Chapter 8 Understanding Sociology

Social Differentiation and Stratification

Hurricane Katrina x Inequality

The poor black residents could not evacuate, and the government did not assist

The American public blamed the residents, and the “pull yourseld up by your bootstraps” mentality reigned

bias and racism was revealed in the lack of sympathy

but was CLASS more significant?

Victim Blaming

blaming the victim for what has happened to them, for not doing enough, for not using their resources that they are assumed to have

Disasters Reveal Injustice

Lack of infrastructure

lack of emergency access

lack of trust in emergency services

being taken advantage of

Social Stratification

Hierarchical Arrangement of members of society, including the resulting inequality

-a structure form of inequality

Analogy from geology

IN geology stratification means separated layers of rock

In sociology it means separated classes of humans in a society

Differences:

sociological strata have relationships with each other, they are arranged in a system

inferiority and superiority exists in humans, but not in rocks hehe

social strata can change rapidly, rock typically does not

humans within social strata are self aware, rock is not (so we think)