Ssci 316 Ch. 1 – Flashcards

Implied status hierarchy; differences in how goods, services, power are distributed; unequal causes inequalities

No. social class (SES or socio-economic status), education, size of group, religion, language, sexual orientation, differences in physical abilities

NOT referring to the number of individuals in a group; rather according to the group's access to power, resources and authority; minority (reduced) wealth income prestige; majority(greater) dominate group

(1) experience a patter of disadvantages & inequality (ex. genocide, slavery, no left-hand desks) (2) group members share a trait / characteristic that is visible; that differentiates them as unique (language, dress, grooming, physical characteristics, religion, etc.) inferiority traits (3) group members identify as a group; are a self-conscious social unit (ex. we are all in this together) (4) ascribed membership (a person's status is given at birth); ascribed= permanent - not changeable & achieved= gained through effort (5) tendency to marry within group (endogamous); voluntary by minority enforces by majority(sometimes)

- patterns emerge due to majority (dominant) group's actions - frequently the inequalities are not recognized by members of majority, dominant group (they simply don't 'see' it - because they haven't experienced it)

ethnic minority groups - defined as minority according to perceived cultural characteristicsracial minority groups - defined as minority according to perceived physical characteristics *can overlap-mutually exclusive historical, social, economic, political processes)

race-physical traits that are inherited ethnicity refers to culture - learned through the process of socialization

pattern of inequality - part of daily life - not really acknowledged as existing by those in majority, dominant groups because they do not experience the negative effects;(society determines what the groups are, where the boundaries are, what the hierarchies are) - therefore the consequences are social

these visible signs allow quick and easy identification - and differential treatment;set boundaries of who is or who is not part of which groups

unequal distribution of valued goods, services, power; strata: horizontal layers - social classes - differ: resources, education, age, gender, talent - degree of access to resources, power, authority subsistence technology - how a society provides needed 'stuff' - food, shelter. water

materials, tools, resources, organizations a society uses to produce, distribute (usually unequally) goods & services);creates inequality, which leads to competition, which leads to conflict; agriculture period land is important - industrial period factories, machines - post-industrial - knowledge, ability to use knowledge -inequality due a society's system of economic production - proletariat (working class) - sold their labor for subsistence wages - bourgeoisie (elite) - owned the means of production

-felt that Marx's view of inequality (primarily economics) was too narrow -need to also consider economic position (socio-economic status - SES), prestige, power (ability to influence others - INCLUDING DECISION MAKING - example political power through voting) 1. ownership, control of property, wealth, income (similar to Marx concept of class) 2. prestige: honor, esteem, respect 3. power (including decision making) - ability to influence others, pursue own interests, goals *often overlap; go together, but does not mean equal op.

accepts Weber's premise of importance of class (property), prestige, power - includes that to understand stratification, we need to consider societal evolution (level of development) -related to subsistence technology — subsistence technology impacts degree of inequality & criteria of inequality)

intersectionality (female, black) - intersection of race, class, gender (not look at them separately but recognize they are): — interlocked — mutually reinforcing -consider where that person fits into society by also examining that person's class, gender - within the current social context

power is not static; differences in power leads to competition, conflict - to control goods, services — can result in emergence of exploitation institutions such as slavery

many cross systems of domination and subordination - cross over each other - overlap with each other - impact an individual person's experiences, opportunities - the concept 'matrix of domination' does not end with race, class gender -other factors: disability, sexual preference, religion, age, national origin, being homeless

stratification due to differential access to wealth, income — (wealth - accrued over time - has greater impact) — (income - amount earned within a set period of time, often a year) - a person's status (minority, majority) impact that person's life chances, health, wealth opportunities, potential success

-where to live, type of employment, educational attainment, access to appropriate nutrition, neighborhood safety -way of differentiating among people -visible traits used to define boundaries across groups - if traits are more easily noted, the identification is more certain (increases ability to itemize people into groups) - boundary - race, religion, language, occupation - important: these categories are not perceived as simple 'different- - hierarchy is imbedded

no.

prejudice- negative attitudes (cognition, thoughts) applied to an entire category of people; attached to groups that are defined as being inferior; stereotypes discrimination-treating individuals unequally based on their perceived group membership (and a persons thoughts about that group) stereotypes-generalizations that are applied to all members of a group;competition between groups likely leads to prejudice (rather than prejudice leading to competition); rationalizing inequities in societies ideological racism- a belief system or a set of ideas - asserts that a particular group is inferior - used to legitimize or rationalize the inferior status of the group - Incorporated into the culture of society and can be passed on from generation to generation. institutionalized discrimination- Patterns of unequal treatment based on group membership and built into the institutions and daily operations of society. - Can be obvious and overt, but usually operate in more hidden and unintended ways. - Individual level prejudice and discrimination, and group level racism and institutional discrimination reinforce each other. *thinking& feeling: prejudice & ideological racism doing: discrimination & institutional discrimination

competition leads to prejudice;between groups can lead to prejudice — more likely that prejudice is a result of competition