1. POVERTY, AFFLUENCE AND SOCIAL CHANGE

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

13. 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

14. 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

15. SOCIAL INEQUALITY IN CANADA