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Chapter 9 - Social Stratification, Inequality, Poverty
Chapter 9 - Social Stratification, Inequality, Poverty
Chapter 9 - Social Stratification, Inequality, Poverty
Pages 228-256
Is it possible that the cause of stress faced by mothers living in poverty can affect the fetus just
like smoking or drug use?
Although U.S. has achieved levels of wealth & economic productivity, many families
continue to live in poverty & lack the resources to meet their everyday needs
Children are especially harmed by povertysubtle & hidden ways
Stress of mothers poverty might be toxic to child even before birth
Premature birth predicts developmental problems later on
Being exposed to stressful environment due to poverty before birth might have
negative effect on childs outcomes
Even before they are born, poor children are much more likely to be exposed to
stress that impacts their development in their mothers womb
o Stress is damaging, having life-long impacts
Poverty handicaps children literally from conceptresults in cumulative disadvantages
as children grow up deeply questioning goal of equality of opportunity
1. What is inequality?
Inequality: Introduction
Has the enormous gap b/w rich & poor always existed?
Social stratification is sociological subfield
Examines inequalities among individuals & groups
Systematic study of inequality
History of Inequality
In what specific ways are societies unequal?
Inequality: unequal distribution of valued goods & opportunities
Feature of virtually all known human societies
Form & level of inequality has varied widely
Primitive hunting & gathering societies shared limited food supplies & resources among
all members of tribe fairly
Decision-making powers exercised by tribal chiefs & privileges given to medicine
man (shaman)
Relatively little possibility for large inequalities w/o significant opportunities for
some individuals to gain at expense of others
o Mere survival was in question & few surplus left over after basic
necessities were met
Slavery:
The Who & What of Inequality
Justifying Inequality
How is inequality justified?
Income Inequality
Corrado Gini: Gini Index
Government policies
Union decline
The 1 percent
Who is the 1 percent?
4. How much poverty exist in the U.S. & around the world?
Life at the bottom: problem of poverty
Poverty is complicated concept
Condition that involves inability to afford basic needs like food, clothing, shelter,
healthcare
Beyond minimum resources, it is difficult to define what basic needs are
Government measures poverty in U.S. by setting an income threshold (minimum income
necessary to afford basic necessities)
Threshold=poverty line
Homelessness