Questions and Answers
What factors combine to define class?
Which of the following statements about class, race, and gender is true?
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?
Signup and view all the answers
What does social stratification refer to?
Signup and view all the answers
Define life chances.
Signup and view all the answers
What is the matrix of domination?
Signup and view all the answers
Which statement about social class is true?
Signup and view all the answers
The culture of poverty theory has been thoroughly verified.
Signup and view all the answers
The social locations of opportunity and oppression are __.
Signup and view all the answers
What does the cultural approach argue?
Signup and view all the answers
What is the structural approach focused on?
Signup and view all the answers
The shortcomings of the cultural approach ignore institutional practices.
Signup and view all the answers
What do poverty patterns identified by researchers indicate?
Signup and view all the answers
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.
Studying That Suits You
Use AI to generate personalized quizzes and flashcards to suit your learning preferences.
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.
