Podcast
Questions and Answers
What factors combine to define class?
What factors combine to define class?
Which of the following statements about class, race, and gender is true?
Which of the following statements about class, race, and gender is true?
How do life chances change over time?
How do life chances change over time?
Life chances become less optimistic with negative experiences and more optimistic with positive experiences.
What are macrostructural systems comprised of?
What are macrostructural systems comprised of?
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What does social stratification refer to?
What does social stratification refer to?
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Define life chances.
Define life chances.
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What is the matrix of domination?
What is the matrix of domination?
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Which statement about social class is true?
Which statement about social class is true?
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The culture of poverty theory has been thoroughly verified.
The culture of poverty theory has been thoroughly verified.
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The social locations of opportunity and oppression are __.
The social locations of opportunity and oppression are __.
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What does the cultural approach argue?
What does the cultural approach argue?
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What is the structural approach focused on?
What is the structural approach focused on?
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The shortcomings of the cultural approach ignore institutional practices.
The shortcomings of the cultural approach ignore institutional practices.
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What do poverty patterns identified by researchers indicate?
What do poverty patterns identified by researchers indicate?
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Study Notes
Class and Social Structures
- Class combines income, education, wealth, and occupation; influences individual opportunities.
- The divide between rich and poor children's life chances continues to widen.
- Macro-structural systems, including class, race, and gender, impact family dynamics and resource distribution, leading to inequalities.
Life Chances and Experience
- Life chances improve with positive experiences and worsen with negative ones, showcasing the accumulation of life experiences over time.
- Systems of stratification delineate life opportunities, affecting access to a fulfilling life throughout one's life cycle.
Social Stratification
- Social stratification refers to structured inequality where groups are socially categorized and treated unequally based on perceived superiority or inferiority.
- Social class is defined by relative economic rank within the stratification system and is characterized by significant income disparities in the U.S.
Culture of Poverty Theory
- The culture of poverty concept highlights that the poor develop distinct characteristics that perpetuate poverty; originally explored by anthropologist Oscar Lewis.
- This theory attributes cultural traits to poverty, such as fatalism and permissiveness in child-rearing, although it has not been verified.
Matrix of Domination
- The matrix of domination encompasses the systems of inequality, including race, class, and gender, influencing individual experiences based on social positioning.
- The interplay of these systems creates power imbalances both within and between families.
Cultural vs. Structural Approaches
- The cultural approach posits that family patterns contribute to class inequality, with distinct values and behaviors differentiating classes.
- The structural approach argues that class inequalities shape family patterns; access to opportunities is socially structured rather than based solely on individual abilities.
Critiques of Cultural Perspectives
- The cultural approach overlooks institutional practices ingrained in society, with many cultural factors linked to social and material realities of different classes.
- Research from the University of Michigan (PSID) indicates that poverty is not a permanent condition; individuals often experience fluctuations in their economic status due to various life changes.
Poverty Dynamics
- Longitudinal studies have shown that poverty is cyclical, with individuals moving in and out rather than being trapped in an ongoing underclass.
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Description
Explore the key concepts of class, race, and gender with these flashcards. Understand how these macro-structural systems shape individual destinies and influence family dynamics through the distribution of social resources. Perfect for students studying sociology and social inequalities.
