Structured Status Inequality

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Structured Status Inequality
SOCIETY
CIVILIZATION

• Culture is to society what society is to
  civilization

CULTURE
SOCIETY
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Structured Status Inequality
CULTURE
SOCIETY

• Social relations are to culture what
  institutional structure is to society

SOCIAL INTERACTION
INSTITUTIONAL STRUCTURE
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• SOCIETY IS A HIERARCHY OF GROUPS.
• INDIVIDUALS ARE POSITIONED AT VARIOUS LEVELS IN
  THE HIERARCHY THAT IS, SOCIAL STRATIFIED
  DEPENDING ON THERE MEMBERSIP IN GROUPS.
• BECAUSE SOCIETY IS HEIRARCHICAL IT IS
  CHARACTERIZED BY DIFFERENTIAL POWER AND STATUS.
• BECAUSE GROUPS HAVE DIFFERENTIAL POWER AND STATUS
  THEY ARE SOCIALLY UNEQUAL (THAT IS, THEY STAND IN
  INEQUITABLE RELATIONS TO SOCIETYS RESOURCES AND
  OPPORTUNITIES).
• BECAUSE SOCIETAL GROUP RELATIONS ARE UNEQUAL
  THAT IS, CHARACTERIZED BY STRUCTURED SOCIAL
  INEQUALITY SOCIOLOGICAL RESEARCHERS EXAMINE
  SOCIETY AS A STUDY IN DOMINANT AND SUBDOMINANT
  INTERACTION.

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The Triangulation Of Culture, Ideology And
PowerIn Social Interaction
POWER
IDEOLOGY
CULTURE
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Societys Social Stratification System

• THE INTERACTION BETWEEN CULTURE, POWER AND
• IDEOLOGY IS THE BASIS FOR SOCIAL STRATIFICATION
  
• (POSITION, RANK, LAYER, PECKING ORDER ) IN
  SOCIETY
• CULTURE CREATES SOCIAL STRATIFICATION
  (JOCKEYING FOR POSITION) IN AND THROUGH THE
  CONSTRUCTION OF SOCIAL REALITY.
• POWER MAINTAINS SOCIAL STRATIFICATION BE
  ENFORCING AN CONSISTENT GROUP PECKING ORDER.
• IDEOLOGY CULTURAL BELIEFS THAT SERVE TO
  JUSTIFY SOCIAL STRATIFICATION.

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Societys Social Stratification System

• SOCIAL RANKING IN SOCIETY IS AN EXTENSION OF
  CULTURAL GROUP INTERACTION, EMBEDDED AND ENFORCED
  BY POWER, AND JUSTIFIED BY IDEOLOGY.
• CULTURE 1 IS ESSENTIAL FOR OUR INDIVIDUAL
  SURVIVAL CONTRIBUTE TO HUMAN SOCIAL AND PHYSICAL
  SURVIVAL 2 IT PROVIDES THE RULES THAT GUIDE
  HUMAN BEHAVIOR NORMS NORMATIVE SYSTEMS
  IT ACCOUNTS FOR PATTERN REGULARITIES OF THOUGHT
  AND IDEAS BELIEFS BELIEF SYSTEMS, 3
  PROVIDES A STANDARD FOR RIGHT OR WRONG VALUES
  VALUE SYSTEMS
• POWER IS THE ABILITY TO MAKE OTHERS DO WHAT
  YOU WISH THEM TO DO, WHETHER THEY LIKE IT OR NOT
  A SYSTEM OF DOMINATION 1 THROUGH THE
  EXERCISE OF PHYSICAL COERCION AND 2 TROUGH THE
  CONSTRUCTION OF IDEOLOGIES
• IDEOLOGY A COMPLEX OF IDEAS THAT ATTEMPT TO
  EXPLAIN, JUSTIFY, LEGITIMIZE, AND PERPETUATE A
  SPECIFIC SET OF CIRCUMSTANCES IDEAS AND VALUES
  THAT REINFORCE THE INTERESTS OF THE DOMINANT
  GROUP WHILE UNDERMINING THE INTEREST OF
  SUBORDINATE GROUPS

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The Triangulation Of Social Organization, The
State And Politics At The Institutional Level
POLITICS
SOCIAL ORGANIZATIONS
THE STATE
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Superimposed Grids When Social Relations Are
Institutionalized
POWER ? POLITICAL ECONOMY
IDEOLOGY ? THE STATE
CULTURE ? SOCIAL ORGANIZATIONS
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The Vertical MosaicSocietys System of
Graduated Privilege

• THE INTERACTION BETWEEN SOCIAL ORGANIZATIONS,
  POLITICS AND THE STATE IS THE BASIS FOR THE
  HIERARCHICAL INSTITUTIONAL STRUCTURE OF SOCIETY
• SOCIAL ORGANIZATIONS CREATE AND CONSTITUTE THE
  INSTITUTIONAL STRUCTURE OF SOCIETY.
• POLITICS POLITICAL ECONOMY POLITICAL
  INSTITUTIONS ARE CONCERNED WITH THE EXERCISE OF
  POWER, AND CONTROL OF THE STRUCTURE OF SOCIETY
  (THROUGHT THE CONTROL OF THE DISTRIBUTION OF
  RESOURCES AND THE ECONOMY).
• STATE STATE INSTITUTIONS ARE THE MEANS THROUGH
  WHICH THAT POWER AND CONTROL IS EXERCISED
  (THROUGH THE FORMAL LAWS, PUBLIC POLICIES,
  DOMINANT VALUES).

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Societys Social Stratification System

• STRATIFICATION IS THE HIERARCHICAL ARRANGEMENT
  OF SOCIAL STRATA IN A SOCIETY.
• EVERY SOCIETY CAN BE DIVIDED INTO LAYERS OR
  HIERARCHIES THAT CAN BE RANKED ACCORDING TO
  CERTAIN CRITERIA IN ASCENDING OR DESCENDING
  ORDER. THIS SUGGESTS THAT INEQUALITY IS NOT
  RANDOM OR FLEETING, BUT IS PATTERNED AND
  PREDICTABLE AND TENDS TO CLUSTER AROUND CERTAIN
  DEVALUED CATEGORIES RELATED TO RACE OR ETHNICITY,
  CLASS AND GENDER.

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Graduated Privilege

• SOCIAL STRATIFICATION - A HIERARCHY OF POSITIONS
  THAT HAVE UNEQUAL PROPERTY, POWER AND PRESTIGE
  (3PS).
• ALL SOCIOLOGISTS AGREE THAT SOCIETY IS A
  STRATIFICATON SYSTEM BASED ON A HIERARCHY OF
  PROPERTY, POWER AND PRESTIGE THAT IS MANIFESTED
  IN PATTERNS OF STRUCTURED SOCIAL INEQUALITY.
• ALL SOCIOLOGIST ALSO AGREE THAT INEQUALITY IS
  ABOUT ENTITLEMENTS THAT IS, WHO GETS WHAT, HOW
  AND WHY?
• ALL SOCIOLOGISTS DO NOT AGREE ABOUT THE STATUS
  OF SOCIAL INEQUALITY
• SOME SEE SI AS NATURAL AND INEVITABLE NOT
  ONLY USEFUL BUT NECESSARY FOR ANY SOCIETY A
  SYSTEM OF DIFFERENTIAL REWARD IS ONE WAY OF
  GETTTING INDIVIDUALS TO EXPEND EFFORT, TIME, AND
  RESOURCES IN ORDER TO PERFORM NECESSARY ROLES IN
  SOCIETY.
• OTHER SEE SI AS ARBITRARY AND EXPLOITATIVE
  THE "CONTEST FOR SUCCESS" IS RIGGED MATERIAL
  REWARDS AND INCENTIVE ARE NOT INDUCEMENTS TO
  PERFORM DIFFICULT JOBS, THEY ARE
  DISPROPORTIONATELY ACQUIRED. TO THINK OTHERWISE
  IS "FALSE CONSCIOUSNESS" GENERATED BY SPECIAL
  INTERESTS.

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The Two Measurements of Inequality in
Contemporary Society

• MANY SOCIOLOGISTS HAVE COME TO ACKNOWLEDGE TWO
  MEASUREMENTS OF INEQUALITY IN CONTEMPORARY
  SOCIETY
• (A) INEQUALITY OF CONDITIONS gtECONOMIC
  PRIVILEGE OR THE MATERIAL DISTRIBUTION OF
  REWARDS AND/OR
• (B) INEQUALITY OF OPPORTUNITIES gt LIFE
  CHANCES REFLECTED IN SUCH MEASURES AS THEIR
  LEVEL OF EDUCATION, HEALTH STATUS, NUTRITION, AND
  TREATMENT BY THE JUSTICE SYSTEM
• THE GROWING SOCIOLOGICAL PREMISE WHEN WE
  CONSIDER THE CONCEPT OF INEQUALITY IN TERMS OF
  THE ACCESS TO REWARDS AND LIFE CHANCES,
  STRUTURES OF INEQUALITY CAN BE VIEWED AS A
  COMPLEX PICTURE OF THE LACK OF
  INSTITUTIONALIZED POWER, DISCRIMINATORY BARRIERS,
  AND DENIAL OF OPPORTUNITY.
• SOCIAL STRATIFICATION AND INEQUALITY ALSO A
  COMPLEX PICTURE THAT REFERS TO
  DOMINANT-SUBORDINATE INTERACTION
• IN A STRATIFIED SOCIETY, A MINORITY GROUP IS NOT
  A GROUP THAT IS NUMERICALLY OUTNUMBERED IN
  SOCIETY.
• MAJORITY AND MINORITY GROUP RELATIONS ARE BASED
  ON POWER.
• THEREFORE, A MINORITY IS ANY GROUP DISADVANTAGED
  BECAUSE OF A LACK OF ACCESS TO WEALTH, POWER AND
  PRIVILEGE.

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Dominant and Subdominant Interaction

• SOCIAL STRATIFICATION AND INEQUALITY REFERS TO
  DOMINANT-SUBORDINATE INTERACTION
• WHAT IS A DOMINANT GROUP? THE COLLECTIVITY OF
  PERSONS IN SOCIETY WITH BOTH POWER AND AUTHORITY
  TO PRESERVE AND PROMOTE THE PREVAILING
  DISTRIBUTION OF PRIVILEGE IN SOCIETY. THE
  DOMINANT SECTOR REPRESENTS THAT PART OF SOCIETY
  WITH THE CAPACITY TO DEFINE ITSELF AND ITS
  CULTURE AS THE STANDARD OR NORM BY WHICH OTHERS
  ARE JUDGED AND EVALUATED.
• EX PRACTICES ARE SUPERIOR, NECESSARY,
  INEVITABLE JOB INTERVIEW -- BURQUA, BRAIDS?
• WHAT IS A SUBDOMINANT GROUP? ALSO CALLED
  SUBORDINATE, SUBDOMINANT GROUPS STAND IN AN
  UNEQUAL RELATION TO DOMINANT GROUPS, ALTHOUGH
  THIS INEQUALITY MAY BE CONTESTED AND TRANSFORMED.
• EX WOMEN'S GROUPS, CIVIL RIGHTS GROUPS,
  ORGANIZED RESISTANCE

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Majority Minority Relations

• IN A STRATIFIED SOCIETY, THE CONCEPT OF A
  MINORITY AND MAJORITY GROUP DOES NOT REFER TO
  NUMBERS OR STATISTICAL PROPORTIONS BUT
  RATHER TO POWER RELATIONS.
• THEREFORE, A MINORITY IS ANY GROUP DISADVANTAGED
  BECAUSE OF A LACK OF ACCESS TO WEALTH, POWER AND
  PRIVILEGE.
• THE CONCEPT OF MINORITY GROUP REFERS TO ANY GROUP
  WHETHER BASED ON RACE, ETHNICITY, OR GENDER
  THAT IS DISADVANTAGED, UNDERPRIVILEGED, OR
  EXCLUDED, DISCRIMINATED, OR EXPLOITED
  SUBDOMINANT. IT ALSO DESCRIBES A SOCIALLY
  DEFINED CATEGORY OF INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE PERCEIVED
  AS DIFFERENT AND TREATED ACCORDINGLY BY THE
  DOMINANT MAJORITY AND WHOSE
  DISPROPORTIONATE SHARE OF RESOURCES STEMS FROM A
  LACK OF INSTITUTIONALIZED POWER, DISCRIMINATORY
  BARRIERS, AND DENIAL OF OPPORTUNITY.

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How Do We Rank In Society?

• SRATIFICATION -- THE HIERARCIAL ARRANGEMENT OF
  SOCIAL STRATA EVERY SOCIETY CAN BE DIVIDED
  INTO LAYERS OR HIERARCHIES THAT CAN BE RANKED
  ACCORDING TO CERTAIN CRITERIA IN ASCENDING OR
  DESCENDING ORDER. THIS SUGGESTS THAT INEQUALITY
  IS NOT RANDOM OR FLEETING, BUT IS PATTERNED AND
  PREDICTABLE AND TENDS TO CLUSTER AROUND CERTAIN
  DEVALUED CATEGORIES RELATED TO RACE OR ETHNICITY.

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How Are Ranks or Strata Created?

• SOCIAL BARRIERS AND IMPEDIMENTS CREATE
  DIFFERENTIAL ACCESS TO OPPORTUNITIES, RESOURCES
  AND REWARDS IN SOCIETY. THEY INHIBIT AND
  DISADVANTAGE SOME GROUPS WHILE THEY FACILITATE
  AND ADVANTAGE OTHERS.

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What Is The Result Of Ranking In Canadian
Society?

• STRUCTURED STATUS INEQUALITY CANADA IS A
  VERTICALLY STRUCTURED ETHIC AND RACIAL MOSAIC.
  ETHNIC GROUPS WIELD VARYING DEGREES OF SOCIAL AND
  ECONOMIC POWER, STATUS, AND PRESTIGE. SOME GROUPS
  ARE HEAVILY REPRESENTED IN THE UPPER STRATA OR
  ELITE, AND OTHER GROUPS HEAVILY REPRESENTED IN
  THE LOWER STRATA.

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How Can We Measure (Tools) Ranks In Society?

• THE PRIMARY SOCIAL STRATA AND CONFIGUR- ATIONS IN
  SOCIETY ARE
• SOCIAL STRATIFICATION - A HIERARCHY OF POSITIONS
  THAT HAVE UNEQUAL PROPERTY, POWER AND PRESTIGE
  (3PS).
• SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS - ONE'S POSITION IN SOCIETY
  BASED ON SOME COMBINATION OF EDUCATION, INCOME
  AND OCCUPATION (EIO)
• SOCIAL CLASS - ARE BASED ON PROPERTY RELATIONS,
  AND REFER TO AN INDIVIDUALS RELATIONSHIP TO THE
  MEANS OF PRODUCTION. (BOURGEOISIE PROLETARIAT)
• ETHNO-RACIAL GROUP - ARE COMMUNITY AFFILIATIONS
  BASED ON SHARED CULTURAL AND/OR PHYSICAL TRAITS.

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What Are The Major Fault-lines Of Division?

• INEQUALITIES REFLECT PATTERNS OF SOCIAL
  STRATIFICATION BY WHICH SOCIETY IS DIVIDED INTO
  UNEQUAL "STRATA" ALONG LINES OF CLASS, RACE AND
  ETHNICITY, GENDER, AGE, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, AND
  DISABILITY.

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How Do Most People Identify Themselves In The
World?

• TODAY ETHNO-RACIAL STRATIFICATION IS THE KEY
  STATUS SYSTEM IN SOCIETY. MANY SOCIOLOGISTS HAVE
  NOTED THE "GLOBAL ETHNIC REVIVAL" IN CONTEMPORARY
  HISTORY.

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How Can We Study Social Inequality
(Sociologically)?

• SOCIAL INEQUALITY CAN BE STUDIED AS A SOCIAL
  PROBLEM ENCOMPASSING THREE DIMENSIONS (1)
  OBJECTIVE STRUCTURAL CONDITIONS, POWER,
  POVERTY, AND WEALTH, OCCUPATIONS AND EDUCATIONAL
  ATTAINMENT (2) IDEOLOGICAL SUPPORTS, FORMAL
  LAWS, PUBLIC POLICIES, DOMINATE VALUES, AND SO
  FORTH AND (3) SOCIAL REFORMS E.G. ORGANIZED
  RESISTANCE, PROTEST GROUPS, SOCIAL MOVEMENTS.