SOCA01H3 Lecture Notes - Social Mobility, Meritocracy, Social Inequality
Document Summary
Social inequality: inequality in the distribution of societal values (wealth, power, and prestige) prestige: respect, caused by any an ascribed or achieved characteristics. This includes gender, ethnic, racial etc, inequality and socio economic ( class/status) inequality. Socio-economic inequality is a relatively stable pattern ( hierarchy) of social sanctioned, economic inequality economic inequality which is socially sanctioned, societies agree. Inequality exists in all known societies, socio economic inequality exists in nearly all known societies( hunting/gathering societies: gender and age inequality, but no economic inequality) Socio economic inequality can be described and analyzed in 2 ways: Distributional: the hierarchical arrangement of individuals based upon wealth, power, and prestige. Socioeconomic status (ses) is an individuals position in this hierarchy. Ses indicators: property income, education, occupation, occupational prestige, political participation, political power, consumption patterns etc. Stratum( latin for layer) is a category of people with similar amounts of wealth, power and prestige. Assumed value consensus therefore exceptionality of conflict.
