SA 231 Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: Social Reproduction, Meritocracy, Social Stratification

• School: Simon Fraser University
• Department: Sociology and Anthropology
• Course: SA 231
• Professor: Barry Cartwright

Document Summary

Financial crisis, poverty and inequality in canada: trends and issues for families. Case study: the ri(cid:272)e fa(cid:373)ily: (cid:862)(cid:374)o pla(cid:272)e (cid:272)alled ho(cid:373)e(cid:863) Absolute= essential goods and services needed for survival. Relative= compared to contemporary standards (keeping up with the jones) Low income measured with 3 different methods (stats canada: low income cut off= most common before or after tax based on average family income spent food, shelter and clothing. Economic vulnerability vs. econonmic security (cid:862) a(cid:374) assured sta(cid:374)dard of living that provides a level of resources and benefits necessary to parti(cid:272)ipate e(cid:272)o(cid:374)o(cid:373)i(cid:272)ally, politi(cid:272)ally, so(cid:272)ially, (cid:272)ulturally, a(cid:374)d (cid:449)ith dig(cid:374)ity i(cid:374) their (cid:272)o(cid:373)(cid:373)u(cid:374)ity"s activities. Security goes beyond mere physical survival to encompass a level of resources that pro(cid:373)otes so(cid:272)ial i(cid:374)(cid:272)lusio(cid:374)(cid:863) Why are some individuals/families poorer than others? (cid:862)(cid:271)la(cid:373)e the (cid:448)i(cid:272)ti(cid:373)(cid:863) argu(cid:373)e(cid:374)ts. Culture of poverty thesis (eg. fatalistic attitudes in certain cultures that devalue education). Inheritance of conditions/reproduction of class and social stratification. General public, media, policy makers often favour personal failure explanations.