September 29 2011.docx

September 29 2011 Social Inequality Social Inequalitythe extent to which culturally valued material andsocial rewards are given disproportionately to individuals orgroupsoccurs when certain individuals or groups havegreater access to and control over valued resources than doothers in that societyCASTE SYSTEMCASTE SYSTEM Ascribed closedEXAMPLE INDIA Brahmins Priests purist caste Kshatriyas Rulers Warriors Vaisyas merchants Shudras menial workersartisans Harijans or Dalits untouchables Membership assigned by birthCASTE SYSTEM Ranked according to notions of purity and pollution Occupations specific to caste Marriage is endogamous Little to no social mobility Karma and dharma social controlCLASS SYSTEM achieved openMARXIST VIEW Based on relations of production In capitalism owners of the means of productionbourgeoisie and people who must sell their labourproletariat