SOC101Y1 Chapter Notes - Chapter 1: Handedness, Social Inequality, Ageism
Document Summary
Sociology of the body: disability, aging, and death. Experiment: students were asked to rank four people in terms of their height. Social factors determine the average height of most populations. Social consequences flow from differences in height. Strong correlation between family income & average height. Correlation between stature & class position. Tall people live longer than others do. Tend to reach the top of their profession more quickly. Short people experience subtle discrimination based on height. Would you choose a spouse who is taller than you are? ii). Body weight influences status because of the cultural expectations we associate with it. Overweight women complete fewer months of school, are less likely to be married, earn less per year, more likely to live in poverty. Consequences of being overweight are less serious for men. Poverty encourages obesity; obesity tends to make women poorer too. The likelihood of being overweight increases with age, and decreases with class & education.
