Test 2: Social Class Flashcards
(17 cards)
What is social inequality?
unequal distribution of valued resources, rewards and positions in a society
Social stratification?
Social Stratification: refers to an institutionalized system of social inequality. society-wide system that makes inequalities apparent. not about individual inequalities, but about systematic inequalities based on group membership, class, gender, ethnicity, and other variables that structure access to rewards and status.
Meritocracy (Karl Marx was critical of this)?
where individual merit determines social standing
Social Class?
aspect of our social identity, WE ARE BORN INTO, impacts life opportunities, we do this to ourselves and others (we participate in it), Like a social fact to Durkehim
Owning Class?
Wealth and Power
“The bourgeoisie” (Marx)
The numbers of the elite are shrinking while their power is growing
In Canada, we have a high degree of social stratification
In Canada, by 1pm on Jan 2, the average canada ceo will have made $47 000, which is what the elite would have made on their second day (?)
Middle Class?
Class position that most people identify with
Large middle class post WWII (Grew in numbers and wealth in America after WW2)
Growth of the welfare state
LARGE GROUP
Class strength related to union density within a society
Unemployment insurance
Growing middle class
Politicians use this to talk to middle class because most people identify with this class
Working class?
Wage workers (wage-workers who are engaged in the production of commodities, the extraction of natural resources, the production of food, etc)
Expanding with rise of precarious labor
Expanding with “proletarianization” the process of making more and more jobs working class jobs, turning usual middle class jobs into working class jobs.
Social Mobility?
the ability to change positions within a social stratification system (Little et al, p. 281). You can be in a diff position than your parents, children. You can move up or down.
IntERgenerational social mobility?
“explains a difference in social class between different generations of a family” (p. 281).
IntRAgenerational social mobility?
“describes a difference in social class between different members of the same generation” (p. 281).
Davis-Moore Thesis?
Social stratification is the result of a set of collectively-agreed upon values. Inequality in society is good (or necessary) because it functions as an incentive for people to work harder (people will pursue harder jobs in society if they are better paid).
Inequality = Motivation
Thorstein Veblen and conspicuous consumption?
Conspicuous consumption: when ppl use material goods to show they have a lot of money and that their money is so old they have been rich for so long that they don’t need to work (distance from work). e.g. car that goes crazy fast, no point for speed cause the highest speed is illegal. E.g. Louis Vuitton high heels show distance from work, can’t work in these shoes.
Living wage?
the amount needed to meet a family’s basic needs and enable them to participate in community life (about $18/hour Canada)
Minimum wage?
about $14/hour for ontario. Often lower than living wage.
Unions?
organized labor unions fought for better wages, reasonable hours and safer working conditions
Precarious Labor?
NO job security
NO overseeing body to make sure you’re safe
Includes:
Part-time
Temporary
Seasonal
Just-in-time
Gone from 12-19% of Canadian workforce in 40 years.
Classism?
making judgements about ppl and their worth based on readings of their class system. Rich ppl deserve it and poor ppl do too
