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EconomySocial Class, and RaceEthnicity

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Title: EconomySocial Class, and RaceEthnicity

1
Economy/Social Class, and Race/Ethnicity

Poverty
What is it? (what does it mean to you?)
Federal poverty threshold http//www.census.gov/h
hes/www/poverty/threshld/thresh08.html
US government measurement Mollie Orshansky and
the market basket http//www.census.gov/hhes/ww
w/poverty/povdef.html
How many poor? http//www.census.gov/hhes/www/pove
rty/poverty06/pov06hi.html
Is that the real number?
It includes too many people (food stamps, WIC
programs, soup kitchens, off-the-books money
arent included)
It excludes too many people (functional
illiteracy, issues besides food, are ignored)

2
Things that indicate poverty to many people

3
Inequality Often considered at the heart of
social theory

4
Each approach adds some insight

In general, sociologists take conflict
approaches.
Strength focuses on policy decisions that affect
wealth distribution, whereby the affluent win
(e.g., free trade agreements)
Weakness misses that a market-driven economy is
vibrant and ultimately (historically) improves
lives of whole population
In general, economists adopt a market approach
Strength clearly competitive markets have led to
general prosperity, longer lives, etc.
Weakness doesnt account for example for
growing spread between the rich and the poor
Also replaceability approach (from the text)
you can make only what you can force others to
pay
it is in the interest of employers to keep wages
as low as possible
to the extent you cant be easily replaced, you
can command more
what makes you irreplaceable?
skills/talents
training/education
importance of the position (meaning it affects
many) but important to whom?
Income inequality http//www.census.gov/hhes/www
/income/income.html

5
Other economic issues primary and secondary
labor markets

6
Income by years of education

7
Racial/Ethnic conflict

8
Racial/Ethnic conflict (cont)

Hostility between groups endemic, but not
universal
Why bring this up in this part of the course?
Most often people discuss prejudice/discrimination
as being individual thingsto be explained via
psychology.
From the conflict approaches, prejudice,
discrimination, etc., all mainly come from
conflict over wealth, power, and social status.
The dominant ethnic group gains wealth, power,
social status via oppression.
What about in a capitalist system? (Robert
Blauner vs. Gary Becker)

9
A few issues from the textbook

Define "race, "ethnic group," "cultural
pluralism," "assimilation."
Explain Gordon Allport's theory of contact.
Under what conditions should prejudice decrease?
Increase? Know how the Sherif studies helps
explain this.
Know what Gunnar Myrdals idea of the American
dilemma is, and how it can help explain white
American attitudes towards African Americans.
Explain what Stark means when he says that
prejudice does not so much cause conflict and
status inequality -- status inequality and the
conflict that comes with it causes prejudice.
Know the role "markers" play.
Explain the four factors that cause minorities to
often have substandard wages, from Edna
Bonacich's work.