Social Inequality

What is stratification?
1. Stratification describes the way in which different groups of people are placed within society. The status of people often determined by how society is stratified - the basis of which can include; Wealth and income ( most common basis of stratification) Social class, Ethnicity, Gender, Political status and Religion.
2. Open or closed?
  1. OPEN: Status is achieved through merit, and effort. This is sometimes known as meritocracy . The UK is a relatively open society, although disadvantaged groups within society face a glass ceiling.
  2. CLOSED: Status is ascribed, rather than achieved. Ascribed status can be based upon several factors, such as family background, political factors may play a role, as can ethnicity and religion.
Structure of inequality
1. The power of the elite is based upon; income, wealth and a network social connection.
2. Life chances are determined by factors such as; social class, gender, ethnicity, schooling.
Social chances and stratification
1. Society has become more open in recent years as people have found it easier to move from one social class to another. This most common trajectory is the movement of people from the working class to the middle class. Some sociologists describes this movement as embourgeoisiement .
2. The life chances available to women have improved since the 1970s. One explanation for this is feminism.
3. The life chances to ethnic minorities have improved in recent years.
4. Since the 1970s Labour have tried to reduce the level of poverty by..
  1. Increasing the public expenditure on the welfare state.
  2. The welfare to work programme
  3. An ideological commitment to helping those less advantaged in society.
Changes have occurred to the distribution of wealth and income.
1. During the 1980s the number of people in poverty doubled. This was partly due to the changes in the welfare state.
2. Reducing the the value of the WS. Encouraging people to take more responsibility for their own needs rather than relying upon the state.
Welfare benefits
1. Universal
  1. Universal benefits are provided to all regardless of a claimant's financial status
2. Selective
  1. Selective benefits are provided on the basis of a claimants income and circumstances.
3. The state: The government provides both selective and universal benefits via the welfare state.
4. The third sector: It consists of charities and not-for-profit organisation.
5. The private sector: Private hospitals are sometimes used to treat NHS patients . The government also work with the private sector.
6. The Labour and Lib Dems are supportive of the Welfare State where as the Conservatives aren't.
Poverty
1. Absolute poverty
  1. This is when a person can not provide for the basic needs (shelter, food).
2. Relative poverty.
  1. The governments official statistics define the poverty line as those earning below 60% of the average earning.
3. The impact of poverty can be hugely significant.
  1. Loss of status/ income
  2. A decline in self esteem
  3. A decline in personal health
  4. A feeling of social exclusion
Inequality based on gender
1. Feminist approaches explore gender inequalities in society. Over the last 40 years, reforms in area such as education and employment have addressed aspects of gender inequality. The government have introduced anti-discrimination laws such as equal pay act (1970) to reduce gender inequality.
2. Today women are increasingly likely to achieve high level education qualifications, high status jobs and good salaries. Despite this, feminists approaches argue that remains the most significant social division in contemporary society.
3. Some feminist sociologists see society as patriarchal. This is where men have a lot of power within families, politics and the work place. Men also generally receive bigger share of rewards such as wealth and status.
Inequality based on ethnicity
1. Many employers have equal opportunity polices to support equality and diversity
2. The 1976 race relations act outlawed discrimination based on ethnicity.
3. The equality and Human Rights Commission has power to enforce the equality of laws and to shape public policy on equality rights.
4. As a result of these changes, sociologists believe that ethnic inequality is less significant, although some argue little has changed in work, education and criminal justice.
5. Unemployment rates are higher of those who don't have a white British and white Irish heritage.
Inequality based on age
1. Sociologists argue that age is socially constructed. This means that society decides how age will be interpreted. This can be seen in historical and cross cultural differences in expectations surrounding age.
2. Child Labour is now illegal in Britain, it was the norm among working class families in the 19th century. and exisits is some parts of the world today.
3. The status of older people can also vary between cultures.
4. The term ageism describes situations where someone is treated differently because of their age.

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Social Inequality

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	Created by sophie.hamilton2 almost 11 years ago