This document provides an overview of key concepts related to social inequality and stratification. It discusses how society is stratified based on factors such as social class, gender, ethnicity, and age. It examines the structure of inequality in society and how stratification affects people's life chances. Different views on stratification from theorists like Marx and Weber are presented. The document also discusses changing patterns of social inequality over time related to factors like gender, ethnicity, social mobility, wealth distribution, poverty, and the welfare state. Specific examples of research on social inequalities are provided at the end.
2. Social inequality
What is social inequality and stratification? Green Amber Red
What so sociologists mean by the term social inequality?
How is society stratified by social class?
How is society stratified by gender?
How is society stratified by age?
How is society stratified by gender?
How does stratification affect people’s life chances?
How do sociologists measure stratification based on
social class?
Explain Karl Marx’s views on stratification?
Explain Max Weber’s views on social class?
How do functionalists explain social class?
What are the strengths and weaknesses of the Registrar
Generals’ scale?
What are the strengths and weaknesses of the NS-SEC
scale?
How do inequalities based on gender, ethnicity and age
affect people?
What is gender?
What inequalities are based on gender?
What is ethnicity?
What inequalities are based on ethnicity?
What is life course?
3. What inequalities do people face in youth and in old age?
How are wealth, income and poverty distributed in
the UK?
Is wealth distributed fairly through the UK population?
What is social mobility?
What is poverty?
How do we measure poverty?
Which social groups are most likely to experience poverty?
What are the sociological explanations of poverty?
What is the culture of poverty?
What is the cycle of poverty?
What is welfare dependency?
What is the Marxist explanation of poverty?
How do unemployment and the inadequacies of the welfare
state explain poverty?
Contemporary examples
How much social mobility is there in Britain?
Are other divisions in society more important the social
class?
Has Britain got too high a level of welfare dependency?
Can you give 3 recent examples from the news that relate to
anything above?
4. Social Inequality glossary list
Absolute poverty
Achieved status
Ageism
Ascribed status
Asylum seeker
Culture of poverty
Cycle of deprivation
Dependency culture
Environmental poverty
Ethnic diversity
Ethnic group
Ethnic minority
8. Whatisstratification?
Stratificationdescribesthewayinwhichdifferentgroupsofpeopleareplacedwithinsociety.The
statusofpeopleisoftendeterminedbyhowsocietyisstratified -thebasisofwhichcaninclude;
o Wealthandincome -Thisisthemostcommonbasisofstratification
o Socialclass
o Ethnicity
o Gender
o Politicalstatus
o Religion(e.g.thecastesysteminIndia)
Thestratificationofsocietyisalsobaseduponeitheranopen,orclosed,system.
OPEN CLOSED
Statusisachievedthroughmerit,andeffort.This
issometimesknownasameritocracy.TheUK isa
relativelyopensociety,althoughdisadvantaged
groupswithinsocietyfaceaglassceiling.
Statusisascribed,ratherthanachieved.Ascribed
statuscanbebaseduponseveralfactors,suchas
familybackground(e.g.thefeudalsystemconsists
oflandownersandserfs).Politicalfactorsmay
alsoplayarole(e.g.societiesorganisedonthe
basisofcommunism),ascanethnicity(e.g.the
formerapartheidregimeinSouthAfrica) and
religion.
Structureofinequality
Thepoweroftheelitewithinsocietyisbasedupon;
Income
Wealth
Anetworkofsocialconnections – sometimesknownasthe‘oldboysnetwork’
Incontrasttheleastpowerfulwithinsocietyhavefewopportunitiestoescapefrompoverty.There
aredifferentexplanationsforthis.ForexampletheNewRightsociologistCharlesMurrayargued
that thepoorestmembersofsocietyhadbecometooreliantuponwelfarebenefits.Thishadledto a
9. graduallossintheabilityofthepoortoadoptvaluesthatwouldtakethemout ofpoverty; suchas
self-relianceandpersonalinitiative.Mostpeoplewithinsocietyareneitherrichnorpoor.Theyform
partofthemiddle-class –whichisthemostnumericalsocialclasswithinsociety.
Duringyour revision,youneedtobeawarethatlifechancesaredeterminedbyfactorssuchas;
o Socialclass
o Gender
o Schooling
o Ethnicity, etc.
You alsoneedtoexplainwhysuchdifferencesinlifechancesexist.Forexampleethnic minorities
oftenfaceaglassceilingatworkduetodiscriminationuponracialgrounds; whichcanbeeither
overt(orobvious),orcovert(inotherwords,hidden).Womenalsofacethesameproblem.
You shouldalsobeawareoftheexistenceofan“underclass”.Membersoftheunderclassformnorms
andvaluesthatoftendiffertotherestofsociety.Theyarecaughtinapovertytrap(orcycle) from
whichtheyfindverydifficulttoescapefrom.Thisisdespitechangestothewelfareandbenefits
systemdesignedtogetwelfareclaimantsintowork.
Social changeandstratification
You shouldbeawareofrecentchangestotheclassstructureofBritishsociety.Thereareseveral
pointsto consider;
Societyhasbecomemoreopeninrecentyearsaspeoplehavefounditeasiertomovefrom
onesocialclasstoanother.Thismostcommontrajectoryisthemovementofpeoplefrom
theworking-classtothemiddle-class.Somesociologistsdescribethismovementas
embourgeoisement.
Thelifechances availabletowomenhaveimprovedsincethe1970s.Oneexplanationfor
thisistheimpactoffeminism.
Thelifechancesavailabletopeoplefromethnic minoritieshavealsoimprovedinrecent
years,inpartduetolegislationdesignedtopreventdiscrimination.Changingattitudes
within societyshouldalsobeconsidered
Asmallminorityofpeoplestillgainapositionwithin societyviaascribedstatus(e.g.the
royalfamily)
10. You alsoneedtoidentifychangestothedistributionofwealthandincomewithin societysincethe
1970s.Forexampleduetochangestothetaxandbenefitssystem,therichhavegainedinwealthand
income.Britainnowhasarelativelylowlevelofincometaxforthoseonahighlevelofincome.
You alsoneedtoexplainwhysuchchangeshaveoccurredtothedistributionofwealthandincome.
Forexampleduringthe1980sthenumberofpeopleinpovertydoubled.Thiswaspartlydueto
changestothewelfarestatewhichincluded;
o Reducingthevalueofwelfarebenefits
o Encouragingpeople totakemoreresponsibilityfortheirown(andtheirfamilies)
needs,ratherthanrelyinguponthestate.Theaimofsuchchangeswastotacklethe
dependencyculture – anideainfluencedbytheNewRight
Since1997 theLabourgovernmenthasattemptedto reducethelevelofpovertyby;
o Increasingthelevelofpublic expenditureonthewelfarestate
o Thewelfaretoworkprogramme
o Anideologicalcommitmentto helpingthoselessadvantagedwithinsociety
Whilstthegapbetweenrichandpoorhascontinuedto grow,therehasbeenadeclineintherateof
childpovertysinceLabourcametopower.Thegovernment’stargetistoendchildpovertybythe
year2020.
Welfare State
You needtounderstandchangeswithinthewelfarestatesincethe1970s.Therearethreemaineras
you needtobeawareof;
Era Changesmade Influencedby
Goldenageofthe
welfarestate(1945–
1979)
Thescopeandscaleofthewelfare
stateexpandedunder
governmentsofbothmain
parties
TheBeveridgereportwhichaimedto
combatthe5 evilsfacingsociety
(want,ignorance,disease,squalorand
idleness)
16. Shaw - Inequalities in health care exist in Britain. There are fewer doctors in
areas where people had the highest need for medical care. Poverty and poor
health are closely linked.
Holmes – As part of the socialisation process, boys and girls are channelled into
doing different kind of things i.e. boys are seen as tough and talk about cars,
girls are seen as more delicate and talk about clothes or cooking.
Li – Women has worse pay levels than men of similar ages and educational levels
and had worse chances of getting managerial jobs.
Li – All ethnic minority groups had a much worse chance of accessing
employment than their white peers.
Social Trends – in 2001, the wealthiest 1% owned 33% of the wealth, up from
29% in 1991. The most wealthy 50% owned 97% of all the wealth in 2001, up
again from 93% in 1991.
Goldthorpe – Found in 1972-74 there was social mobility and working class kids
could end up in middle class jobs, they were less likely to do so than middle class
kids.
Crompton – Found that by 2008, social mobility is in serious decline and there is
little movement between the classes now.
Poverty and Social Exclusion Survey (PSE) – 26% of British population were
living in poverty, that is unable to afford two or more necessities.
17. Millar – Two groups with the highest risk and the longest durations of poverty
comprise females: lone mothers and older women living alone.
Murray – Welfare benefits encourage crime, single parenthood and
unemployment and takes away the incentive to work from people.
Burchardt – Social exclusion means being unable to participate in key activities
in society: consumption, production, political engagement and social interaction.
How to answer 4 mark questions
The pattern of these questions is:
Explain what sociologists mean by………..
EG “Explain what sociologists mean by labelling.”
Sometimes the question may add when studying……
18. EG “Explain what sociologists mean by conformity when studying education.”
The marks are allocated as follows:
1 mark for basic statements about the question with little or no reference to the topic that the
question’s set on.
2-3 marks for a partial or under-developed sociological explanation, possibly via an
example, in which some general reference will be made to the topic that the question is set
on.
4 marks for a clear explanation focused on the topic that the question is set on that uses
examples from specifically relevant areas of sociology
How to start your answer:
In the context of (insert name of topic), (keyword) means………
Example: Family section: Explain what sociologists mean by patriarchy. (4 marks)
DEFINITION
IN
CONTEXT
In the contextof the family, patriarchy means
EXAMPLE
For example….
EXPLAIN
THE
PROCESS
Thishappensbecause…
Crime and Deviance 4 mark questions.
Explain what sociologists mean by institutional racism. (4 marks)
19. ___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
Explain what sociologists mean by social exclusion. (4 marks)
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
Explain what sociologists mean by the poverty trap. (4 marks)
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
Explain what sociologists mean by the glass ceiling. (4 marks)
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
How to answer 5 Mark questions
DON’T FORGET: underline / highlight the key words in the question and then use them in
your answer.
20. EG: Describe one way in which gender roles in the family have changed in the past 50
years and explain why this change has happened.
DESCRIBE
one way in which gender roles in the family have changed in the past 50 years is
NEW PARAGRAPH
EXPLAIN
this change has happened because
Mark scheme:
Describe one:2 marks 1 mark for a partial description.
2 marks for an appropriate and more developed
description
Explain: 3 marks 1-2 marks for a simple explanation linked to the
description.
3 marks for a clear explanation explicitly related to the
description AND relevant sociological theory /
concepts.
Describe one way in which governments have attempted to end gender
discrimination in the workplace and explain why this policy might not have been
successful. (5 marks)
21. ___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
Describe one reason why people find themselves in poverty and explain why it
might be difficult for them to get out of this situation. (5 marks)
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
Describe one way in which some minority ethnic groups have fewer life chances
than others and explain why this appears to continue over time. (5 marks)
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
Describe one reason why some sociologists use relative definitions of poverty
and explain why some politicians might prefer to use absolute definitions. (5
marks)
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
Describe one way in which the status of the elderly may be lower than that of
other age groups in society and explain how this may lead to discrimination
against them. (5 marks)
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
22. ___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
Describe one consequence of child poverty and explain why the problem of child
poverty continues to exist. (5 marks)
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
Describe one way in which governments have attempted to increase upward
social mobility and explain why this may not have been successful. (5 marks)
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
Describe one possible cause of social exclusion and explain why people often
find it hard to escape from this situation. (5 marks)
___________________________________________________________
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___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
PEELing apart your essay
For your question, identify at least three points – there must be at least ONE in each
column.
Sociologists WOULD agree Sociologists WOULD NOT agree
23. Introductions
Use the question at the beginning of your introduction for example;
How far Sociologists would agree that marriage in Britain today is
important is debateable because
Or
How far sociologists would agree that the type of school a child
attends has a significant effect on his or her life chances is debatable
because
Use the introduction to break down what the question is asking you;
Define any key terms it mentions – EG “life chances”
Is there a theory it is talking about – EG Marxism / Functionalism / New Right
If statistics are involved, what is the key trend or pattern in this area? – EG
Rising / Falling / Steady / High / low
Now PEEL the question apart
You need to do the following for EACH of your 4
points
P
OI
NT
theory or
concept
Use the
words from
the
question as
a starter to
your first
sentence
Pointless picture of a
banana (teacher joke)
24. E
XPLAIN
what do
sociologists
think about
this?
E
XAMPLE
evidence
from stats
or a
relevant
example
from real
life
L
INK
to the
question
and next
paragraph
Conclusion starters
Your conclusion should address the essay question directly (weigh
up all the evidence/theories) and answer the ‘How far.’ part. E.g
To a large/a small / some extent sociologists agree because...
To sum up it would appear that many/some sociologists agree/disagree…
In conclusion it would seem that most/few sociologists agree/disagree…
Mention any statistics that support your conclusion
25. Discuss how far sociologists would agree that modern Britain is a meritocratic
society.
Sociologists WOULD agree Sociologists WOULD NOT agree
Discuss how far sociologists would agree that inequality based on ethnicity is a
more significant cause of social division than social class in modern Britain.
Sociologists WOULD agree Sociologists WOULD NOT agree
Mark Knowledge and
understanding
“How far” (Evaluation) Sociological terms Spelling / punctuation
1-3 Basic statements w ith
little sociology
no response very limited range poor
4-6 Some understanding
of relevant sociology
no response limited range used
appropriately.
some accuracy.
7-9 More developed
understanding of
relevant sociology
recognises ‘how far’. A good range used
effectively.
reasonable accuracy.
10-12 Clear understanding
understanding of
relevant sociology
Explicitly and in detail
addresses ‘how far’
a w ide range used
very effectively.
considerable accuracy
Use the
mark
scheme to
assess
how well
you’re
doing…
26. Discuss how far sociologists would agree that gender discrimination in the
workplace remains an issue in Britain today.
Sociologists WOULD agree Sociologists WOULD NOT agree
Discuss how far sociologists would agree that Britain is now a classless society.
Sociologists WOULD agree Sociologists WOULD NOT agree
Discuss how far sociologists would agree that unemployment is the most
significant cause of poverty in Britain today.
Sociologists WOULD agree Sociologists WOULD NOT agree
Discuss how far sociologists would agree that ethnic inequality is the most
important cause of social division in modern Britain.
Sociologists WOULD agree Sociologists WOULD NOT agree
27. Discuss how far sociologists would agree that a person’s ethnicity is the most
important factor affecting his or her life chances.
Sociologists WOULD agree Sociologists WOULD NOT agree
Discuss how far sociologists would agree that children born into poverty will
grow up to be poor throughout their lives.
Sociologists WOULD agree Sociologists WOULD NOT agree
Discuss how far sociologists would agree that improving access to high-quality
education is the most effective way to increase upward social mobility.
Sociologists WOULD agree Sociologists WOULD NOT agree
Discuss how far sociologists would agree that the growth of an underclass has
led to an increasing number of social problems in Britain today.
Sociologists WOULD agree Sociologists WOULD NOT agree
28. Key terms associated with social inequality
R I N E S P O C I E T Y T H E R E I S S P A
N E G U N O X E Q U A C L D I S T N R T O R
U A D B U W R T I O H N O F R E O E S R V O
U R C N E E A S R I E S U L T I L I D A E N
G I N P E R M E L O P L E B T A E I E T R N
M G U N E G Q D U A L T O A T O N E P I T E
A E N O T H S E R Q U Q V I R U T S R F Y Y
O I R B W U V G B R I I V Q S A P T I I T S
K V D I P W E B E R R E C P T O I I V C R C
Q H S P T S T J J P D L H S V M W F A A A A
F B O P Q O T H E E A S E E H D I E T T P P
G R O W J X C D P S T R R S L N E N I I Z I
T X Q C C M F R S F A T O L E Q X E O O N T
P L P C X O I U A F Y V U Q S S C B N N D A
O N O F E V S M L C E M U Y T I L I B O M L
F C I L A J S E E C Y A W W J C U B V D V I
X M C T V E W B P I L W E F Q A S L B R Q S
X Y I I N C O M E I H A F X F O I I Q Z Q M
C O F V A Q X P T F L K V I S F O Z R P X I
N T J V Y W J Y E T G K R R R R N O C C U G
D T M H R I O Y H I Y L N U L M E H I H T Y
M T P S K R J H G I W T H F D L R A V J R Y
AGE
BENEFITS
CAPITALISM
CHILDSUPPORT
CLASS
CYCLEOFDEPRIVATION
DEPRIVATION
DURKHIEM
EXCLUSION
GENDER
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__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
INCOME
INEQUALITY
MARX
MERITOCRACY
MOBILITY
POVERTY
POVERTYTRAP
POWER
RELATIVEDEPRIVATION
STRATIFICATION
WEALTH
WEBER
WELFARESTATE
