SOC263H5 Chapter Notes -Talcott Parsons, Social Inequality
Document Summary
People are poor because opportunities are distributed differentially in society on the basis of things such as class, age, gender, ethnicity, and race. Inequality doesn"t simply refer to differences among individuals but rather reflects differences that matter, differences that result in unfairness and disadvantage for some and privilege for others. To understand social inequality we need a framework that integrates social structure, human agency and social time. Social inequality refers to relatively long lasting differences among individuals or groups of people that have implications for individual lives, especially for the rights or opportunities they exercise and the rewards and privileges they enjoy. These structures of inequality are patterns of advantage and disadvantage that are durable but penetrable. Durable means that it stays for a long time and penetrable means it can pass through generations. Human agency is the capacity of individuals to interpret their situation and act to change.
