Cultural Transmission & Social Inequality PDF

**Cultural Transmission:** cultural transmission addresses how culture is learned. Culture is passed along from generation to generation through various childrearing practices, including when parents expose children to music Social Inequality Overview of Social Inequality  The resources in a s...

**Cultural Transmission:** cultural transmission addresses how culture is learned. Culture is passed along from generation to generation through various childrearing practices, including when parents expose children to music Social Inequality Overview of Social Inequality  The resources in a society are unevenly distributed. Ex. Wealth in US, top 20% have 72% of the wealth of the country and bottom 20% only control 3% o Upper, middle, and lower class. Based on incomes. o As you go up the social ladder, have better access to education, healthcare, and housing.  Groups of population disproportionality affected -- **ethnic/racial minorities** have greater degrees of inequality as manifested by lower incomes, lower education, and reduced access to healthcare.  Those in poverty also face considerable barriers to obtaining the same healthcare, education, and other resources as others.  Gender does too. Females experience differences in pay (**gender-pay gap**), and the **glass** **ceiling effect** (poorly represented in higher position in companies)  People may feel increasingly **socially excluded**, live in **segregated neighbourhoods**, and feel **politically disempowered**. o Can lead to civil unrest, and tempt people into criminal activities.  Ways to help: **government schemes** (ex. Food stamps), improve **access to** **education/healthcare,** and figure out social interventions that allow **integration to** **society**.  Health Disparity: Difference in health outcome that is closely related to social and economic factors. Social inequality causes the difference, not a biological one. Upward and Downward Mobility,  We have a number of ways to break down society into social layers, ex. Classes o Lower class -- manual work, labour, low-pay jobs. o Middle class -- professionals, better paying jobs o Upper class -- very wealthy businessmen and family wealth o Correlates to amount of income.  When we think of **social positions**, can there be movement? Yes. Various ways. o Individual can move **horizontally / horizontal** mobility-- move within the same class. Ex. Accountant switches job to different accounting company. o **Vertical movement** /mobility -- move up or down the social hierarchy. Ex. Manager at restaurant becomes CEO of fast food restaurant. But if he gets demoted to serving food, fall downwards.  Various types of social constructs that allow for social mobility. o **Caste system** -- very little social mobility, because your role is determined entirely by background you're born to and who you're married to. A lot of social stability. Ex. The Hindu caste system. 303 o **Class system** -- allows for degree of social mobility, combination of background and movement, often by education. Less stability. o **Meritocracy** -- concept that people achieve social position solely based on ability and achievements. Highly idealized. Birth/parental background doesn't matter. Extreme social mobility. Equal opportunity. § "Social rewards, status, position are awarded to individuals based on their own ability to work (merit). In order for a meritocracy to operate, everyone within the society would need the same opportunity to succeed, so that rewards are actually based (primarily) on merit." § It is not necessary for everyone to have the same talent or skill level or outcome. It just means everyone has the same opportunity to achieve. It means achievement is not prescribed at birth (like in a caste system). It means there is a high degree of mobility. § Meritocracy is a system under which individuals are rewarded on the basis of individual skill, talent, or achievement. Inter-Generational and Intra-Generational Mobility, Social Mobility  If change in social class happens in a person's own lifetime -- **intra-generational** **mobility**.  **Intergenerational mobility** -- change in social class between generations, ex. Parent is working class and son is working class. Absolute and Relative Poverty  2 different ways of thinking about poverty -- does it threaten survival of person, or does it exclude them from society?  **Absolute poverty** -- An absolute level at which if you go below, survival is threatened. Minimum level of resources a human being needs to survive. This level no matter where you are. o Approx. \$1-2 a day, talking about developing countries. o However, someone in Arctic needs a lot more than somewhere else. There's variability absolute poverty does not consider. o The median level of income in a society can gradually rise as country gets richer. When it does, we find less people live in absolute poverty -- decrease in poverty.  **Relative Poverty** -- in developed countries, use a different marker -- a % level below the median country of the country. Ex. In Us, instead of \$1-2 a day, median income is above \$80/day. o \