Questions and Answers
What is 'class' in the context of anthropology?
What does 'inequality' refer to?
Unequal access to wealth, power, resources, privileges, and status.
What does 'cultural capital' consist of?
Which of the following describes 'economic capital'?
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What is 'social capital'?
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What distinguishes wealth from income?
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What is the proletariat?
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Define bourgeoisie.
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What is meant by 'social reproduction'?
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What does 'habitus' refer to?
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What characterizes a ranked society?
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Define an egalitarian society.
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What is intersectionality?
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What are 'means of production'?
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What does class stratification refer to?
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Define a caste system.
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What is a key idea presented by Karl Marx?
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What did Max Weber contribute to sociological thought?
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What is social mobility?
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What is meritocracy?
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What is the 'myth of classless society'?
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Define ideology in the context of inequality.
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What is the culture of poverty?
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What are life chances?
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Study Notes
Class and Inequality
- Class: A power system based on wealth, income, and status leading to unequal resource distribution in society.
- Inequality: Refers to the disproportionate access to wealth, power, resources, privileges, and status among individuals and groups.
Forms of Capital
- Cultural Capital: Knowledge and tastes acquired from family that facilitate access to social resources; for example, wealthy families provide children with travel opportunities, language learning, and cultural exposure.
- Economic Capital: Includes income earned from work and investments, and wealth defined as total assets minus debts; patterns in income reveal power dynamics in society.
- Social Capital: Benefits derived from social networks; personal connections can enhance social mobility and access to resources, exemplified by associations with elite families or educational institutions.
Class Concepts
- Wealth vs. Income: Wealth refers to accumulated assets, while income is the money earned from work or investments.
- Proletariat: The laboring class who only possess their labor.
- Bourgeoisie: The capitalist class that owns the means of production like factories and financial resources.
Social Dynamics
- Social Reproduction: The process through which social and class relations are perpetuated across generations, often reinforced by educational systems that limit opportunities for mobility.
- Habitus: The ingrained dispositions acquired through family, education, and culture influencing life choices.
Societal Structures
- Ranked Society: A social system where prestige and status are hereditary rather than wealth-based.
- Egalitarian Society: A community where resources are shared equitably, typically found in hunter-gatherer societies that emphasize cooperation.
Analytical Frameworks
- Intersectionality: Framework examining how interconnected characteristics like race, gender, and class shape individual life outcomes and social stratification.
Economic Structures
- Means of Production: Essential materials and resources necessary for production, including land and capital.
- Class Stratification: The hierarchy of social classes determined by unequal power and resource access.
- Caste System: A rigid class structure where social position is assigned at birth and difficult to escape.
Theorists and Their Contributions
- Karl Marx: Key concepts include capitalism, class struggle between bourgeoisie and proletariat, and labor relations.
- Max Weber: Introduced ideas of prestige, life chances influenced by resources like education and healthcare, and how class impacts access to opportunities.
- Pierre Bourdieu: Focused on social mobility, cultural capital, and how habitus influences social dynamics.
Social Mobility and Ideology
- Meritocracy: Education system based on individual talent and motivation that claims to provide equal opportunities for all; however, actual mobility is often tied to systemic barriers.
- Myth of Classless Society: The belief that hard work alone can lead to success, ignoring structural inequalities that limit opportunities regardless of work ethic.
- Ideology: A set of beliefs that rationalizes and maintains social inequalities.
Cultural and Economic Issues
- Culture of Poverty: An urban poverty concept suggesting that dependency on welfare and a poor work ethic perpetuate poverty cycles.
- Life Chances: The chances of individuals improving their life quality, which are heavily influenced by financial and social resources.
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Description
Explore key concepts in anthropology related to class and inequality with this flashcard set. Enhance your understanding of how social structures influence access to resources and privileges. Perfect for students looking to grasp essential terminology and definitions.