Global Stratification Midterm

Why study global stratification and inequality?

To understand why some countries are richer than others, how social class operates worldwide, whether globalization reduces or worsens inequality, and whether poverty is caused by individual failure, systemic factors, or both.

Why are some countries richer than others?

Due to differences in historical, economic, political, and social factors that shape development and access to resources.

What does "social class" mean globally?

Social class refers to hierarchical groups based on wealth, power, and status that exist within and across countries, influencing opportunities and life outcomes.

Has globalization reduced or deepened inequality?

Globalization has had mixed effects—it has connected economies but often deepens inequality by benefiting wealthier countries and elites more than poorer nations and marginalized groups.

Is poverty due to individual failure or systemic factors—or both?

Poverty results from a combination of individual circumstances and broader systemic factors like economic structures, social policies, and historical inequalities.

What is Natural Inequality?

Inequality based on physical or mental traits, such as strength or intelligence.

What is Moral/Political Inequality?

Inequality created by society, including differences in wealth, power, and status (concept from Rousseau).

What does GDP per capita / GDI measure?

The average national income per person in a country.

What does the Gini Coefficient measure?

The internal income distribution within a country, showing how equally or unequally income is shared.

What is the Human Development Index (HDI)?

A measure combining health, education, and income to assess a country’s overall development.

What does the Multidimensional Poverty Index include?

Factors like access to services, education, and living standards, beyond just income.

What is Absolute Poverty?

The inability to meet basic needs like food, shelter, and clean water.

What is Relative Poverty?

Poverty measured by inequality compared to societal standards.

What is Social Exclusion?

Being cut off from full participation in society, including access to resources, political voice, and quality of life.

Modernization Theory:

Suggests that poor countries can develop by adopting the economic and cultural practices of Western countries — like industrialization, education, and democracy.

Dependency Theory:

Argues that poor countries remain underdeveloped because rich countries exploit them and control global resources, keeping poorer nations dependent.

World Systems Theory:

Views the world economy as a system of interconnected countries where:

• Core countries are wealthy and exploit others,

• Semi-periphery countries are in transition,

• Periphery countries are poor and exploited.

Global Inequality Stats

• The richest 1% of the global population earns as much as the poorest 56% (data from 2007).

• The richest 20% of people receive over 70% of the global income.

• About 2.8 billion people live on less than $2 per day (UN data from 2005

Structural Sources of Inequality

• Systems like education, legal frameworks, and labor markets often reinforce existing power inequalities.

• These systems may favor dominant racial, gender, or class groups, making it harder for marginalized groups to advance.

What maintains inequality in the modern world?

Inequality is maintained by structural systems (education, legal, labor markets), global economic relationships, unequal access to resources, and power imbalances between wealthy and poor countries and groups.

How do institutions contribute to inequality?

Institutions like schools, courts, and workplaces often reinforce existing social hierarchies by favoring dominant groups and limiting opportunities for marginalized people.

How does your position in the world system affect your life chances?

Being in a core country or higher social class generally means better access to resources, education, and jobs, while those in periphery countries or lower classes face more barriers and fewer opportunities.

What is the root cause of global inequality?

Global inequality is not accidental; it stems from historical and structural forces that created long-term patterns of wealth and poverty.

What is colonialism?

Colonialism is the control and exploitation of one nation by another through settlement, economic domination, and cultural imposition.

What is capitalism?

Capitalism is an economic system based on private ownership, profit, and market competition.

What is imperialism?

Imperialism is the expansion of a country’s power and influence through diplomacy or military force.

What are the three types of countries in World-Systems Theory?

Core countries (wealthy, powerful, industrialized), peripheral countries (poor, exploited, resource-exporting), and semi-periphery (transitional economies).

What role do core countries play in World-Systems Theory?

Core countries extract wealth from peripheral countries, emphasizing dependency and exploitation in the global economy.

How do global institutions like the IMF, World Bank, and WTO affect poorer nations?

They promote austerity, privatization, and free trade policies that often benefit the global North and undermine the economic sovereignty of poorer nations.

What is the debate around foreign aid according to Dependency and Modernization theories?

Dependency Theory says foreign aid deepens dependency and control, while Modernization Theory argues aid stimulates growth and progress.

What defines neoliberal globalization?

Free markets, deregulation, and privatization.

What are the consequences of neoliberal globalization?

It worsens inequality within and between nations and undermines public services, labor rights, and social welfare.

What is the global elite or transnational capitalist class?

A class that controls wealth and policy, prioritizing corporate profit over human rights and sustainability.

What social and environmental issues are linked to global inequality?

Climate change, health disparities, forced migration, violence, and conflict, with vulnerable populations suffering the most.

What are social divisions?

Socially constructed categories that separate people and affect access to opportunities, treatment, and identity.

What are the key categories of social divisions?

Class, Gender, Race & Ethnicity, Religion, Sexual Orientation, Disability.

How is class defined in social divisions?

Based on income and occupation (e.g., working class, middle class, elite).

: How does gender function as a social division?

Unequal treatment based on male, female, or non-binary identity.

What role do race and ethnicity play in social divisions?

Linked to historical injustice and systemic discrimination.

How can religion contribute to social divisions?

It can create inclusion or exclusion in secular or diverse societies.

Why are sexual orientation divisions important?

LGBTQ+ individuals often face marginalization.

How does disability affect social participation?

Physical or mental barriers limit full participation in society.

Why do social divisions matter?

They affect education, employment, legal treatment, healthcare, and social norms.

What are social divisions, what are their key categories, and why do they matter?

• Social divisions are socially constructed categories that separate people and affect access to opportunities, treatment, and identity.

• Key categories include class (income/occupation), gender (male/female/non-binary), race & ethnicity (historical injustice), religion (inclusion/exclusion), sexual orientation (LGBTQ+ marginalization), and disability (barriers to participation).

• They matter because they influence education, employment, legal treatment, healthcare, and social norms.

What is nationality?

Nationality is a person’s legal and cultural identity, including citizenship, ethnicity, and sense of belonging.

What is nationalism and what are its types?

Nationalism is loyalty to a nation. Types include:

• Civic nationalism (shared laws/values)

• Ethnic nationalism (based on ancestry/culture)

• Anti-colonial nationalism (demands for independence)

• Religious nationalism (merges religion with national identity)

What does Benedict Anderson mean by "Imagined Communities"?

Nations are socially imagined groups that are limited, sovereign, and communal, where people share identity without personally knowing each other.

What are social cleavages and why do they matter?

Social cleavages are deep divisions in society based on race, class, religion, etc., shaping identity, conflict, and political behavior.

How are age-based divisions experienced in society?

Youth are seen as inexperienced, elderly face ageism in jobs and healthcare, and middle-aged people are seen as productive but often stressed.

What are examples of ageism?

Older workers being pushed out, young workers underpaid, elders’ symptoms dismissed in healthcare, youth glorified while aging is stigmatized.

What is social exclusion?

Social exclusion occurs when people are marginalized and denied full participation in education, work, housing, healthcare, civic life, and culture.

Why do nationality, nationalism, social cleavages, age divisions, and social exclusion matter?

They shape people's identities, influence social conflict, affect political behavior, and impact access to opportunities and equality.

What does Functionalism say about healthcare?

Functionalism (Durkheim, Parsons) sees healthcare as maintaining social stability; illness is viewed as a disruption to societal functioning.

What does Symbolic Interactionism say about health and illness?

Symbolic Interactionism (Mead, Blumer) focuses on the social meanings of illness, including stigma and the importance of doctor-patient relationships.

How does Feminist Theory view healthcare?

Feminist Theory (Dorothy Smith, Judith Butler) argues that healthcare is shaped by gender power dynamics and often marginalizes women and LGBTQ+ individuals.

What does Conflict Theory say about healthcare inequality?

Conflict Theory (Marx, Weber) sees healthcare as reflecting class inequality—wealthy people receive better care while poorer people face worse outcomes.

What is life expectancy at birth and what does it reflect?

Life expectancy at birth is the average number of years a newborn is expected to live, reflecting overall health and social conditions in a society.

What are social determinants of health?

Social determinants of health are non-medical factors like income, housing, education, and race that influence health outcomes.

What does the "lens of suffering" focus on in global inequality?

Looks at how unfair systems affect the lives and wellbeing of marginalized and disadvantaged people.

What is social stratification?

A system of structured inequality tied to factors like caste, class, race, and gender.

What does Historical Materialism (Marx) explain about inequality?

It shows how systems like slavery, caste, and estates enabled modern capitalism through exploitation.

What is intersectionality (Crenshaw)?

A concept showing how overlapping identities (e.g., gender, caste, race) intensify experiences of oppression.

What is symbolic violence (Bourdieu)?

When inequality is accepted as “normal” due to cultural beliefs—making social suffering appear natural.

What is structural violence (Galtung, Farmer)?

Harm caused by systemic issues like poverty, racism, or state neglect that limits life chances and well-being.

What is habitus according to Bourdieu?

Internalized habits, ways of thinking, and behaviors shaped by one’s upbringing and social background.

What is a field in Bourdieu’s theory?

A social space (like education, art, or law) where people compete for status, power, and influence.

What are Bourdieu’s types of capital?

• Social Capital: Networks and connections.

• Cultural Capital: Education, tastes, and cultural knowledge.

• Economic Capital: Wealth and financial resources.

What is the caste system and how does it produce inequality?

A rigid, birth-based hierarchy in South Asia tied to ideas of purity. Dalits face exclusion, violence, and stigma.

What was the estate system in medieval Europe?

A birth-based social hierarchy dividing society into nobles, clergy, and peasants. Serfs faced hard labor and few rights.

How did slavery function as a system of inequality?

Enslaved people were treated as property, suffering violence, family separation, and total dehumanization.

What do caste, estate, and slavery have in common?

They institutionalized suffering by embedding inequality into law, religion, and morality—effects still seen today.

How do Bourdieu’s concepts explain inequality today?

Habitus shapes our behavior based on background, field shows where inequality plays out, and capital reveals who has power.

What is symbolic violence (Bourdieu)?

When inequality is made to seem “normal” or “deserved” through culture and beliefs.

What is structural violence (Galtung/Farmer)?

Hidden, built-in systems—like poverty or racism—that cause long-term harm and limit opportunities.

Why is it important to study inequality through human suffering, not just statistics?

It highlights the emotional, physical, and psychological toll of inequality that numbers alone can’t show.

Are historical systems of inequality—like caste, slavery, and colonialism—still the foundation of today’s global order?
Include opening statements, main arguments, rebuttals, crossfire, and closing.

Opening Statements
Yes: The effects of caste, slavery, and colonialism are still embedded in global economic and social systems.
No: Modern inequality is more influenced by contemporary policies, governance, and globalization than by history.

🔹 Main Arguments
Yes:

• Colonialism created dependency and unequal trade.

• Slavery built wealth still benefiting former slave-owning nations.

• Caste and racial hierarchies still shape access and violence.
  No:

• Many post-colonial nations have grown economically.

• New global powers (e.g., China) show success isn’t tied to past subjugation.

• Individual leadership and policies matter more today.

🔹 Rebuttals
Yes: Inequality cannot be understood without history—it structured today’s world order.
No: Historical injustice matters, but focusing too much on it risks ignoring present agency and reforms.

🔹 Crossfire Example Questions
Yes → No: “Why do former colonies and oppressed groups still rank lowest on health and wealth scales?”
No → Yes: “If history is everything, how do we explain nations that broke the cycle and succeeded?”

🔹 Closing Statements
Yes: History lives in our systems—true change means addressing its legacy.
No: Today’s solutions lie in what we do now, not in endlessly revisiting the past.

What is gender, according to Thompson & Armato (2011)?

Gender is a socially constructed system of beliefs and practices that create perceived differences between men and women.

What is patriarchy?

Patriarchy is a system where institutions are structured to privilege men and uphold male dominance (Thompson & Armato, 2011).

What is gender inequality, according to Lorber (1994)?

Gender inequality is the devaluation of women and the dominance of men in social, economic, and political spheres.

Give examples of gender inequality in marriage and reproductive rights.

• Turkey: Husbands must consent to abortions.

• Afghanistan & Bangladesh: Widespread child marriage.

• Burkina Faso & Egypt: Women need male consent for medical care or passports.

How does education inequality manifest globally?

• In places like rural Pakistan, boys’ education is prioritized over girls’.

• Education disparities vary by region.

What are key aspects of economic gender inequality?

• Gender Wage Gap: Women earn less than men globally.

• Unpaid Labor: Women do most caregiving and household work.

• Job Segregation: Women are overrepresented in informal, insecure jobs.

• LGBTQ+ Discrimination: Limits access to jobs and workplace safety.

What is the Gender Gap Index?

A global tool for measuring gender inequality across four areas:

• Economics

• Education

• Health

• Politics

What is structural and institutionalized gender inequality?

Inequality embedded in systems like law, economy, and politics.
Examples:

• Unequal pay

• Underrepresentation in leadership

• Workplace bias and discrimination

What is intersectionality in gender inequality?

Intersectionality means gender combines with race, class, sexuality, etc., creating layered disadvantages—especially for women of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, and the poor.

What are examples of gender-based violence and human rights violations?

• Femicide

• Female genital mutilation (FGM)

• Sexual assault

• Criminalization of LGBTQ+ lives

• Reproductive injustice (e.g., limited access to abortion)

How does gender affect food inequality?

In poor households or during famine, women often eat last or least—reflecting their lack of power in household decisions.

What gaps exist in education, law, and politics for women and LGBTQ+ people?

• Fewer educational opportunities

• Political underrepresentation

• Lack of legal protections from gender-based and queerphobic violence

What are examples of resistance and reform against gender inequality?

• Feminist and LGBTQ+ activism

• Gender quotas in leadership

• Equal pay laws

• Anti-discrimination protections

How does gender inequality affect men?

• Men in the EU have lower life expectancy and higher death rates

• Masculine expectations hurt mental and physical health

Why does gender inequality matter globally?

Because it’s structural, cultural, and institutional—impacting lives worldwide. A global, intersectional lens is key to understanding and addressing it.