Week 4: Social Class and Social Inequity

Karl Marx

Founder of the conflict theory, is one of the most important figures in the development of sociology. His work was important as an academic theory and a way of understanding the world.

Class struggle

Marx argues that the core struggle in all societies is this: The conflict between those who own the means of production (bourgeoisie) and those who own only their labour power (workers).

The dictatorship of the bourgeoisie

Marx called capitalism what?

Bourgeoisie (capitalist)

One of two primary classes in Marx’s theory; the owners of the means of production

Proletariat (worker)

One of two primary classes in Marx’s Theory. Own only their capacity to labour, which they must sell to the capitalist.

Communism

A completely classless society:

Socialism

Marx actively fought for the implementation of

The mode of production of goods and services that dominates the time

Marx argued that historical periods are distinguished by what?

Mode of production

The way that we make things in our society. Creates the distinctions and relationships between classes in a society.

Classes

According to Marx, these are groups of people who play different roles in the productive system.

1. the bourgeoisie

2. the proletriat

Two main classes in capitalism:

property

Any resource that can be use to produce things of value and to generate wealth. In Marx’s theory, owned by the capitalist.

It allows the owner to grow food or raise animals that can be sld.

Why was land an important type of property in Marx’s Theory:

Their capacity to labour (either physically or mentally), which they must sell to the capitalist.

Members of the proletariat can use only what?

Their relationship to both the means of production and to each other. Capitalists cannot exist without workers to labour; workers must have somewhere to sell their labour to make money o survive

Marx agued that classes are defined by what?

Surplus value

In Marx’s theory, the new value created by workers that is in excess of their own labour-cost and is available to be appropriated by the capitalist. This value is the amount of money that the capitalist keeps after paying the worker’s wages.

“an exact expression of the degree of exploitation of labour power y capital, or of labourer by the capitalist.”

Marx said that the rate of surplus value is what?

He worked to help encourage a worker’s revolution by explaining the perils of capitalism and the benefits of socialist and communist systems to a wider audience (ex: wrote many books)

How did Marx work to overthrow capitalism?

Ideology

A system of conscious and unconscious ideas that shape a person’s or group’s objectives, expectations, and actions.

Comes from the dominant class and serve to perpetuate the capitalist system

Marx argues that a society’s dominant ideologies comes from what?

Meritocracy

The idea that people will achieve based on their own merit. Canadian society has this strong belief

It legitimizes the fact that they have money, highlighting the hard work and intelligence it took to get that money, and making it seem that anyone can achieve this status with effort and perserverance.

According to Marx, how does meritocracy benefit the bourgeoisie?

False consciousness

A willingness among the working class to support ideologies that are advantageous to the ruling class bu disadvantageous to working-class interests.

Does not unite and overthrow the capitalist system.

Marx argued that false consciousness is part of the reason that the working class does not what?

Because capitalists use the state to further their own interests. The state is used to sustain the class system that benefits the ruling class. the state also does not reflect the interest of workers.

For Marx, how is the government a tool of capitalism?

Coercive methods such as the police, military, or judicial system, to defend this system

Marx said that after softer ways of convincing people about the benefits of capitalism fail, the ruling class uses what?

Petite bourgeoisie

Small-scale capitalists, such as shopkeepers and managers

Lumpenproletariat

The lowest layer of the working class, according o Marx, including criminals and the chronically unemployed (“slum workers”). Marx said they were highly unlikely to join what he hoped would be a workers revolution

Class consciousness

An awareness of what is in best interest of one’s class. Marx argued that this is an important precondition for organizing into a “class for itself” and advocating for class interests.

Unions

organizations of employees who work together to negotiate a variety of common matters, including pay, benefits, hiring and firing practices, and working conditions

Trade union density

The percentage of a population’s wage earners who are members of a union

Te change that a person or group can realize its own will in a communal action, even against the resistance of others participating in the same action. The idea is based on a person’s or group’s economic class, social status, and party

Weber defines power as what?

1. economic class (income, wealth)

2. Social status (prestige, honour)

3. Party (political power)

Weber’s three primary bases of power in society:

1. large capitalists (bourgeoisie)

2. small capitalists (petite bourgeoisie)

3. specialists (ex: doctors)

4. working class

Weber’s four main classes

Status groups

Weber’s term for a group that is basedon social honor and prestige and that has a “style of life”. Honour refers to any distinction, respect, or esteem that is accorded to an individual by others.

Party

In Weber’s Theory, organizations that attempt to influence social action and focus on achieving some political goal

socio-economic status (SES)

A measure of a person’s or family’s income, educational attainment, and occupational prestige that is used to determine one’s social and economis position in relation to others.

1. high

2. middle

3. low

Three categories of SES

Social mobility

The upward or downward movement into a striatification system, such as the class system. Can be intergenerational (occurs betweeen generations) and intragenerational (occurs within a single generation)

Achievement-based stratification system

A system that ranks individuals based on their accomplishments. Those who work hard and are diligent acieve high social status or class

Ascription-based stratification system

A system that ranks individuals based on a person’s ascribed features (e.g., race, sex)

Intergenerational income elasticity

The statistical relationsip between a parent’s and child’s economic standings. The higher this is, the less social mobility a society offers. Childhood upbringing plays a larger role than individual talents and capabilities in predicting later income.

Poverty

A condition in which material or cultural resources are lacking.

Relative poverty

Describes the deprivation of some people in relation to those who have more

Absolute Poverty

Describes the life-threatening deprivation of resources.

low-income cut-offs (LICOs)

Income thresholds, created by Stats Canada, below which a family will likely spend more than the average amount of its income on basic necessities (i.e., food, shelter, clothing)

Canada Pension Plan (CPP)

A universal social program available to all Canadians over the age of 59, regardless of financial means.

Cycle of poverty

The causes and elements of poverty that trap people in tis situation and require outside intervention.

1. little to no ncome

2. little education

3. lack of sufficient ousing

4. insufficient social connection

5. poor health

cycle of poverty is perpetuated by what?