1 / 17

Class Counts: Social Classes and Class Relations

Class Counts: Social Classes and Class Relations. Week 2a. Section 2 – Identity based inequalities: class and status groups. Pples of stratification (next slide) Pple of social (or status) location Pple of intersectionality/intrAsectionality Pple of differential access.

varick
Download Presentation

Class Counts: Social Classes and Class Relations

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Class Counts: Social Classes and Class Relations Week 2a.

  2. Section 2 – Identity based inequalities: class and status groups • Pples of stratification (next slide) • Pple of social (or status) location • Pple of intersectionality/intrAsectionality • Pple of differential access

  3. Conceptualizing stratification • Strata/layers (geological metaphor) • Organization of society into ranked groups of unequal worth • Pattern of social inequality • Groups with similar amts of power, privilege and property • Ranked relative to each to other • In ascending/descending order • Types/criteria of stratification: – class/underclass (relations to means of prod or family background/occupational status), - status/identity groups - gender, race, Aboriginality

  4. Caste vs Class as Stratification

  5. Clarifying the Class concept • From Classes existed to they don’t exist! • Why aversion to class concept in Canada/USA? - against the grain of new society meritocracy classism - description ok, explanatory no (esp Marxist)

  6. KEY QUESTIONS • “is it objectively real or analytical construct • “Is it still a useful explanatory framework?” • “does class matter?”(make things happen)

  7. Marx and social class • Main Points - centrality of economy - centrality of class conflict - historical materialism >>>>>>> egalitarian society

  8. Marx: Theory of Class

  9. Weber and Social Class(new class org. in Britain, p. 93)

  10. Class structure in USA (p 95)

  11. USA • Middle class = $40 000 to $120 000 (2/3 to dble median) family of 3 shrinking from 61% in ‘71 to 51% in ‘11 • Lower + upper classes

  12. Defining social class • Pattern of stratification • Based on hierarchical ranking of groups • Who share a similar structural position because • (a) similar amts of family background/occupational status (power, privilege, property) [Weberian] • (b) stand in a similar relation to the means of production (owners, workers, intermediaries) [Marxist]

  13. Debating class as concept and reality • Are classes real (category or group?) • Does Canada have classes? • How many? On what basis • Is there mobility between classes? • Set of socioeconomic status/ranking or set of group positions? • Do classes still matter? • Resistance to class as explanatory framework • Is class the same as classism?

  14. Category or group • Group = - shared awareness of distinctive commonalities - in terms of lives, life-chances, social location - distinguished from others • Category – classification of persons based on criteria

  15. Classes matter • SOCIAL LOCATION • Quality of work • Healthier • Education • Prison – free • Avoid/survive natural disaster • Less exposure to environmental risks (location) • Live longer (no or safer military service (USA)

  16. Do classes matter? CASE STUDIES • Return of the robber barons • Richistan • Titanic

  17. Class Matters: Classed Institutions • Inst not neutral • Media = classed - ownership - imperatives - newsworthiness - entertainment • Portrayal of classes - conventional wisdom - ambiguities in portraying rich, middle, working, poor

More Related