Week 10: Class, Poverty, and Economic Inequality Flashcards
Known as the smallest amount of money a person or a family needs to live on; to buy what is needed
Poverty Line
How many Americans were technically living in poverty in 2010?
15.1%
What two principle factors is the poverty rate measured by?
It’s based on the size of the family, and a minimal food budget
This measure takes into account the many family expenses in addition to food;
it also takes into account geographic differences in the cost of living, taxes paid and tax credits received, and the provision of food stamps, Medicaid, and certain other kinds of government aid
Supplemental Poverty Measure
Most poor people in the US come from which racial background?
White/ caucasian (42.4%), followed by Latino (28.7%0, and African-American (32.1%).
In America, which between men/women is more likely to be poor?
Women, at 16.2%, while men are at 14%.
What percentage of children (under 18) in the US are poor?
22%
Which region of the US is the poorest of the four?
The “South”, followed by the “West”
How does family structure influence the likelihood of poverty?
Of all families headed by just a woman, 31.6 percent live in poverty, compared to only 15.8 percent of families headed by just a man.
In contrast, only 6.2 percent of families headed by a married couple live in poverty
What does government data in the US suggest about the working status of those living in poverty?
It shows that most poor people are in fact working, looking for work, or unable to work due to health or age.
is there any truth in the belief that poor people lack the motivation to work?
It’s entirely a myth. It’s been statistically proven by Labour force participation data
Rankings of people based on wealth and other resources that a society values
Social Stratification
This view argues that stratification is necessary to induce people with special intelligence, knowledge, and skills to enter the most important occupations. For this reason, stratification is necessary and inevitable.
Functionalist perspective
This view claims that stratification results from lack of opportunity and from discrimination and prejudice against the poor, women, and people of colour. It is neither necessary nor inevitable.
Conflict Theory
Argues that stratification affects people’s beliefs, lifestyles, daily interaction, and conceptions of themselves.
Symbolic Interactionism
What are the four major assumptions of the functionalist theory of social stratification?
- Some jobs are more important than others
- Some jobs require more skill and knowledge than others
- Relatively few people have the ability or opportunity to acquire or learn the skills needed for the high-end, important jobs
- To encourage those to do the actual highly skilled/important jobs, society must reward them with higher incomes or other rewards
What are the two major explanations of poverty (not social stratification?)
Individualistic
Structural
Argues that poverty results from the fact that poor people lack the motivation to work and have certain beliefs and values that contribute to their poverty
Individualistic perspective
