Sociology-Social Stratification

• Inequality means some people may have more wealth than others and better opportunities and might be seen as more important than others
• Davis and Moore are functionalists and says that society needs these rewards as money and status to ensure that people live the best lives. and people have to work hard and achieve these roles.
• Role allocation matches a person's ability and effort.Without rewards people would not try there best and society wont work properly
• Marxist view is that inequality exists because it benefits those who hold power, they use their position to keep themselves at the top.
• Absolute mobility is moving from one class to another but staying on the same rung of the ladder
• The ruling class (capitalist) exploit the working class by paying them less then what they produce so they can make profit. This creates poverty and unemployment which keeps wages low
• Social mobility is when someone moves up or down the social class ladder
• In Marxist theory, social stratification is caused by capitalist societies. The bourgeoisie own the means of production and control the economy while the proletariat do not own any means of production and must sell their labour to survive. They are therefore forced into wage slavery.
• Relative mobility is when someone moves up or down the social hierarchy compared with other members of society
• Horizontal mobility is movement within the same class
• Income is how much money you earn per year
• Capitalism is an economic system where goods and services are produced for sale rather than being used directly by producers
• Capitalism is an economic system where goods and services are produced for sale rather than being used directly by producers
• Vertical mobility is movement between classes
• Meritocracy is where success depends upon ability rather than background
• Marxists believe that there will be no social mobility under capitalism as it is designed to keep people in their place
• Weber believes your market position and the amount of money you earn affects your social class.Status is important to people some positions are more important than than the other.
• Traditional authority- The British Royal Family is based on a long-established custom. Royal bloodline traced back hundreds of years
• Charismatic Authority- Power and personalities.Leads gain high levels of popularity and support from loyal followers
• Rational Legal authority-most common in modern socities and follows leaders according to the the system
• Peter Saunders said we live in a classless society.
• Life Chances- the working class is less likely to gain 5 good passes at GCSE or to go to university.The working class receive less income .Working class people are generally expected to have less wealth
• Peter Saunders argues that inequality in life chances is not about unfairness but middle-class children working harder and having more ability.
• Feminists challenge the media representation of women. Feminists argue that the media was showing stereotypes of men and exaggerated women roles
• Anne Oakley- argues that representation is apart of socialization and people expect boys and girls to follow predictably gender choices
• Absolute Poverty- A person who has no access to basic necessities of life.
• Relative Poverty- The poverty of a country compared to other countries.
• Young Adults suffer from media stereotyping. They're as a threat to society and are more likely to be criminals, drinkers, and reckless.
• Prejudice- involves deciding what people are like based on characteristics such as age, gender or social class
• Older people are overlooked for a job and opportunities. Stereotypes as slow and unreliable and undermined for there abilities even though many people have skills and experience
• Disability- a person is unable long-term to do something everyday tasks as well as other people due to mental or physical impairments
• Marxists argue that disabled people are treated differently because they don't contribute to the needs of capitalism. they don't create enough wealth but instead take it way and more money is being spent trying to adjust to there needs
• Ageism- the prejudice or discrimination against older people.
• Poverty: the state of being extremely poor
• Deprivation: the damaging lack of material benefits considered to be basic necessities in a society
• New Right Charles Murray argue that the underclass is a problem for society and the underclass can live of the government's benefits to there's no need to improve there lives to they have low aspirations
• Racism- the belief that one race is superior to another.