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44 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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FUNCTIONALISM Does inequality exist? Why do we have inequality? Is inequality a good or bad thing? Why does society need the poor? How can we tackle inequality? |
1) yes 2) It's necessary for society to survive 3) Good - it contributes to the working of society 4) They act as an example to the rest of us to work and not be like them. Helping the poor provides people with jobs. Poor people do the jobs no one else wants to. We feel good to help the poor 5) Government policies |
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FUNCTIONALISM - Causes of inequality |
Social darwinism - survival of the fittest - strongest stay wealthy and weak should be punished Davis moore theory - not all positions are equal, people with good skills are encouraged to do well |
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Criticisms of functionalism |
Weber - functionalism overlooks the importance of birth and wealth in the organisation of society. It's difficult to decide the functional importance of any job Marxism - there is a limited or no chance for the people from the poorest parts of society to move up in the world, regardless of their ability. |
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MARXISM
Does inequality exist? Why do we have inequality? Is inequality a good or bad thing? Why does society need the poor? How can we tackle inequality? |
1) yes
2) Its part of the structural relationships of all societies. 3)Bad - the ruling class have all the money, power and status so their ideals become the ideals of society (cultural hegemony) 4)The owners of businesses must create surplus value from the work of the poor in order to maintain their power. The rich exploit the poor and they feel false class consciousness 5) Revolution |
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MARXISM - Causes of inequality |
Reserve army of labour - the lower classes are used to reinforce inequality and in times of struggle they can be sacked easily. When there is a lack of work they are given wages because there is always someone who is willing to work for low wages. This keeps wages low. The substructure and superstructure The owner's control substructures (resources to make products). Workers must sell their skills to give power to the bosses. They eventually control the superstructures to promote their beliefs to justify their control over society false class consciousness |
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Criticism of marxism |
Feminism - ignores gender inequality Weber - the class system is clearly more complex than just lower and upper classes Neo Marxism - marxism said there would be a revolution by now and there isn’t Capitalism in western cultures has lead to a rise in standard of living |
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NEW RIGHT
Does inequality exist? Why do we have inequality? Is inequality a good or bad thing? How can we tackle inequality? |
1) yes 2) Some people are less competitive than others in the free market 3) Good - it encourages the poor people to work harder, they deserve their poverty as they have no morality. 4) Tax the rich less (trickle down theory). If the wealthy pay less tax and make more profit, the money they spend will boost the economy and create more jobs, which everyone will benefit from |
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NEW RIGHT
What causes inequality? |
Cultural deprivation - the poor have a culture that keeps them from success Cycle of deprivation - the poor transmits poverty to their children through poor socialisation The underclass - people who are unwilling to work because they are dependant on benefits Dependency culture - benefits are so much people don’t see a need to work. Poor people engage in tax free cash in hand jobs, shoplifting and drug dealing The underclass are badly educated and under skilled. If they do get a job it will. Be low paid so they aren’t really bothered by work |
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Criticism of new right |
They blame the victims of social deprivation and equality for their own misfortunes According to new right, the nuclear family is the best for socialisation of children but feminists disagree New right policies have been in place for 30 years and there still hasn’t been an improvement in the lives of poor people. |
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NEOMARXISM Does inequality exist? Why do we have inequality? Is inequality a good or bad thing? |
1) yes 2) The ruling class controls ideas in society is the cause of inequality, not the economic relationship between the capitalists and the working class 3) Bad - cultural hegemony is a thing. The poor have unequal access to sources of power like law and the media |
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NEOMARXISM
What causes inequality? |
Gramsci - the upper class make inequality acceptable. The masses agree to the ruling class ideology without questioning, so they can control both the economy and the creation of ideas about society. Althusser - ideological state apparatus reinforces the rule of the capitalist class through socialisation this trains people to think uncritically about capitalism Bourdieu - cultural capitals sustain class inequality, used by advantaged social classes to maintain or enhance their advantages over other groups. Those from ‘culturally disadvantaged’ classes are kept in their place by cultural means as they do not inherit economic, cultural, social or symbolic capital from their parents through socialisation Miliband - the government creates and sustains inequality as it is essential to the survival of the state The government are composed of powerful groups of people from a very few families who enjoy vast privilege Government's view the protection of capitalism as essential. They control society and use the new opium of the masses to control the poor. |
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Criticism of Neomarxism |
Neomarxism is not a unified theory Feminism - it overlooks the importance of gender and racial inequalities. Conspiracy theory - present the government as plotting deliberately to keep the workers down |
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WEBERIANISM 1) Does inequality exist? 2) Why do we have inequality? 3) Is inequality a good or bad thing? |
1) Yes 2) Some people have more class power status and political power than others. Those with little power are dominated or less able to resist control from those who have lots 3) Neither - its a habit of society. It's not deliberately exercised through social control as marxism says |
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What did weber believe social stratification resulted from? |
A struggle for scarce resources in society although it's mainly economic resources, it can also involve struggles for prestige and political power |
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What class groupings did weber develop? |
The propertied upper class - capitalists The propertyless white collar workers - middle class The petty bourgeoisie - small amount of power The manual working class |
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In what ways does weber agree with marx? |
Sees class in economic terms, classes develop in market economies in which individuals compete for economic gain. The major class division in between those who own the forces of production and those who do not. Those who have substantial property holdings will receive better life chances and rewards |
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In what ways does weber disagree with marx? |
Factors other than ownership or non ownership are significant in the formation of classes. The market valued or skills the propertyless have depends on the economic return and sufficient to produce different social classes Weber argues that the white collar middle class expands rather than contracts as capitalism develops Weber rejects the idea of a revolution, but it could still be a possibility Political power doesn't come from economic power like marxism says, the distribution of power in society isn’t linked with the distribution of class inequalities |
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What did weber mean by the term status? |
The unequal distribution of social honor |
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What did weber mean by the term status groups? |
A group made from individuals who are awarded a similar amount of social honor and therefore share the same status situation |
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What did weber mean by the term social closure? |
Involved the exclusion of some people from membership of a status group |
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Give two examples of status groups that cut across class divisions |
Sexuality Religion |
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What did weber mean by the term parties? |
Groups that are specifically concerned with influencing policies and making decisions in the interests of their membership. They have more social power. Better political party = better social stratification |
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Criticisms of weberianism |
Status is subjective and therefore hard to define. Status may differ from one subculture to another. People can belong to a number of different status groups at the same time - how is it possible to say which group is the most influential on power? |
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Feminism 1) Does inequality exist? 2) Why do we have inequality? 3) Is inequality a good or bad thing? |
1) Yes 2) Patriarchal - society works to benefit men. It's not a natural or biological state Social construct Symbolic violence towards women 3)Bad - women are oppressed and exploited by society |
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Causes of gender inequality |
Laws are created and enforced by mainly men with men in mind Women who oppose patriarchy are seen as ‘anti family’ Women tend to earn less than men in employment - gender pay gap Women’s bodies are subject to criticism and comment - in the media and in every day life - an object Male gaze in the media Women are vulnerable to actual and symbolic violence - domestic violence, and if you want to insult someone you call them a woman (you throw like a girl etc) Women are more vulnerable to poverty) |
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Why are women more likely to be poor than men in modern Britain? |
Childcare Domestic labour Prejudice and discrimination Longer life expectancy Unpaid caring Lone parenthood Glass ceiling Low pay work |
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Criticism of feminism |
Feminism is not a unified theory Hakim argues that inequality is the result of women’s economic choices, they choose to prioritise family life over the world of work Women do not form a single social group, and not all object the current social system |
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Why are women more likely to be poor than men in modern Britain? (childcare in detail) |
Women are more likely to take time off to look after children Maternity leave is longer than paternity and gets paid less than normal income (expressive roles) |
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Why are women more likely to be poor than men in modern Britain? (Domestic labour in detail) |
Dual burden/triple shift Expressive roles Unpaid jobs - housewife role Developed careers linked to the housewife role through childhood |
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Why are women more likely to be poor than men in modern Britain? ( Prejudice and discrimination in detail) |
Male dominated jobs, some women don’t think they’re good enough or are intimidated so they don’t go for the better, better paid jobs Women don’t do ‘physical work’ Less chances to succeed because they are not as competitive as men |
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Why are women more likely to be poor than men in modern Britain? ( Longer life expectancy in detail) |
Women live longer but have to work in lower paid employment which affects pensions Sandwich generations |
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Why are women more likely to be poor than men in modern Britain? (Lone parenthood in detail) |
Women are more likely to have custody of children (expressive roles) Laws benefit men Choosing between employment and children Benefits are more likely to go to single mothers who are stigmatised |
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Why are women more likely to be poor than men in modern Britain? (Glass ceiling in detail) |
Barrier of patriarchy Men are more likely to get the job if they were against a women for it Everyone thinks you have a fair chance at getting a job but you don’t |
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Why are women more likely to be poor than men in modern Britain? (Low pay work in detail) |
Pay gap Developed careers to domestic roles through childhood which are usually lower paid |
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Criticism of feminism |
Feminism is not a unified theory Hakim argues that inequality is the result of women’s economic choices, they choose to prioritise family life over the world of work Women do not form a single social group, and not all object the current social system |
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POSTMODERNISM 1) Does inequality exist? 2) What causes inequality? 3) Why do some individuals feel a sense of inequality? How do they become aware of this? |
1) No 2) It is not the structure of society (meta narrative explanation)Finding a cause of inequality is a waste of time Inequality is an individual and not a social problem 3) They become aware that others have better material goods and so we develop a sense of poverty and inequality 4)The media - it makes individuals feel unequal because they lack things that others appear to have (lyotard 1979) |
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postmodernism The impacts of rapid social change |
globalisation - leading a decline in the manufacturing industry Goods being cheap in the west The loss of occupation as an identity status for men Changes in the nature of work (technological advances)Less sense of our own culture Increased individualism (being concerned with your own needs and wants) |
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Criticism of postmodernism |
It offers no explanation for inequality Not a unified theory Statistical evidence shows that divisions between the wealthy and the poor are wider than what they have been for years Some forms of identity are not a lifestyle choice. These identities affect opportunities - can we really argue that this is a perceived sense of inequality as opposed to an actual one? |
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What is Neowebarianism? |
How each sociologists has adapted weber's ideas and applied it to modern society |
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Goldthorpe (1970’s) (neoweberian) |
Measuring social class Introduced variables such as employment relationships, conditions of work and chances to his classification of class |
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Criticism of Goldthorpe |
Feminists argue that the class classification goldthorpe came up with ignore the separate earning potential and educational position of women in the labour market |
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Barron and Norris (1976) (neoweberian) |
Two forms of labour - the middle and ruling class have the primary market the working class have secondary market White men are more likely to be in primary Ethnic minority women are more likely to be in secondary market |
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Giddens (2012) ( neoweberian) |
Middle class are advantaged by qualifications Working class have to sell their labour, and are vulnerable to technological change |
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Rex and Tomlinson (1979) |
Race relations in Britain Marxism fails to account for race inequality but neowebarian accounts of inequality makes analyses of racial disadvantages easier to develop Ethnic minorities experience low class and status in british society - these are compounded by racism so that ethnic minorities lack party (power) As a result a black underclass has developed and people feel frustrated and alienated from societyThey link they with inner city rioting |
