SOC 232 Lecture Notes - Lecture 15: Cultural Capital, Social Capital, Working Poor
Document Summary
Factors in economic success: degree of natural talent, degree of effort, level of education. Social capital (people"s networks or connections: cultural capital (stock of learning and skills that increases chance of securing a superior job) Is intense debate over the following: whether definition should be in absolute or relative terms. Definitions of poverty have political consequences because of ability to influence policy- makers, who determine whether social policies are enacted or not enacted based on levels and trends in poverty. Are two types of explanations: (i) individual-level explanations; and (ii) structural explanations. Individual-level explanations: focus on attributes of people who are poor and ask how these people differ from those who are not poor. Causes of poverty are located in personal deficits, such as inherited attributes (e. g. , low intelligence, behaviour abnormality) or acquired attributes or stigmas (e. g. , low self- esteem, lack of achievement, motivation) Evidence supporting these explanations often are lacking.
