Social Inequality and Stratification

Social Inequality

• Exists when opportunities and rewards differ based on social position or status.
• Results in unequal distributions of resources like goods, wealth, and opportunities.
• Occurs globally.

Measuring Social Inequality

• Inequalities of opportunities: Not all people have equal chances in life. Factors like gender, race, age, sexual orientation, and disability influence life chances.
• Inequalities of conditions: Unequal distribution of income, wealth, and material goods. Examples include disparities in housing, economic situations, and the inheritance of wealth.
• Social stratification: A hierarchical arrangement of individuals in society based on factors like wealth, power, and prestige. A system widely assumed to be a meritocracy is implied.

Systems of Stratification

• Caste: A system of social hierarchy based on inherited status.
• Clan: Ownership of people—colonial abolished in the 1800s. Slavery is considered human trafficking.
• Slavery: Similar to clan but a system of ownership. Today, it's known as modern forms of forced labor or human trafficking, and includes sexual exploitation.
• Class: Social ranking based on economic position. People are born into a class (ascribed status), but can potentially move between classes (achieved status).

Class in Canada

• Elites: Hold the most wealth and power, have extensive social networks, attend private schools, and belong to expensive clubs.
• Middle Class:
  • Earnings range from $45,000 to $120,000.
  • Many Canadians identify as middle class.
  • Economic growth is slower in this class than in the elite class.
  • Researchers suggest the middle class may be disappearing, or less readily discernible.
• Poor:
  • 10% of Canadians live in poverty, with 1 in 4 being children.
  • Factors that contribute include Indigenous status, racialization, disability, single-parent families, senior citizens, and youth (2SLGBTQ+).
  • "Hidden poverty" refers to individuals earning above the poverty line while still struggling with basic necessities like food, utilities, and childcare.
  • Canada's food bank usage is rising, particularly among jobs and children.
  • 1.9 million in Canada and 1 million in Ontario alone experienced poverty in March 2023.
  • Poverty levels across various subgroups are higher than societal averages.

Understanding Poverty

• Functionalism: Inequality is seen as inevitable and desirable, playing an important function in society.
• Conflict Theory: Inequality is the result of powerful groups dominating less powerful ones, repressing them to maintain their power. Social progress is hindered by the dominance of the powerful.

Blaming the Individual vs. Systemic Issues

• Blaming the system: Policies, laws, and economic systems are at fault for poverty and inequality, not individual choices.
• Blaming the victim: Individual responsibility and poor choices are attributed to poverty and inequality.

Explore the concepts of social inequality, including the measuring of opportunities and conditions in life. This quiz delves into various systems of stratification, such as caste and clan, and their impact on society. Understand how these factors create unequal distributions of resources and opportunities worldwide.