Mobility and Social Exclusion, Social Reproduction, Relative Poverty, Absolute Poverty

Social Class movement

Horizontal movement (movement within a class)

Vertical movement (up or down to switch classes)

Caste System

Very little to no social mobility

• role is determined entirely by your background (born and marriage)

• lots of social stability

Class system

Allows for a degree of social mobility, Combination of background and movement often by education

• less stable

Meritocracy

Concept that people achieve social position solely based on ability and achievements

• highly idealized

• birth and parental background does not matter

• extreme social mobility

• equal opportunity for all

Intragenerational mobility

Change within someones lifetime

Intergenerational mobility

change in social class between generations

Absolute Poverty

An absolute level at which if you go below, your survival is threatened

• minimum level of resources a human being needs to survive

• this level no matter where you are

• there is variability that absolute poverty does not consider

• when countries get richer less people live in absolute poverty

Relative poverty

In developed countries, use a different marker – a % level below the median income of the country.

• if a countries income rises up, absolute poverty line will not change but the median income level would

• Relative poverty is not about survival but it is about people whose incomes are so low in their own society they are being excluded from society

Social reproduction

Transmission of social inequality from one generation to the next

Social capital

Building up reliable, useful social networks

Cultural Capital

Knowledge, education, and skills transmitted across generations

• our educational system does not value cultures of low classes. It doesn’t value the culture and social networks of the poor population.

Social Exclusion

Being an integral member of society has lots of advantages – access to good social networks, housing, educational resources, and resources in community.

• But certain individuals can be excluded to the peripheries of society, and are prevented from participating in society.

Poverty Magnet

Can drag people away from the core part of society, and experience a greater degree of social exclusion.

Ill health magnet

Can also drag people away, keeping them from participating in society

Discrimination magnet

Certain groups may face discrimination, based on their race/gender/s*xual orientation/etc

glass ceiling effect

(poorly represented in higher position in companies)

Ways to help

Government schemes (ex. Food stamps), improve access to education/healthcare, and figure out social interventions that allow integration to society.