Inequality in Society

Sociology 100 Professor Wissinger WORKSHEET ON CHAPTER IDEAS
Fill in the blanks based on your reading of Chapter 4 for today:

p. 78: In 1997, the wealthiest 1 percent owned 40 percent of the total wealth.

p. 80 “Social interaction develops _social patterns. Once created, these patterns_hang on. One of these patterns is _social structure, a pattern that is almost always a system of inequality. That is what we need to focus our attention on.”

p. 80: The division of labor refers to the fact that economic activities eventually lead to a division of labor in society, where people do increasingly different things from one another.

p. 80: The main idea is that if someone is able to accumulate economic resources, they will develop an advantage over others.


p. 81: The division of labor, and therefore inequality can be found in

1. families
2. friendship groups
3. schools
4. politics
5. churches

p. 81: “Once leadership positions are created, a division of labor is established.”

p. 82-83: An example of an intentional (e.g. one that is created on purpose) division of labor is a form of social organization called a bureaucracy.

p. 83 What are the five goals of forming a bureaucracy?

1. Get things done as efficiently as possible
2. Responsabilities and lines of authority are clearly distributed
3. To ensure that the commands of the few are carried out by the many
4. Achieve the goals of the organization
5. Creation of inequality

pp. 80-89
Why does social inequality arise in the first place?
list the phrases the book uses to explain

1. The economic division of labor and the rise of social inequality_p.80
2. The organization division of labor _p.81
3. The intentional division__p.82
4. Social conflict, the emergence of winners and losers_p.83
5. Social Institution of private property, the unequal distribution of privilege_p.86
6. The interplay of power, privilege, and prestige_p.87
   

Read the quote on p. 86. This quote explains the idea behind which of the above causes of social inequality? #4 Social Conflict, the emergence of winners and losers

p. 89 What are the five mechanisms the work to cause inequality to continue?

1. Efforts of the powerful
2. Social institution
3. Culture
4. Socialization
5. Instruments of force

p. 89 “Social inequality arises from the development of a Social Structure.”

p. 90 Who benefits from a system of social inequality? Those who has power

p. 92 List an example of an institution Charon mentions that helps inequality to continue Saudi Arabias which is a society where almost everything that exists works to maintain the wealth and power of a few families and the dominance of men over women. Also in South Africa, the forced separation of the races for purposes of domination by the whites, was maintained through a complex set of institutions. Another example is china, where government, military, education, and media combine to help ensure the continued dictatorship of a small party.

p. 94 The statement “if you work hard, you can rise to the top” is an example of a set of ideas used in the United States to justify and make people accept social inequality.

p. 95 Another example of a statement of ideas that justify inequality is that upper classes are more superior or more deserving. They are more talented, more hardworking, more educated, more naturally superior.

p. 97 In addition to culture, Socialization causes people to accept the system of social inequality.

p. 98 What is the result of the process you filled into the blank above from p. 97 in terms of how people respond to authority? People feel acceptance to obey people in charge.

p. 99 When normal social forces fail to keep people on board with the current system of inequality, violence and threats is (are) the last resort.

p. 100 Is inequality inevitable? YES/NO NO