“Social inequality refers to the unequal distribution of social, political, and economic resources within a social collective, such as a nation.” (Krieken, R. et al. 2014, p. 204). Sociologists have identified a number of variables which have an influence on social inequality. These include; class, status, power, social capital and cultural capital. Krieken, R. et al.
This assignment I will outline the concept of an unequal society, in addition I will include prejudice, stereotype, labelling and discrimination. In today’s society a population of individuals are treated unequally or is an individual contributing to unfair treatment, in which they are treating them differently due to their race, gender, social class, sexuality or beliefs. In addition In the UK there is a major gap between the rich and the poor, society is divided and the rich share together and leave the poor with little stash left over. Also social inequality is also identified as when opportunities, different social position or rewards are unequal. Prejudice is when an individual is judged by aspects which do not relate to them at all.
* * Karl Marx divided people into two distinctive groups, which are bourgeoisie and proletariat and he believed that social classes are distinguished according to the means of production (Joyse, 1995). That is bourgeoisies are those who buy working forces, while proletarians are those who sell in order to survive. Each class acts in the way to benefit themselves and their own interests, thereby resulting in conflict, which in turn, lead to limited social mobility. Therefore, Marx argues that social mobility is exceedingly limited and depends on luck or chance (Crompton, 1993). In other words, dominant social groups oppress or control lower ones, and it is extremely problematic to change social class and status.
A sense of belonging and rapport is engendered within collective identities; being part of a group implies common traits that give individuals the same identity, showing them as different to other groups and identities. Identity is a way in which individuals, within the social world they live, make sense of who they are (Woodward, 2004, p2). Identity is complex and multi-faceted as individuals will have multiple identities that define them; employee, parent, friend and teacher. Having multiple identities may produce internal conflict, as the expectations and responsibilities of each identity assert themselves. Identity is fashioned from multiple factors; an individuals gender, country of origin, social class, occupation, interests, cultural background and religion all have an influence on their identity.
It also legitimates class inequality by producing ideologies that disguise its true motive. Bowles and Gintis argued that capitalism requires a workforce with the kind of attitudes, behaviour and personality-type suited to their role as alienated and exploited workers willing to accept hard work, low pay and orders. They argue there is a close relationship between the classroom and the work force this is often referred to as the correspondence principle in which it almost mirrors work format. It is argued that it operates through the hidden
Define the concept of social-class identity; illustrate your answer with examples Social class is a division of a society based on social and economic status. So social class identity refers to a person’s subjective sense of identity and what they think they are in relation to others. However in comparison to what the government may define as someone’s class, what the person believes to be their social class is, is often different. One element of social class identity is associated with what you work as, where you work, and what you earn. For example, someone who does traditional manual labour, especially things such as factory work, building and mining would most likely be classified as someone who is in working class.
Open systems are where people experience some changes in social position. Slavery is an extreme form of social inequality where one group of people s owned by other people. Three dimensions that Weber argues should be considered when examining social stratification are class, status, and power. Class is the degree of wealth that a person has. Status is a person’s social esteem or honor.
Social stratification occurs when differences lead to greater status, power, or privilege for some groups over others. It is a system in which society ranks categories of people in a hierarchy. Members of society are socially stratified on many levels, including socio-economic status, race, class, ethnicity, religion, ability status, and
It is concerned with who does the work, and the way in which it is divided and shared. Theorists have different views on this division and claim that the tasks and people involved are differentiated depending on criteria such as gender, age, skill set, experience, class and ethnicity. I will endeavour to explain the social and gendered divisions of labour theories and provide examples to discuss the comparisons and contrasts between them. Karl Marx’s theory - ‘social division of labour’ developed in 1867, was based on social class divisions controlled by a capitalist social class of wealthy people such as factory and land owners who were only concerned in a ‘boundless greed for riches’(Banks et al, 2013). The concept claims that wealth generated from this division does not filter down to the workers, as the businesses are only concerned in profit making.
Gender inequality refers to disparity between individuals due to gender. Gender is constructed both socially through social interactions as well as biologically through chromosomes, brain structure, and hormonal differences. It is the differences in the status, power and prestige women and men have in groups, collectivises and societies. An unequal share in the distribution of power and influence between men and women. Unequal opportunities for financial independence through work or through setting up businesses.