social class inequality sociologists

Trends in income distribution - OECD

uk is 5th most unequal in terms of income distribution

Trends in income distribution- high pay commission report

Top CEO's of big companies in uk on average earn 183 times more than the average full time employee

Trends in income distribution - family resources survey

Provides details of living conditions of those in the uk

Trends in income distribution - annual survey of hours and earnings

Provides data on earnings and hours worked in the uk

Trends in income distribution - British households survey

Interviewed the same sample of households since 1991 (longitudinal study) people are more than likely to under report their earnings due to fear of tax

Trends in income distribution - tax returns and HM revenue and customs

Likely to under report income based on fear of having to pay more tax especially the wealthy

Name sociologists / stats for trends in income distribution

OECD
high pay commission report
Family resources survey
Annual survey of hours and earnings
British household panel survey
Tax returns and HM revenue and customs

Trends in wealth distribution - ONS

Defines the following as wealth :
Property, land, assets e.g cars, jewellery, financial wealth e.g money in savings, private pension wealth. Wealth is distributed more unequally than income

Trends in wealth distribution - rowlingson and mullineux (policy commission report)

Some people are wealth but never spend it , some invest, some have hard cash, wealth impacts physical and mental wellbeing as well as education and job opportunities. The poor accumulate debt. Hard for young people from all classes to get on the property ladder

Trends in wealth distribution - Sunday times rich list

Compiles a list but this is based on speculation rather than hard facts

Name sociologists / stats for wealth distribution

ONS
Rowlingson and mullineux
Sunday times rich list

Work and employment - functionalist and new right general

Inequalities in the work place reflect meritocracy of society

Work and employment - Marxists general

Believe capitalism keeps class cycles going as rich pay little to create profit . It is hard to break this cycle

Work and employment - Weber

Status inequality - those that are paid more have more ability to bargain for pay increases than those with routine skills

Name sociologists for work and employment

Functionalists and new right
Marxists
Weber

Poverty - Wilkinson and Pickett

However it's measured brings socioeconomic disadvantages e.g debt, poor diet , bad housing , more illness, high divorce rates, low educational achievement

Poverty- HBAI

Government use this to measure poverty, but uses the term low income, not poverty. Definition of low income is 60% of the median has been criticized as why is the cut off 60%? Some others use FSM as a measure of child poverty

Poverty- Trussel trust

4.7 million people in the UK are in food poverty (charity that makes food banks) this is increasing.

Poverty- Mack, Lansley and Gordon

Study called breadline Britain. Asked what activities people saw as vital importance to social life. If 50% of people said the activity was then it was added to the list. 22 items were added from this to the 'deprivation index' e.g dump free home, fresh fruit, daily, a warm coat. They decided if a person lacked three or more of these, they are considered in poverty. Estimated 11 million people are in poverty in the UK.

Social mobility - OMS - goldthorpe and Hasley

1970s, 10,000 men over two generations. UK shaped by 1:2:4 rule - for every w/c boy who managed to climb into the professional service, two boys from the lower middle class would rise also. Generally, there was an increase in w/c boys that rose in class over the generations however this was not as high as it was from the middle-class children.

Social mobility - savage, egerton and Roberts

Social mobility study - compared class of males and females born in 1958 and looked at job/class in 1991. Roberts used a similar study and found the ability to escape the working class was similar across years. Middle-class children were twice as likely to rise class than working class.

Name the sociologists for poverty

Wilkinson and Pickett
Household below average income (Hbai)
Trussel Trust
Mack, Lansley and Gordon

Social mobility - savage

Study snakes and ladders tracked people in their 30s in the 90s and compared to a similar group tracked in the 2000s. Found those in the 2000s had more of a chance of rising the earnings ladder. However, low earners were still likely to remain low earners.

Social mobility - Wilkinson and Pickett

Countries like the UK with high rates of income in a quality have the lowest levels of social mobility

Social mobility- OECD

Britain has some of the lowest social mobility across the world and has gotten worse since the 70s

Social mobility - evaluation : Saunders and Abbott

Saunders criticises G&H says they have bias and do not see the UK as meritocratic. Also claims intelligence is inherited from m/c parents Abbott says more studies on social mobility are needed for women now more women are choosing to work

Name sociologists for social mobility

Oxford mobility study (OMS) - Goldthorpe and Hasley
Savage, Egerton and Roberts
Savage
Wilkinson and Pickett
OCD
Saunders and Abbott

Functionalism - parsons

Expressive and instrumental roles are biological, functional fit theory, nuclear family is dominant and best type and the family has the function to socialise children. Warm bath theory.

Functionalism - Davis and Moore

Inequality is essential for society to function, society is meritocratic, education performs the function of role allocation.

Functionalism- Murdock

Functions of family: socialisation, reproduction, sexual satisfaction, and economic stability.

Name the sociologists for functionalism

Parsons
Davis and Moore
Murdock

Marxism - Marx

Structural and conflict theory, family supports capitalist society through hierarchy, socialisation, acceptance of exploitation, buying the products etc.

Marxism - Engels

Believed people lived as a promiscuous horde many years ago and then accumulated wealth, wanted to know who their children were so the nuclear family was formed alongside capitalism

Marxism - Gramsci

Hegemony - reason the working class have not overturned capitalism.
Ideologies controlled by the ruling class

Name the sociologists for Marxism

Marx
Engles
Gramsci

Weberian view - Weber

Better class the more status you have, men have more status than women. Status equals power. Status is often gained through work and/or educational achievement. The family support the inequality.

Name the sociologist for weberian view

Weber

Feminism - Abbott

Women are ignored in many class studies. They work now and have Joe burden. Glass ceiling.

Feminism - Arber, Dale and Gilbert (SOCC - Surrey occupational class schema)

Jobs agenda, women need different more temporary classification of class

Feminism - Roberts

Do not assume women share a class position with their male partners.
Women are choosing to stay single and divorce is more common

Name the sociologists for feminism

Abbott
Arber, Dale and Gilbert (SOCC)
Roberts

New right - Saunders

Inequality is inevitable in catalyst societies which have quality of opportunity but are based on meritocracy. Inequality is a byproduct of societies demand for the latest consumer innovations.

New right - Murray

Underclass is because of the over generous wealth system. The underclass is made up of problem families. Large number of single mothers and fathers that take no economic responsibility. The underclass is responsible for the rise in crime in the 90s.

Name the sociologists for new right

Saunders
Murray