POVERTY, AFFLUENCE AND SOCIAL CHANGE

SOCIAL STRATIFICATION Most societies have systems of stratification – systems of inequality that rank people Based on: class, gender, ethnicity, age They persist over generations In a stratified society, rewards are distributed unequally Overtime, categories change as society grows and becomes more complex

SOCIAL STRATIFICATION, cont’d Earliest forms appeared 5000 years ago in hunter-gatherer societies Closed systems allow for very little change in social position Very rigid boundaries set by ascribed status – a position assigned without regard for personal characteristics Open systems Flexible and influenced by achieved status Allow some degree of social mobility – upward or downward

SOCIAL STRATIFICATION, cont’d In open systems, mobility can be intergenerational – movement from one generation to the next, or intragenerational – within one’s own lifetime

SYSTEMS OF SOCIAL STRATIFICATION Slavery: A closed system in which people are owned by others Originated with the development of agriculture and the division of labour dates back to 2100 BCE and was present in Ancient Egypt, the Roman Empire, parts of the Middle East People were enslaved to pay off debts, to be punished for a crime, or because of social status at birth The Atlantic slave trade in the 19th century led to Africans being captured and sold to European traders, and transported to the Americas Slavery became based on race Still exists today: human trafficking, forced labour, mostly females and children – driven by the global demand for cheap goods and services

SYSTEMS, cont’d Caste system: A closed system, status determined at birth Status determines: occupation, marriage, social life, belief systems India: determines work and who a person can marry South Africa: determines occupation – white vs. black jobs

SYSTEMS, cont’d Class system More open than slavery or caste systems Boundaries are vague Education and skills can lead to mobility Intergenerational and intragenerational mobility Horizontal mobility – movement within a class ie. Gain or loss of position, income Vertical mobility – movement up or down the class structure

THEORETICAL EXPLANATIONS Karl Marx Exploitation by the bourgeoisie (the capitalists) of the proletariat (the workers) would lead to class conflict that would establish a free and classless society Max Weber Class, status and power are all dimensions of social inequality that influence each other and together contribute to inequality They combine in a way that makes one group superior/inferior to another group

THEORETICAL EXPLANATIONS, cont’d Functionalist: inequality is positive and necessary for the proper functioning of society The greater to functional importance, the more rewards there are attached to it Unequal distribution of resources motivates each person to aspire

THEORETICAL EXPLANATIONS, cont’d Symbolic Interactionist Power is relative, negotiated between people with different capacities A mutual understanding of hierarchy exists Talent and effort determines social class

THE CLASS SYSTEM IN CANADA Upper class Roughly 3 to 5 percent of the population Wealth mostly derived from inheritance Usually attend the most respected schools Use their advantage to create a network of influential connections Have a great deal of influence and control

CANADA, cont’d Middle class Working class 40 to 50 percent of the Canadian population Tremendous influence on trends and patterns Professionals, managers, adminstrators – “white collar” Relatively higher-paying, secure occupations with benefits, many in the public sector Working class “blue collar” – factory workers, technicians, mechanics, tradespeople – manual labour Traditionally lower-paying, although not always Unclear lines between middle and working classes

CANADA, cont’d Lower class 15 to 20 percent of the population Unstable and insecure life situations Part-workers or on social assistance May be limited by disability, lack of training/education, age, family responsibilities Are unable to access goods and services Usually transfers from one generation to the next

SOCIAL INEQUALITY IN CANADA https://youtu.be/ZDWOm9eGVpU