitan (European) exploited satellite regions to block economic progress
• European countries made profit

Question 12

Marxist Dependancy Theory

Answer 12

• exploitation is between classes, not regions
• economic elites (rich) exploit the poor
• exploitation between social classes and globally (between north and south)